oil pressure MERCEDES-BENZ SLK320 2003 R170 Owner's Manual

Contents
Pedals .......................................... 159
Power assistance ......................... 160
Brakes .......................................... 160
Driving off .................................... 161
Parking ......................................... 161
Tires ............................................. 162
Hydroplaning................................ 163
Tire traction ................................. 163
Tire speed rating .......................... 163
Winter driving instructions ........... 164
Standing water ............................. 165
Passenger compartment .............. 165
Driving abroad.............................. 165
Control and operation
of radio transmitter ...................... 166
Catalytic converter....................... 166
Emission control .......................... 167
Coolant temperature .................... 167
At the gas station .............................. 169
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 170
Engine compartment ......................... 171
Hood ............................................ 171
Engine oil ..................................... 172
Transmission fluid level ................ 176
Coolant ........................................ 176Battery .......................................... 178
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*.......... 179
Tires and wheels................................. 180
Important guidelines ..................... 180
Life of tire ..................................... 181
Direction of rotation...................... 181
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 181
Rotating wheels ............................ 182
Winter driving ..................................... 183
Winter tires ................................... 183
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 184
Snow chains.................................. 184
Maintenance....................................... 185
Clearing the service indicator ....... 185
Service term exceeded ................. 186
Calling up the service indicator..... 186
Resetting the service indicator ..... 186
Vehicle care........................................ 187
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 187
Practical hints.................................. 193
What to do if ...................................... 194
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 194Additional indicators in the
speedometer display .................... 204
Lamp in center console ................ 205
Where will I find ...? ............................ 206
First aid kit.................................... 206
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 206
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 210
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 210
Locking the vehicle ....................... 211
Changing batteries
in remote control .......................... 212
Synchronizing remote control ....... 213
Fuel filler flap ................................ 213
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever ........... 214
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 215
Raising retractable hardtop
manually ....................................... 215
Replacing bulbs .................................. 221
Bulbs............................................. 221
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 223
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 225
Adjusting headlamp aim
(Halogen headlamps only) ............ 226
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 228
Removing ...................................... 228

170 OperationAt the gas station
You will hear when the fuel cap is tight-
ened.

Close the fuel filler flap.
You should hear the latch close shut.
Check regularly and before a long trip1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
More information on filling up the res-
ervoir can be found in the “Operation”
section (
page 179).
2Brake fluid
More information on brake fluid can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 271).
3Coolant level
More information on coolant can be
found in the “Operation” section
(page 176).
4Engine oil level
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Operation” section
(page 172).
Opening hood (
page 171).Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). More information on
coolant can be found in the “Operation”
section (
page 176).
Exterior lamp switch (
page 83).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, refer
to page (
page 221) in the “Practical
hints” section.
Exterior lamp switch (
page 83).
Tire inflation pressure
More information on tire inflation pressure
can be found in the “Operation” section
(
page 181).
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the
?
lamp to
illuminate.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 199).

181 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:

Driving style


Tire pressure


Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better aquaplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
ensure that the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of tire rotation.Checking tire inflation pressureCorrect the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm, you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure repeatedly drops:

Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.


Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
iThe pressures listed for light loads are
minimum values offering high driving
comfort.
Increased inflation pressures listed for
heavier loads may also be used for light
loads. These higher pressures produce
favorable handling characteristics. The
ride of the vehicle, however, will be
somewhat harder. Never exceed the
max. values or inflate tires below the
min. values listed in the fuel filler flap.

272 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m us t b e 91 mi n. It is an a ve ra ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc..
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to engine opera-
tion.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.

285 Index
A
ABS 22, 66, 279
ABS control 67
Malfunction indicator lamp 196
Warning lamp 196
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission* 98
Accident
In case of 46
Activating
Air conditioning 107
Air recirculation mode 105
Anti-theft alarm system 71
Climate control 103
ESP 70
Exterior headlamps 43
Hazard warning flasher 85
Headlamps 43
High beams 85
Ignition 29
Immobilizer 71
Rear window defroster 105
Residual heat 107
Seat heater* 81
Tow-away alarm 72
Windshield wipers 44Activating automatic central locking 79
Adding
Coolant 176, 177
Engine oil 175
Additional turn signals 221
Adjusting 30
Air distribution 104
Air volume 104
Backrest tilt 32, 33
Exterior rear view mirror 35
Head restraint height 32
Inside rear view mirror 35
Instrument cluster illumination 88
Manual seat 31
Mirrors 35
Seat cushion tilt 33
Seat fore and aft adjustment 31, 33
Seat height 31, 33
Seats 30
Telescoping steering column* 34
Adjusting headlamp aim
Horizontal headlamp aim 227
Vertical headlamp aim 226
Air conditioning 106
Activating 107
Deactivating 106Air conditioning refrigerant 271
Air distribution
Adjusting 104
Air pressure see Tire inflation
pressure 181
Air recirculation mode 105
Activating 105
Deactivating 105
Air volume
Adjusting 104
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 205
Airbags 53
BabySmart airbag deactivation
system 279
BabySmart
TM deactivation
system 62
Children 54
Front 56
Passenger 56
Safety guidelines 55
Side impact 57
Alarm
Audible 65, 71
Canceling 71
Visual 71

287 Index
Battery discharged
Jump starting 247
Battery, vehicle 178, 245
Charging 246
Disconnecting 246
Reconnecting 246
Reinstalling 246
Removing 246
Block heater 184
Bolts
For spare wheel 207
Brake assist system (BAS) 279
Brake fluid 170, 271
Brake lamp bulbs 222
Brake lamp, high mounted 222
Brakes 160
Warning lamp 198
Break-in period 158
Bulbs, replacing 221
Additional turn signals 221
Backup lamps 222
Brake lamps 222
Fog lamps 221
Front lamps 221
High beam 221
High mounted brake lamp 222License plate lamps 222, 226
Low beam 221
Parking lamps 221, 222, 224
Rear fog lamp 222
Rear fog lamps 225
Side marker lamps 221, 225
Standing lamps 221, 222, 224
Tail lamp assemblies 222, 225
Turn signal lamps 221, 222
Xenon* headlamps 223
Button
Audio system 115
C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 279
California
Important notice 9
Calling up
Service indicator 186
CAN system 279
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 269
Cargo area see Cargo compartment 77
Cargo compartment
Trunk 77
Casette mode
Playing cassettes 118Catalytic converter 166
CD changer* 120, 209
CD mode 120
Center console 23
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 205
Lower part 24
Storage compartment 140
Upper part 23
Central locking
From inside 80
Unlocking from inside 80
Certification label 258
Changing CDs 120
Charging
Vehicle battery 246
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 199
Checking
Coolant level 170, 176
Oil level 170, 172
Tire inflation pressure 170
Vehicle lighting 170
Checking engine oil level
Via engine oil level indicator 173
Via oil dipstick 173