MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 2012 R172 Owner's Manual

Useful information
............................130
Breaking-in notes .............................. 130
Driving ............................................... 130
Manual transmission ........................139
Automatic transmission ...................140
Refueling ............................................ 146
Parking ............................................... 149
Driving tips ........................................ 152
Driving systems ................................ 156 129Driving and parking

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 23).Breaking-in notes
The first 1,000miles (1,500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying
vehicle and engine speeds for the first
1,000miles (1,500km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full
throttle, during this period.
R Change gear in good time, before the
tachometer needle is 0001of the way to the
red area of the tachometer.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
R Ideally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500km)
drive in drive program C.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R If possible, do not depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance
(kickdown).
R Only select shift ranges 3,2or 1when
driving slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain.
After 1,000 miles (1,500km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle up to full speed. Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
R
do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,50 0rpm briefly.
R change gear in good time.
i You should also observe these breaking-
in notes if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed
limits. AMG vehicles with rear axle locking
differential
Your vehicle is equipped with aself-locking
differential on the rear axle. To improve the
protection of the differential on the rear axle,
change the oil after a break-in distance of
2,000 miles (3,000 km). This oil change
extends the service life of the differential.
Have the oil change carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals' range of movement.
Keep the driver's footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficien tclearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught betwee nthe
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury. 130
DrivingDriving and parking

G
WARNING
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtai nbraking action. This could
resul tind rive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle's ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control. G
WARNING
Manual transmission: Waitu ntil the vehicle is
stationary before removing the SmartKey
from the starter switch .The vehicle cannot be
steered when the SmartKey is removed from
the starter switch. G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parking position Por
neutral position Nif the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡(+20 †), the
maximu mengine speed is restricted in
order to protect the engine .To protec tthe
engine and maintain smooth engine
operation, avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold. SmartKey positions
SmartKey 000F
To remove the SmartKey
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position P
0005 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
0006 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
0007 To start the engine
If the SmartKey is in position 0in the ignition
lock for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the ignition lock. The
steering is then locked. To unlock, remove the
SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
i The SmartKey can be turned in the
ignition lock even if it is not the correct
SmartKey for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General information
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
aS
martKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-
GO function and a detachable Start/Stop
button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the ignitio nlock and the SmartKey must be in
the vehicle. Driving
131Driving and parking Z

Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
SmartKey positions in the ignition lock. This
is only the case if you are not depressing the
brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts
immediately.
The Start/Stop button can be removed from
the ignition lock. Then, you can insert the
SmartKey into the ignition lock.
i
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leave the vehicle. However, you should
always take the SmartKey with you when
leaving the vehicle. The vehicle can be
started with the Start/Stop button and the
electrical equipment can be operated while
the SmartKey is in the vehicle. 0002
Start/Stop button
0003 Ignition lock
X Insert Start/Stop button 0002into ignition
lock 0003.
i When you insert Start/Stop button 0002
into ignition lock 0003, the system requires a
detection time of approximately
two seconds before you can use Start/
Stop button 0002. Start/Stop button
0023
USA only
0022 Canada only
X Position 0: if Start/Stop button 0002has not
yet been pressed, this corresponds to the
SmartKey being removed from the ignition.
X Position 1: press Start/Stop button 0002.
You can now activate the windshield
wipers, for example.
i If you then open the driver's door when in
this position, the power supply is
deactivated.
X Position 2(ignition): press Start/Stop
button 0002twice.
i If you press Start/Stop button 0002once
when in this position and the driver's door
is open, the power supply is deactivated
again.
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
the engine is started or if it lights up while the
vehicle is in motion, see (Y page 229). Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your
health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause
unconsciousness and possible death. 132
DrivingDriving and parking

Do not ru
nthe engine in confined areas (such
as a garage) which are not properly ventilated.
If you think that exhaust gas fumes are
entering the vehicle while driving, have the
cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one
window fully open at all times.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
General information i
AMG vehicles: the exhaust flap of the
exhaust system will be checked after every
cold start. Aresulting noise can be heard
during this process.
i During a cold start, the engine runs at
higher speeds to enable the catalytic
converter to reach its operating
temperature. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Manual transmission X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral N.
i You can only start the engine when the
clutch pedal is fully depressed.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey i
To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/
Stop button out of the ignition lock. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 3in the
ignition lock (Y page 131)and release it as
soo nas the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to startt he engine G
WARNING
As long as the SmartKey is in you rvehicle, the
vehicle can be started. Therefore, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle, as they
could otherwise accidentally start the engine.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an acciden tand/o rserious personal
injury.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the SmartKey into the ignition lock. The
Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the ignition lock and the SmartKey must be
in the vehicle. This mode for starting the
engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 131)
once.
The engine starts. Pulling away
Manual transmission X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Release the electric parking brake
(Y page 150). Driving
133Driving and parking Z

X
Release the brake pedal.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and gently
depress the accelerato rpedal.
! Change gear in good time and avoid
spinning the wheels. You could otherwise
damage the vehicle.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic
locking feature (Y page 193).
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parkin gposition Por
neutral position Nif the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then is
the selector lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
The electric parking brake (Y page 150) is
automatically released.
The red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. i
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away.T he locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic
locking feature .
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill starta ssist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient.
It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
G
WARNING
Never leave the vehicle when it is held by hill
start assist. After approximately one second,
hill start assist will no longer brake your
vehicle and it could roll away.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
i Once you have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. 134
DrivingDriving and parking

ECO start/stop function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the ECO symbol appear sinthe
multifunction display when the engine is
switched off, the engine was switched off
automatically .However, all vehicle systems
remain active. If you open the door, unfasten
your seat belt or remove your foot from the
brake pedal, the engine will automatically
start.T he vehicle may begin moving. There is
a risk of an accident.
To prevent the vehicle from pulling away
unintentionally, only remove your foot from
the brake pedal if you want to drive on.
Do not leave the vehicle until you have
switched off the ignition and secured the
vehicle to prevent it from rolling away.
! Always switch the ignition off and take the
key with you when leaving the vehicle.
General notes The ECO start/stop function is only available
for the SLK 55 AMG.
The ECO start/stop function is only available
in drive program C.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
The system is operational if all conditions for
automatic engine switch-off have been
fulfilled (Y page 135) and the 000Esymbol is
shown in the multifunction display. In
addition, the Stop/Start active message
is shown in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled, the border of the ECO symbol disappears in the multifunction
display. In addition, the
Stop/Start inactive message is shown in the AMG
menu in the multifunction display.
If the ECO start/stop function is deactivated
(Y page 136), the 000Esymbol and the
Stop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive message are not shown.
i If automatic cylinder shut-off is active in
drive program C, the number of active
cylinders 4is also shown in the 000E
symbol. This means that the engine is
operating with four cylinders.
If cylinder shut-off is not active, the engine
will operate with all eight cylinders. In this
case, the number of active cylinders 8is
shown in the 000Esymbol.
Automatic engine switch-off The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is
braked to a standstill and the brake remains
depressed with the transmission in position
D
or N.
The engine is only switched off if:
R the vehicle is at a standstill.
R the outside temperature is within the range
which is suitable for the system.
R the engine is at normal operating
temperature.
R the battery is sufficiently charged.
R the system detects that the windshield is
not fogged up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
R the hood is closed.
R no engine-relevant diagnostics are active.
R the front door is closed and the seat belt is
fastened.
i You can still activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary, even if the
engine has been switched off
automatically. It is then not necessary to
continue applying the brakes during the
automatic stop phase. When you depress Driving
135Driving and parking Z

the accelerator pedal, the engine starts
automatically and the braking effect of the
HOL
Dfunction is deactivated. Depress the
accelerato rpedal carefully, as the engine
must be started first.
i If you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the 000Esymbol reappears in
the multifunction display.
i Automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of three times
consecutively. The automatic engine
switch-off is then available again after the
border of the ECO symbol appears in the
multifunction display.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if:
R
you deactivate the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
R you switch to drive program Sor M.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R the vehicle starts to roll.
R the brake system requires this.
R the system detects moisture on the
windshield when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
R the charge level of the battery is too low.
R the driver's seat belt is removed or the
driver's door is opened.
R you shift the transmission from position D
to R.
R you engage reverse gear R.
R you release the brakes when in
transmission position Dor Nand when the
HOLD function is not active.
R you steer the vehicle.
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine. Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function
Example: ECO button
i
If indicator lamp 0003is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated
manually or as the result of a malfunction.
The engine will then not be switched off
automatically when the vehicle stops.
i Each time the engine is started, the ECO
start/stop function switches to the status
(on or off) that was selected before
switching off the engine.
Deactivating
X Press button 0002in drive program C.
or
X Switch to drive program Sor M
(Y page 142).
Indicator lamp 0003on button 0002and the
000E symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
The Stop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive message in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out.
Activating
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. If drive
program Sor Mis active, the automatic
transmission switches to drive program C.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 135) are fulfilled, the
000E symbol is shown in the multifunction
display. In addition, the Stop/Start136
DrivingDriving and parking

active message is shown in the AMG
menu in the multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 135) are fulfilled, the
Stop/Start inactive message will be
shown in the AMG menu of the
multifunction display and the frame around
the ECO symbol fades out. If this is the
case, the ECO start/stop function is not
available. Driving
137Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Before attempting to start the engine again, turn the SmartKey
in the ignition back to position 0or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly until all indicator lamps in the instrumen tcluster go
out.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 132). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X
Jump-star tthe vehicle (Y page 285).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X
Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant
temperature gauge
shows a value above
248 ‡ (120 †). The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 262). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary. 138
DrivingDriving and parking