MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2003 R230 Owner's Manual

101 Controls in detail
Memory function
You can store a parking position for the
passenger exterior rear view mirror for
each key and each KEYLESS-GO* card us-
ing the memory switch.
1Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror
2Adjustment button
Stop the vehicle.

Switch ignition on (if not already on).

Press button1 in center console.
The passenger side exterior rear view
mirror is selected.

Adjust the exterior rear view mirror
with button2 so that you see the rear
wheel and the road curb.

Press memory buttonM on the door.

Within three seconds press adjustment
button2 in the center console.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.iIf the mirror does move, repeat the
above steps. After the setting is stored
you can move the mirror again.

102 Controls in detailLighting
LightingFor notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 43).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.M
Off
U
Automatic headlamp mode
C
Parking lamps, license plate lamps
and instrument panel lamps
B
Low beam or high beam headlamps
ˆ
Standing lamps, right
‚
Standing lamps, left
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
then

a warning sounds


$
appears in the speedometer
display field


the message
Turn lamps off
ap-
pears in the tachometer display
field
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)” (
page 124).

103 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on or off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
U
.Daytime running lamp mode

Turn exterior lamp switch to
position
M
or
U
.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on. In low ambient light con-
ditions the parking lamps will also
switch on.
Canada only:
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(3 minutes delay).
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to position
B
to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
Warning!
G
In automatic headlamp mode, the head-
lamps will not be automatically switched on
under foggy conditions. To minimize risk to
you and to others, activate headlamps by
turning exterior lamp switch to
B
.
The driver is responsible for the operation of
the vehicle’s lights at all times. The automat-
ic headlamp feature is only an aid to the driv-
er. Switch on the vehicle lights manually
when driving or when traffic conditions re-
quire you to do so.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated, the low beam headlamps will
not be switched off automatically.iFront fog lamps and rear fog lamp can
not be switched on manually with exte-
rior lamp switch in position
U
. To
activate the fog lamps turn exterior
lamp switch to position
B
.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.

104 Controls in detailLightingUSA only:
The high beam headlamps can also be ac-
tivated when driving with the daytime run-
ning lamp mode activated and the exterior
lamp switch in position
M
.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 124).
Locator lighting and night security
illumination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the control system
section, see “Setting locator lighting”
(
page 125) and "Exterior lamps delayed
switch-off" (
page 125).Switching on front fog lamps

Make sure that the low beam head-
lamps are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The green indicator lamp
‡
in the
lamp switch lights up.
Switching on rear fog lamp

Make sure that the low beam head-
lamps are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp
†
in the
lamp switch lights up.
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Switching on high beams
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
B

or to
U
(page 102).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam symbol in the tachome-
ter will light up.
iSee notes on the exterior lamp switch
(page 102).

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
High beam flasher 
Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be activat-
ed with the ignition switched on or off. It is
activated automatically when an airbag is
deployed.
The switch is located above and between
the center air vents.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press the hazard warning flasher
switch.
All the turn signals will blink.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signals will
operate.

106 Controls in detailLightingInterior lighting
1Left reading lamp
2Right reading lamp
3Interior lighting on/off
4Slide switch for interior lighting controlAutomatic control
Activating

Slide switch4 to the left.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the key from the starter
switch


open the trunk
In addition, the entry/exit lamps in the
door trays will come on when you open
a door.
The interior lamps are switched off fol-
lowing an adjustable time delay
(
page 127).Deactivating

Slide switch4 to the right.
The interior lighting and the entry/exit
lamps remain switched off in darkness,
even when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the key from the starter
switch


open the trunk
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes.

107 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching lamps on
Press switch3.
The interior lighting switches on.
Switching lamps off

Press switch3 again.
The interior lighting switches off.
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door handles


the driver and passenger footwells
With key in starter switch position1:


the door handles


the center console
iThe setting selected for the interior
lighting is used for the trunk lighting as
well.
If you leave the trunk lid open for an ex-
tended period of time, the trunk light-
ing will switch off automatically after
approximately ten minutes.
iIf you turn the key in the starter switch
to position0 and switch off the exterior
headlamps, the door handle lamps will
remain lit for approximately five min-
utes.

108 Controls in detailInstrument cluster
Instrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 20).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:


open a door


turn on the ignition


press the reset knob (
page 20)


switch on the exterior lamps
Only opening a door will activate the in-
strument cluster for approximately
30 seconds.
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 122).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset knob to adjust the illumina-
tion brightness for the instrument cluster
and the switches on the center console.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset knob in the instrument
cluster (
page 20) clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.To dim illumination

Turn the reset knob in the instrument
cluster (
page 20) counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature gauge
Under normal driving conditions, the cool-
ant temperature may rise to 248°F
(120°C). The coolant temperature may
rise to 266°F (130°C) at high outside tem-
peratures or when driving in hilly terrain.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 266°F
(130°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened to suit ambient
light conditions.

109 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Trip odometer
Make sure that you are viewing the trip
odometer display (
page 110).
Press the
j
or
k
button on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly until
the trip odometer appears if it is not dis-
played.

Press and hold reset knob4
(page 20) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
SL 55 AMG
O n t h e S L 5 5 A M G , t h e r e i s n o r e d m a r k i n g
denoting excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive speed.
Outside temperature indicator
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an Ice-Warning Device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

110 Controls in detailControl system
Control systemThe control system is activated as soon as
the key in the starter switch is turned to
position1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
The multifunction display consists of the
display fields in the speedometer and the
tachometer. In its default state, the left
display field shows the trip and main
odometer, while the present outside tem-
perature appears in the right display field.
This default setting is referred to as the
standard display.
1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current gear selector lever position
4Outside temperature
5Automatic transmission program mode
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.