2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK ROADSTER User Manual

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster captures the thrill of driving with the top down by combining a sleek design, powerful performance, and luxury comfort in a way that works well together. Its unique retractable hardtop roof turns the two-seater into a captivating roadster at the touch of a button, asking you to go on an adventure. The SLK has a look that is both sporty and elegant. It has sculpted lines and a carefully made cabin with high-quality materials and the latest technology. The SLK has a variety of powerful engine choices, including a high-performance AMG version. It accelerates quickly and handles well, and features like the Airscarf neck-level heating system make it possible to drive with the top down for longer. The 2014 SLK Roadster shows that Mercedes-Benz cares about both elegance and excitement. It also sets the stage for a memorable driving experience.

Overview of climate control systems

Useful information
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.
Read the information on qualified specialist workshops: (Y page 24).

Important safety notes
WARNING
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution) may require replacement of the filter before its scheduled replacement interval. A clogged filter will reduce the air volume to the interior and the windows could fog up, impairing visibility and endangering you and others. Have a blocked filter replaced at a Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

Observe the settings recommended on the following pages. The windows could otherwise fog up. This could prevent you from observing the traffic conditions, thereby causing an accident.
Dual-zone automatic climate control regulates the temperature and the humidity in the vehicle interior and filters undesirable substances from the air.
Automatic climate control is only operational when the engine is running. Optimum operation is only achieved if you drive with the side windows and sliding sunroof closed.
The climatic comfort deteriorates whilst the sliding sunroof is open. The automatic climate control cannot maintain the set temperature with the sliding sunroof open. You have to adjust the climate control manually.

The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off.
The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off (Y page 134).
Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during warm weather, e.g. using the
convenience opening feature (Y page 78). This will speed up the cooling process and the desired vehicle interior temperature will be reached more quickly.
The integrated filter can filter out most particles of dust, and completely filters out pollen. A clogged filter reduces the amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior. For this reason, you should always observe the interval for replacing the filter, which is specified in the Maintenance Booklet. As it depends on environmental conditions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the interval may be shorter than stated in the Maintenance Booklet.

Control panel for dual-zone automatic climate control

1. Sets the temperature, left (page 131)
2. Defrosts the windshield (page 131)
3. Switches the ZONE function on/off (page 131)
4. Activates/deactivates cooling with air dehumidification (page 124)
5. Switches the rear window defroster on/off(page 133)
6. Sets the temperature, right (page 131)
7. Activates/deactivates air-recirculation mode (page 134)
8. Sets the air distribution ( page 131)
9. Increases the airflow (page 131)
10. Reduces the airflow ( page 131)
11. Display
12. Switches climate control on/off (page 121)
13. Sets climate control to automatic (page 130)

Seats

Important safety notes

WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no SmartKey in the ignition lock.
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle control, all seat, head restraint, steering wheel and rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fastening of seat belts, must be done before setting the vehicle in motion.
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving. Adjusting the seat while driving could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat backrest in an excessively reclined position as this can be dangerous. You could slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under it, the seat belt would apply force at the abdomen or neck. This could cause serious or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belts provide the best restraint when the wearer is in a position that is as upright as possible and seat belts are properly positioned on the body.

Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you can correctly fasten your seat belt.
Observe the following points:

• adjust the seat backrest until your arms are slightly angled when holding the steering wheel.
• adjust the seat to a comfortable seating position that still allows you to reach the accelerator/brake pedal safely. The position should be as far back as possible with the driver still able to operate the controls properly.
• adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to the head as possible and the center of the head restraint supports the back of the head at eye level.
• never place hands under the seat or near any moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.
  Failure to do so could result in an accident and/or serious personal injury.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained on the rear seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus, we strongly recommend that children be placed in the rear seat whenever possible. Regardless of seating position, children 12 years old and under must be seated and properly secured in an appropriately sized child restraint system or booster seat recommended for the size and weight of the child. For additional information, see the
“Children in the vehicle” section.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and/or the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to the head as possible and the center of 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 intended to help reduce injuries during an accident.

To avoid damage to the seats and the seat heating, observe the following information:

• keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as soon as possible.
• if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not switch on the seat heating. The seat heating should also not be used to dry the seats.
• clean the seat covers as recommended; see the “Interior care” section.
• do not transport heavy loads on the seats. Do not place sharp objects on the seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The seats should only be occupied by passengers, if possible.
• when the seat heating is in operation, do not cover the seats with insulating materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers, child seats or booster seats.

Make sure that there are no objects in the footwell or behind the seats when resetting the seats. There is a risk that the seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
When the rear bench seat is folded forwards, the front seats cannot be moved to their rearmost position. You could otherwise damage the seats and the rear bench seat.
Make sure that the sun visor is folded up before adjusting the backrest and head restraint height. The head restraint and sun visor could otherwise collide when the head restraint is fully extended.

Exterior lighting

Useful information
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.
Read the information on qualified specialist workshops: (page 24).

Important safety notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you drive with the lights switched on even during the daytime. In some countries, operation of the headlamps varies due to legal requirements and self-imposed obligations.

Driving abroad
Conversion to symmetrical low beam
Switch the headlamps to symmetrical low beam in countries in which traffic drives on the opposite side of the road from the country where the vehicle is registered. This prevents glare to oncoming traffic. When using symmetrical lights, the edge of the road is not lit as widely and as far ahead as normal.
Have the headlamps converted at a qualified specialist workshop as close to the border as possible before driving in these countries.

Conversion to asymmetrical low beam after returning 
Have the headlamps converted back to asymmetrical low-beam headlamps at a qualified specialist workshop as soon as possible after crossing the border again.

FAQ