tow MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 2006 R171 Owner's Guide

296 OperationDriving instructionsDriving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
place gear selector lever* in positionP
(manual transmission: move gearshift
lever to first or reverse gear).
In addition, when parking on hills, turn
front wheel towards the road curb.

297 Operation
Driving instructions
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temper-
atures).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle undercar-
riage for possible damage. If the vehicle or
tires appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor vehi-
cle safety laws consider a tire to be worn
when the treadwear indicators (TWI) be-
come visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not al-
low your tires to wear down to that level. As
tread depth approaches
1/8in (3.0 mm),
the adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning!
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.

304 OperationAt the gas stationRefuelingThe fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear.
Locking and unlocking the vehicle with the
remote control automatically locks and un-
locks the fuel filler flap.
1To open fuel filler flap
2To insert fuel filler cap
3Supplemental tire inflation pressure
informationWarning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
Failure to remove the fuel cap slowly could
result in personal injury.
iOnly use premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON / 86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
For more information on gasoline, see
“Premium unleaded gasoline”
(page 452) or the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet.

324 OperationTires and wheelsStep 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 326).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 321).


326 OperationTires and wheelsCertification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(page 326) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the Certification la-
bel. The Certification Label can be found
on the driver’s door B-pillar (
page 321).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 326) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is ten
percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.

355 Operation
Vehicle care
Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months, de-
pending on the climate and washing deter-
gent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of embedded dirt (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax should be applied to
the engine compartment after every en-
gine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be lu-
bricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.

Use only a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.

Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.

Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.

Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.
!Affixing stickers, adhesive tape or sim-
ilar materials to painted body compo-
nents may damage the paintwork.

361 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

388 Practical hintsWhere will I find...?First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored in a parcel net
behind the driver’s seat.Vehicle tool kit, vehicle jack
The vehicle tool kit is stored in a storage
compartment under the trunk floor.
The following is included:

Collapsible chock


Vehicle jack


Protective wrap


Alignment bolt


Towing eye bolt


Wheel wrench


Spare fuses


Fuse extractor


Valve extractor


Electric air pump


TIREFIT kit*Removing the vehicle tool kit
Vehicles with spare wheel
1Spare wheel
2Vehicle tool kit (under collapsible tire,
together with wheel bolts for spare
wheel with collapsible tire)
3Retaining screw

Open the trunk (
page 98).

Lift up trunk floor.

Loosen retaining screw3 by turning it
counter-clockwise.

Remove spare wheel1.

Remove vehicle tool kit2.1Collapsible wheel chock
2Vehicle jack
3Protective wrap
4Alignment bolt
5Towing eye bolt
6Wheel wrench
7Spare fuses, fuse extractor and valve
extractor
8Electric air pump

389 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
Vehicles with TIREFIT*
1TIREFIT kit
2Vehicle jack
3Collapsible wheel chock
4Towing eye bolt
5Alignment bolt
6Wheel wrench
7Spare fuses, fuse extractor and valve
extractor
8Electric air pump
Open the trunk (
page 98).

Lift up trunk floor.Vehicle jackThe vehicle jack is located in the storage
compartment underneath the trunk floor.
Storage position
Remove vehicle jack from its
compartment.

Turn crank handle in the direction of
arrow as far as it will go.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use,
especially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.

396 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergency1Locking
Insert the mechanical key into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.

Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position1.
The driver’s door is locked.Manually unlocking the gear selector
lever (automatic transmission*)
In case of power failure, the gear selector
lever can be manually unlocked, e.g. to tow
the vehicle.
1Gear selector lever cover
2Release

Insert flat, blunt object (e.g. screwdriv-
er) into the left edge of cover1 at the
position indicated by the arrows.

Loosen cover1 using this object.

Using your hands, pull cover1 out
and remove.

Push down and hold release2 in di-
rection of arrow.

Simultaneously move gear selector le-
ver out of positionP.
The gear selector lever is unlocked
now.iThe gear selector lever is locked again
as soon as you place it in positionP
again.