power steering MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG 2007 R171 Owner's Manual

Contents
Automatic transmission* ................... 155
Gear selector lever ....................... 155
Shifting procedure ....................... 156
Gear selector lever positions ....... 157
Driving tips ................................... 159
Gear ranges ................................. 160
Automatic shift program .............. 161
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 162
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* ............... 163
Manual shift program* ................. 165
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 167
Good visibility .................................... 168
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 168
Rear view mirrors ......................... 168
Sun visors .................................... 170
Rear window defroster ................. 170Climate control ................................... 172
Switching climate control
system on/off ............................... 175
Setting the temperature................ 175
Adjusting air distribution............... 176
Adjusting air volume ..................... 177
Basic settings ............................... 177
Front defroster.............................. 177
Air recirculation mode .................. 178
Air conditioning............................. 180
Residual engine heat utilization .... 181
Automatic climate control* ................ 182
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 185
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 186
Setting the temperature................ 186
Adjusting air distribution............... 187
Adjusting air volume ..................... 188
Front defroster.............................. 188
Maximum cooling MAX COOL ....... 189
Air recirculation mode .................. 189
Air conditioning............................. 191
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 192Audio system...................................... 193
Audio and telephone*, operation .. 193
Operating safety ........................... 193
Operating and display elements ... 194
Button and soft key operation ...... 196
Operation...................................... 196
Radio operation ............................ 199
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) ..................................... 203
CD mode....................................... 208
GSM network phones ................... 219
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 226
Emergency calls “911” ................. 233
Power windows .................................. 235
Opening and closing the windows 235
Synchronizing power windows ...... 239
Retractable hardtop ........................... 240
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ....................... 240
Wind screen* ................................ 246
Driving systems .................................. 247
Cruise control ............................... 247

Contents
Loading .............................................. 251
Roof rack ...................................... 251
Useful features .................................. 252
Storage compartments................. 252
Shelf behind roll bars ................... 254
Cup holder.................................... 254
Ashtray ......................................... 255
Cigarette lighter ........................... 256
Power outlet ................................. 257
Floormat (driver’s side only) ......... 257
Telephone*................................... 258
Tele Aid* ...................................... 261
Garage door opener* ................... 270
Heated steering wheel*
(SLK 280, SLK 350, Canada only) 276
Operation......................................... 277
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 278
Driving instructions............................ 279
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 279
Drinking and driving ..................... 279
Pedals .......................................... 279
Power assistance ......................... 280
Brakes .......................................... 280
Driving off .................................... 282
Parking ......................................... 282
Tires ............................................. 283
Hydroplaning ................................ 284
Tire traction.................................. 284
Tire speed rating .......................... 285
Winter driving instructions ........... 286
Standing water ............................. 287
Passenger compartment .............. 287
Driving abroad.............................. 287
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ................................... 287
Catalytic converter ....................... 288
Emission control .......................... 289
Coolant temperature .................... 289At the gas station .............................. 291
Refueling ...................................... 291
Check regularly and before a
long trip ....................................... 292
Engine compartment ......................... 294
Hood ............................................ 294
Engine oil ..................................... 296
Transmission fluid level* .............. 300
Coolant level ................................ 300
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 302
Battery ......................................... 303
Tires and wheels................................ 304
Important guidelines .................... 304
Tire care and maintenance........... 305
Direction of rotation..................... 307
Loading the vehicle ...................... 307
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 312
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 314
MOExtended system* .................. 317
Tire labeling ................................. 318
Load identification ....................... 322

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Automatic transmission*:
Steering wheel gearshift
control*163
2Multifunction steering
wheel28,
122
3Horn
4Instrument cluster26,
118
5Overhead control panel31,
116
6Glove box252
CD changer*216,
252
7Center console29, 30
8Sun sensor for automatic
climate control*
9Starter switch37
ItemPage
aSteering wheel adjustment
release handle, manual43
bSteering wheel adjustment
stalk, electrical*44
Heated steering wheel
stalk* (SLK 280,
SLK 350, Canada only)276
cHeadlamp cleaning button*168
dHood lock release lever294
eExterior lamp switch55,
109
fCombination switch

High beam55

Turn signals55

Windshield wipers56
gPower window switches235
hInside door handle99
jCruise control lever247

37 Getting started
Unlocking
Press unlock buttonΠon the
SmartKey.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 96).

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.
Enter the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
For more information, see “SmartKey”
(
page 94).
Starter switch positions
SmartKey
Starter switch
0For removing the SmartKey
The steering is locked when the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment*
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, see “Lamps in
instrument cluster” (
page 346).
3Starting position
iWithout the antenna on the left rear side
of the vehicle installed, the SmartKey signaling
range is considerably reduced.
Hold the SmartKey in close proximity towards
the antenna base when locking or unlocking
the vehicle.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
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 accident and/or serious
personal injury.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Pull handle1.
Slide the seat to the desired position.
Allow handle1 to reengage with an
audible click.
Check for proper engagement before
driving.Seat height
Pull or push handle2 up or down and
adjust the seat height until your legs
are slightly supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Pull handle3 and adjust the backrest
until your arms are slightly angled
when holding the steering wheel.
Release handle3 when the desired
backrest tilt is reached.
When you hear an audible click, the
backrest is again fixed into place.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 104).Power seat* adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the outer side of each seat.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat backrest tilt
4Seat cushion tilt
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
or
Open the respective door.

42 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the horizontal switch forward or
backward in direction of arrows1.
Seat height
Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrows2 and adjust the
seat height until your legs are slightly
supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Press the vertical switch forward or
backward in direction of arrows3.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrows4 until your
upper legs are lightly supported.Head restraint height
Head restraint
Adjust the height of head restraints
manually by pulling them upwards or
pushing them downwards.
iThe memory function* (page 107) lets
you store the settings for power seats*, steering
wheel adjustment (electrical)*, and exterior rear
view mirrors.
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are in-
tended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.

59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
Warning!G
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible 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 or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain as a result
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.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

Automatic transmission*: Move the
gear selector lever to position P.

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.

Take the SmartKey with you and lock
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.

85 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the
pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions
and functions as a reminder to take extra
care while driving.Emergency brake maneuver
Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 346).
Warning!G
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS
and the ESP® are also switched off. The
basic driving and braking functions are still
available.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing
steering capability and extending the brak-
ing distance.
Warning!G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency
beyond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent
accidents. The capabilities of an ABS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

108 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seat, on the driver’s side
also the steering wheel and exterior
rear view mirrors, to the desired
positions (
page 39).
Press memory buttonM.
Release memory buttonM and press a
memory position switch 2 within
3 seconds.
All settings are stored to the selected
position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold desired memory
position switch2 until the seat, on
the driver’s side also the steering
wheel and exterior rear view mirrors,
have completely moved to the stored
positions.
!Do not operate the power seats using the
memory position switches if the seat backrest is
in an excessively reclined position. Doing so
could cause damage to the seats.
iReleasing the memory position switches
immediately stops movement to the stored
positions.

160 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in program modeC
orS, you can select a gear range for the
automatic transmission to operate within.
Gear selector lever (
page 162):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control*
(
page 163):
You can limit the gear range by pulling the
left gearshift paddle on the steering wheel
gearshift control, and reverse the gear
range limit by pulling the right gearshift
paddle on the steering wheel gearshift
control.The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current gear range
Effect
ïThe transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
îThe transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
éThe transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
Effect
èThe transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
çThe transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades

in mountainous regions

under extreme operating
conditions
æThe transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.