ESP MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2000 Owner's Manual

155 Tele Aid
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Tele Aid
Important!
The initial activation of the Tele Aid system may only be
performed by completing the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the “SOS” button.
Failure to complete either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding activation, please
call the Response Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
(Telematic Alarm Identification on Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three types of response;
automatic and manual emergency, roadside assistance
and information.
The Tele Aid system is always operational, providing
that the vehicle’s battery is charged and properly
connected. To activate, press the “SOS” button, the
Roadside Assistance button or the Information
button¡, depending on the type of response
required.System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in steering lock to
position 2, malfunctions are detected and indicated (the
indicator lamps in the “SOS” button, the Roadside
Assistance button and the Information
button¡ stay on longer than 5 seconds or do not
come on).
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined above, have the
system checked at the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Important!
Always make sure that the indicator lamp in the
“SOS” button remains illuminated for approx. 5 seconds
during the system self-check after turning key in
steering lock to position 2.
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatically following
an accident in which the Emergency Tensioning
Retractors (ETR’s) or airbags deploy. An emergency call
can also be initiated manually by opening the cover next
to the interior rear view mirror labeled “SOS”, then

156 Tele Aid
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pressing the button (for longer than 2 seconds) located
under the cover. See below for instructions on initiating
an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the indicator
lamp in the “SOS” button will begin to flash. All
information relevant to the emergency, such as the
location of the vehicle (determined by the GPS satellite
location system), vehicle model, identification number
and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Response Center and
the occupants of the vehicle will be established
automatically soon after the emergency call has been
initiated. The Response Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident provided they
can speak to an occupant of the vehicle.
The Tele Aid system is available if:
• it has been activated and is operational. Activation
requires a subscription for monitoring services and
cellular air time,
• t h e r e l ev a n t c e l l u l a r p h on e n e t w or k a n d G P S si g n a l s
are available.Note:
Location of the vehicle on a map is possible if the
vehicle is able to receive signals from the GPS satellite
network.
Wa r n i n g !
If the indicator lamp in the “SOS” button is
illuminated continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center established,
then the Tele Aid system could not initiate an
emergency call (e.g. the relevant cellular phone
network is not available).Should this occur, assistance must be summoned
by other means.

157 Tele Aid
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Initiating an emergency call
Manually:
Briefly press on cover (1) – the cover will open.Press the emergency call switch (2) briefly (for longer
than 2 seconds). The indicator lamp in the emergency
call switch (2) will f lash until the emergency call is
concluded. Wait for a voice connection to the Response
Center.
Close the cover (1) after the emergency call is
concluded.

158 Tele Aid
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Roadside Assistance button 
Located below the center armrest cover is the Roadside
Assistance button. Pressing and holding the
button (for longer than 2 seconds), will initiate a call to
a Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance dispatcher. The
button will flash while the call is in progress. The
Tele Aid system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color and location
(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. The nature of the need for assistance can
then be described. Sign and Drive services (jump start, a
few gallons of fuel or the replacement of a flat tire with
the vehicle spare tire) are available.
If the vehicle requires more than Sign and Drive
services, 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 other than Sign and Drive services, labor and / or
towing charges may apply. Refer to the Roadside
Assistance manual for more information.
Notes:
The indicator lamp in the Roadside Assistance
button remains illuminated in red for approx.
5 seconds during the system self-check after turning
key in steering lock to position 2 (together with the
“SOS” button and the Information button¡).
See system self-check on page 155 when the indicator
lamp does not light up in red or stays on longer than
approximately 5 seconds.
Wa r n i n g !
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle, vehicle in
a dangerous road location), please do not wait for
voice contact after you have pressed the emergency
button. Carefully leave the vehicle and move to a
safe location. The Response Center will
automatically contact local emergency officials
with the vehicle’s approximate location if they
receive an “SOS” signal and cannot make voice
contact with the vehicle occupants.

159 Tele Aid
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Information button ¡
Located below the center armrest cover is the
Information button¡. Pressing and holding the
button (for longer than 2 seconds), will initiate a call to
t h e C l i e n t A s s ista n c e C e nt e r. T h e b u t to n w il l f l a sh w h i l e
the call is in progress. The Tele Aid system will transmit
data generating the vehicle identification number,
model, color and location (subject to availability of
cellular and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Client Assistance
Center representative and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established. Information regarding the operation
of your vehicle, the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or
Mercedes-Benz USA products and services is available
to you.
If you have chosen the Route Guidance Service (an
optional service available at additional cost in the USA
only), your communication will be transferred to our
Response Center, who will provide the appropriate
information.
For more details concerning this optional service,
please contact the Response Center at 1-800-756-9018.Notes:
The indicator lamp in the Information button¡
rem ains illuminated in red for approx . 5 seconds du ring
the system self-check after turning key in steering lock
to position 2 (together with the “SOS” button and the
Roadside Assistance button).
See system self-check on page 155 when the indicator
lamp does not light up in red or stays on longer than
approximately 5 seconds.
Important!
If the indicator lamps do not illuminate or remain
illuminated (in red) at any time, the Tele Aid system has
detected a fault or the service is not currently active,
and may not initiate a call. Visit your Mercedes-Benz
Center and have the system checked or contact the
Response Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon as possible.

160 Tele Aid
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Upgrade Signals
Tele Aid system processes calls using the following
priority.
• Automatic emergency – First priority
• Manual emergency – Second priority
• Roadside assistance – Third priority
• Information – Fourth priority
Should a higher priority call be initiated while you are
connected, an upgrade (alternating) tone will be heard,
and the appropriate indicator lamp will f lash. If certain
information such as vehicle identification number or
client information is not available, the operator may
need to retransmit. During this time you will hear a
chirp and voice contact will be interrupted. Voice
contact will resume once the retransmission is
c omplete. Once a cal l is concl uded , a ch irp w ill be hea rd ,
the appropriate indicator lamp will stop flashing and a
tone will be heard indicating that the system has reset.
The audio system operation will resume.Important!
If the indicator lamp continues to flash or the system
does not reset, contact the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in
Canada), or Mercedes-Benz Client Assistance at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372) in the USA or
Customer Service at 1-800-387-0100 in Canada.
Notes:
The indicator lamp in the respective button flashes until
the call is concluded and this can only be completed by
a Response Center or Client Assistance Center
representative.
When a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the audio
system is muted and the selected mode (radio, tape or
CD) pauses. The optional cellular phone (if installed)
switches off. If you must use this phone, the vehicle
must be parked. Disconnect the coiled cord and place
the call. A message will appear in the radio display to
indicate that a Tele Aid call is in progress.

161 Tele Aid
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Remote door unlock
In t he c ase you have your vehicle locked unintentionally
(e.g. key inside vehicle), and the reserve key is not
handy, contact the Mercedes-Benz Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in
Canada). You will be asked to provide your password
which you provided when you completed the subscriber
agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and press trunk lock for a
minimum of 20 seconds.
The Response Center will then unlock your vehicle with
the remote door unlocking feature.
Note:
The remote door unlock feature is available if the
relevant cellular phone network and GPS signals are
available.Vehicle location / stolen vehicle tracking services
Should you wish to locate your vehicle, contact the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in
the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada). You will be
asked to provide your password which you provided
when you completed the subscriber agreement.
In the event your vehicle was stolen, report the incident
to th e police wh o will issu e a nu mbered incident report.
Pass this number on to the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center.
The Response Center will then attempt to covertly
contact the vehicle’s Tele Aid system. The key in the
steering lock must be in position 1 or 2 and the cellular
and GPS signals must be available. The Response Center
will contact you at the phone number(s) provided in the
agreement once the vehicle is located. The Response
Center will attempt to contact the vehicle until located,
up to a maximu m of 14 days or until t he vehicle location
incident report is cancelled by you.

165 Steering lock
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data Instruments
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Steering lock
0The key can be withdrawn in this position only. The
steering is locked when the electronic key is
removed from the steering lock. If necessary, move
steering wheel slightly to allow the locking
mechanism to engage.
The key can be removed only with your foot off the
brake pedal and the selector level in position “P”.
After removing the key or with the key in steering
lock position 0, the selector lever is locked in
position “P”.1Steering is unlocked.
(If necessary, move steering wheel slightly to allow
the key to be turned clockwise to position 1.)
Most electrical consumers can be operated. For
detailed information see respective subjects.
2Driving position.
3Starting position.
See page 167 for instructions on starting and stopping
the engine.
2
3
0
1
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the steering lock, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause serious personal
injury.

168 Automatic transmission
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Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission selects individual gears
automatically, dependent upon
•Selector lever position
• Program mode selector
• Accelerator position
• Vehicle speed
The gear shifting process is continuously adapted,
dependent on the driving style, the driving situation
and the road characteristics.
Important!
When parking the car or before working on the vehicle
with the engine running, firmly engage the parking
brake and shift the selector lever into “P”.
Driving
The selector lever is automatically locked while in
position “P”. To move the selector lever out of position
“P”, the service brake pedal must be firmly depressed
before the shift lock will release.Shift selector lever to the desired position only when the
engine is idling normally and the service brake is
applied. Do not release the brake until ready to drive.
The vehicle may otherwise start creeping when the
selector lever is in drive or reverse position.
Important!
After selecting any driving position from “N” or “P”,
wait a moment to allow the gear to fully engage before
accelerating, especially when the engine is cold.
Wa r n i n g !
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of “P”
or “N” i f th e engine speed is h igher t han 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.

178 Driving insturctions
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Caution!
When driving down long and steep grades, relieve the
load on the brakes by shifting into a lower gear to use
the engine’s braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on for some
time, rather than immediately parking, so the air stream
will cool down the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the service brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only when the road
is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place full load on
the engine until the operating temperature has been
reached.
W hen sta rting of f on a sl ippery surfa ce, d o not al low one
drive wheel to spin for an extended period with the ESP
switched off. Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drive train which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Parking
Important!
Always engage the parking brake whenever parking or
leaving the vehicle. In addition, move selector lever to
position “P”.
When parking on hills, always set the parking brake.
Wa r n i n g !
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a result of
vehicle movement, before
turning off the engine
and leaving the vehicle always:
1. Keep right foot on the service brake pedal.
2. Firmly engage parking brake.
3. Move the selector lever to position “P”
4. Slowly release the service brake pedal.
5. Turn front wheels towards the road curb.
6. Turn the key to steering lock position 0 and
remove.
7. Take the key and lock vehicle when leaving.