tow MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG 2008 R171 User Guide

83 Safety and Security
Panic alarm
Panic alarm
1Âbutton
Activating
Press and hold button1for at least
1 second.
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate briefly.
Deactivating
Press button1again.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iWithout the antenna on the left rear side of
the vehicle installed, the SmartKey signaling
range for the panic alarm is considerably
reduced. The panic alarm then only functions if
the SmartKey is held in close proximity towards
the antenna base.

87 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 352) and
(
page 363).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ESP®warning lampv flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case, proceed as
follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine must be turned off (SmartKey in
starter switch position0 or1) when

the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer

the vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 442).

91 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
and an acoustic warning sounds three
times to indicate that the alarm system
is armed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 starts
flashing.Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash once and
an acoustic warning sounds once to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 goes
out.
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
Press theŒ or‹button on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times and no acoustic warning sounds three
times, a door or the trunk lid may not be properly
closed.
Close the respective element and lock the
vehicle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
again after approximately 40 seconds if no door
was opened.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is triggered,
for example, if the vehicle is lifted on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than 30 seconds,
a call to the Response Center is initiated auto-
matically by the Tele Aid* system (
page 262),
provided Tele Aid* service was subscribed to
and properly activated, and that necessary cellu-
lar service and GPS coverage are available
(
page 262).

92 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming tow-away alarm
Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm is automatically
armed after about 30 seconds.
Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm,
switch off the tow-away alarm feature be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Indicator lamp
2Tow-away alarm deactivation switch
Switch off the ignition (page 37).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Press tow-away alarm deactivation
switch2.
Indicator lamp1 in the tow-away
alarm deactivation switch comes on
briefly.
Exit your vehicle.
Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
Canceling tow-away alarm
To cancel the alarm:
Press theŒ or‹button on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iWhen you unlock your vehicle, the tow-away
protection disarms automatically. The tow-away
alarm remains disarmed until you lock the
vehicle again.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm while
the ignition is switched on.

95 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
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.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the SmartKey is
malfunctioning, or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey and
replace them if necessary (
page 398).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the
driver’s door (
page 394) and the trunk
(
page 395).

Use the mechanical key to lock the vehicle
(
page 395).

Have the vehicle battery and the battery
connections checked (
page 422).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, contact
Roadside Assistance or an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
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.
iYou can also open and close the retractable
hardtop using the SmartKey* (
page 244).
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.

102 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Trunk lid emergency release
With the emergency release button, the
trunk can be opened from inside the trunk.
1Emergency release button
Briefly press emergency release
button1.
The trunk lid unlocks and opens
slightly.
Push up the trunk lid to fully open.Illumination of the emergency release
button:

The button flashes for 30 minutes after
opening the trunk.

The button flashes for 60 minutes after
closing the trunk.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the vehicle is set into motion.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system, see “Setting
automatic locking” (
page 146).
iThe emergency release button unlocks
the trunk while the vehicle is standing still or
in motion.
iThe emergency release button does not un-
lock the trunk if the vehicle battery is discharged
or disconnected.
iIf the vehicle has previously been centrally
locked with the SmartKey, opening the trunk
from the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm
system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:

Press buttonŒor‹on the
SmartKey.

Insert the SmartKey in the starter switch.
iYou can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact exceeds a
preset threshold.
The vehicle locks automatically when the ignition
is switched on and the wheels are turning at a
vehicle speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h)
or more. You could therefore lock yourself out
when the vehicle

is pushed or towed

is on a test stand

153 Controls in detail
Manual transmission
Manual transmission
Manual transmission is standard equip-
ment on select models and not available
on all models.
For information on driving with a manual
transmission, see “Driving off”
(
page 53).
Warning!G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or
reverse gear and the parking brake not
engaged is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, an engaged
first or reverse gear alone may not prevent
your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting
people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 59).
W h e n p a r k e d o n a n i n c line, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
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.
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. Children
could move the gearshift lever, which could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action.
This could result in drive wheel slip and
reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS
will not prevent this type of loss of control.

158 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Effect
ëNeutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engage neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to neu-
tral positionN only if the vehicle
is in danger of skidding, e.g. on
icy roads.
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with gear selector lever in neutral
positionN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in park
positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 59).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
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.
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. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
park positionP, which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

168 Controls in detail
Good visibility
For information on the windshield wipers,
see “Windshield wipers” (
page 56).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The headlamps will automatically be
cleaned with a high-pressure water jet
when you have

switched on the headlamps
and

operated the windshield wipers with
windshield washer fluid five times
When you switch off headlamps, the
counter resets.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 301).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 46).
Interior rear view mirror, antiglare
position
Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night
position by moving the lever towards
the windshield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.Auto-dimming rear view mirrors*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirrors and the interior rear view
mirror will respond automatically to glare
when

ignition is switched on
and

incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirrors will not react if

reverse gearR is engaged

interior lighting is switched on

266 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button•
The Roadside Assistance button• is
located in the center armrest
storage/telephone* compartment
(
page 253).
1Roadside Assistance button
Open the storage/telephone* com-
partment (
page 253).
Press and hold button 1 (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
Connecting
Call
will appear in the multifunction
display and the audio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for
assistance.The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may
apply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance
manual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.