MERCEDES-BENZ SLR CLASS 2005 Owners Manual

310 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
#
Electric
consumers
offline!
The consumer battery has in-
sufficient voltage and can no
longer supply the convenience
functions.
The electrical consumers will come back online as soon as
on-board voltage is sufficient.
Battery/
Alternator
Stop vehicle!
The battery or the alternator is
malfunctioning.
The SBC brake system requires
electrical energy and therefore
has only limited operation.
Considerably greater brake
pedal force is required and the
stopping distance is increased.

Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. Adjust driv-
ing to be consistent with reduced braking responsive-
ness.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediate-
ly.

Observe the additional messages in the instrument clus-
ter.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.

311 Practical hints
What to do if ...
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#
Visit
workshop!
The battery is no longer charg-
ing. Possible causes:

alternator malfunctioning


broken poly-V-belt
Do not forget that the brake
system requires electrical ener-
gy and may be operating with
restricted capability. Consider-
ably greater brake pedal force
is required and the stopping
distance is increased.

Stop your vehicle safely immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the engine will
overheat due to an inoperative water pump which
may result in damage to the engine. Notify an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is in order:

Drive immediately to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Adjust driving to be consis-
tent with reduced braking responsiveness.

Observe the additional messages in the instrument
cluster.
There is a malfunction in the
electronic system.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.

312 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
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Possible solution
T
Brake malfunction!
Stop vehicle!
The SBC brake system is in
emergency operation mode.
Considerably greater brake
pedal force is required and the
stopping distance is increased.
The maximum speed is limited
to 55 mph (90 km/h).

Do not drive any further.

Stop the vehicle and notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.

Significantly greater force must be applied to the brake
pedal.

Call for Roadside Assistance.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.

313 Practical hints
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;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
Reduced
brake effect
Visit
workshop!
The SBC brake system is
in emergency operation
mode. Considerable
brake pedal force is re-
quired and the stopping
distance is increased.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immedi-
ately. Adjust driving to be consistent with reduced
braking responsiveness.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of
an accident.
Increased
braking distance
Visit
workshop!
Warning!
G
Driving while these messages are displayed
can result in an accident. Have your brake
system checked immediately.
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly
equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(page 357).
If the SBC brake system enters its emergen-
cy operation mode, the driver must apply
significantly greater brake pedal pressure
and depress the pedal much further than
normal to obtain braking effect.
If necessary, apply full pressure to the brake
pedal. Stopping distance is increased!

314 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
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;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
Brake fluid
below min. level!
Visit
workshop!
There is insufficient brake fluid
in the reservoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Do not add brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks.
Warning!
G
Driving with this message displayed can re-
sult in an accident. Have your brake system
checked immediately. Do not add brake
fluid before checking the brake system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can re-
sult in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
can be seriously burned.

315 Practical hints
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;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
Reduced
brake effect
Start engine!
The battery has insufficient
voltage and cannot supply suffi-
cient power to the SBC brake
system.

Start the engine.
As soon as the engine is running, the message
disappears.
Increased
braking distance
Start engine!
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated.

316 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
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;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
Brakes overheated!
Drive carefully
The brake system is overheated
due to an excessive load on the
brakes.

Relieve the load on the brake system.

Drive more smoothly and think ahead to avoid
unnecessary braking.

When driving down steep grades, shift into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking power
(page 170).

Cautiously continue driving so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes.
Release
parking brake!
You are driving with the parking
brake set.

Release the parking brake (
page 49).
Service brake
Visit
workshop!
There are malfunctions, but the
SBC brake system is operating
normally.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center im-
mediately.

317 Practical hints
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2
Brake lining wear!
Visit
workshop!
The brake pads have reached
their wear limit.

Have the brake pads replaced immediately.
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet.
Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the SBC brake system carried out by
qualified technicians only. Contact your
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. The SBC brake system must be deacti-
vated prior to working on the system. High
pressure is intermittently built up in the sys-
tem as part of its automatic self-test. In ad-
dition, the system is automatically activated
when the vehicle is unlocked by remote con-
trol, when the driver or passenger door is
opened, when the SmartKey in the starter
switch is turned to position1, when the
brake pedal is depressed or when the park-
ing brake is released.
Failure to deactivate the system prior to
maintenance will cause brake pistons to ex-
tend and brake fluid to leak, which may re-
sult in injuries (contusions and acid burns),
see “SBC brake system” (
page 84).

318 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
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<
Seat belt system
Drive to
workshop!
The seat belt system is mal-
functioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immedi-
ately.
O
Close
hood!
You are driving with the hood
open.

Close the hood (
page 243).
Ê
Close
trunk lid!
This message will appear when-
ever the trunk lid is open.

Close the trunk lid (
page 102).
J
Door open!
You are attempting to drive
with one or more doors open.

Close the doors.
<
Airbrake malf.!
The Airbrake locking mecha-
nism is malfunctioning.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.

319 Practical hints
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B
Coolant
Check level!
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 249).

If you have to add coolant frequently, have the cooling
system checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat causing major
engine damage.