clutch MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 2012 R172 Owner's Manual

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

Manual transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way .Do not keep any objects
in the driver's footwell. Make sure that
floormats or carpets are correctly secured
and that there is sufficient clearance for the
pedals.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. This could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident. G
WARNING
When working on the vehicle, engage the
parking brake and shift the manual
transmission into the 1stgear or reverse R.
The vehicle could otherwise roll away, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury. Gear lever
Gear lever
0010
Reverse gear
0005 to000E
Forward gears !
When shifting between 5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. You could otherwise
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed
(transmission braking), this can cause the
engine to overrev, leading to engine
damage.
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill by
using the clutch pedal. There is otherwise
a risk of damaging the clutch. Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left
beyond the point of resistance and then
forwards. Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The
recommended gear is shown in the
multifunction display. X
Shift gear according to gearshift
recommendation 0002shown in the Manual transmission
139Driving and parking Z

Transmission positions
0003
Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position
P(Ypage 149) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. In addition to
engaging the parking lock, you
must always apply the parking
brake to secure the vehicle.
The SmartKey can onl ybe removed
if the transmission is in position P.
If the SmartKey is removed from
the ignition lock, the selector lever
is locked.
If the vehicle electronics are
malfunctioning, the selector lever
may be locked in position P. To
release the selector lever lock, see
"Releasing the parking lock
manually" (Y page 146). 0004
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. 0002
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. The transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train. 0009
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the
individual gears automatically when it is in
transmission position D.This automatic
gearshifting behavior is determined by:
R a shift range restriction, if selected
R the selected drive program (Y page 142)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Double-clutch function When shifting down, the double-clutch
function is active regardless of the currently
selected drive program. The double-clutch
function reduces load change reactions and
is conducive to a sporty driving style. The
sound generated by the double-clutch
function depends on the drive program
selected. Automatic transmission
141Driving and parking Z

Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0023.
or
X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift into neutral in a vehicle with
manual transmissio nwhile driving or
depress the clutch pedal for longer than six
seconds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the CruiseControl Off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes i
DISTRONIC PLUS is not available on AMG
vehicles.
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS requires familiarity with
its operational characteristics. We strongly
recommend that you review the following
information carefully before operating the
system. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS is a convenience
system. Its speed adjustment reduction
capability is intended to make cruise control
more effective and usable when traffic speeds
vary. It is not however, intended to, nor does
it, replace the need for extreme care.
The responsibility for the vehicle's speed,
distance to the preceding vehicle and, most
importantly, brake operation to ensure a safe
stopping distance, always remains with the
driver.
The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take street and
traffic conditions into account.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by the DISTRONIC PLUS. This
could result in wrong or missing distance
warnings.
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor system must be activated
(Y page 194) and operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients. 158
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Press the mark on cover 0002inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover 0002off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover 0002to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is importan tthat you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 287).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 108).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO key with you. Towing
avehicle with both axles on
the ground
When having your vehicle towed, observe the
important safety notes (Y page 287). G
WARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will then need
much more effort to brake and steer the
vehicle .Adapt your style of driving
accordingly.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 108).
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal a change of
direction. In this case, only the turn signals
for the desired direction flash. When the
combination switch is reset, the hazard
warning lamps start flashing again.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral.
or
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to
position N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake. 288
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Move the selecto rlever to N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Preven tthe vehicle from rolling away by
applying the parking brake.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to first gear or reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
X Secure the vehicle.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components.
Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged. Tow-starting (emergency starting)
When tow-starting your vehicle, it is
important that you follow the safety
instructions (Y page 287).
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
For further information on "Jump-starting"
see (Y page 285).
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the catalytic converter has cooled down. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 108).
X Install the towing eye (Y page 287).
X Secure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Depress the clutch pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Tow-start the vehicle.
X Shift to second gear.
X Release the clutch pedal slowly;d o not
depress the accelerator pedal while doing
so.
The engine is started.
X Depress the clutch pedal and shift to
neutral.
X Stop at a suitable place.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Remove the rigid towing bar or towing rope.
X Remove the towing eye (Y page 288).
X Switch off the hazard warning lamps. Fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and that have the
correct fuse rating for the systems
concerned. Do not attempt to repair or bridge
faulty fuses. Using fuses that have not been
approved or attempting to repair or bridge
faulty fuses could cause the fuse to be
overloaded and result in afire. Have the cause
traced and rectified at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If afuse blows, all the Fuses
289Breakdown assistance Z