warning light MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2005 R230 User Guide

59 Getting started
Parking and locking
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 94).Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever inP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 36).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 45).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
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. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
either

forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
or


tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
iOpening a door causes the windows on
that side of the car to open slightly.
They will return to the up position when
the door is closed.

73 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Roll barThe roll bar raises automatically in an acci-
dent or in a critical driving situation. You
can also raise and lower the roll bar manu-
ally using the buttons provided.
The buttons for the roll bar are on the cen-
ter console under the roof switch.
1Lower roll bar
2Raise roll bar
The roll bar can be moved manually when
the ignition is switched on (
page 36).Raising the roll bar

Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.

Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is raised.
Warning!
G
This vehicle is a two occupant vehicle. The
rear storage area is not intended for use by
occupants and is not equipped for properly
seating or restraining occupants. Thus this
area should never be used by any persons.
Before operating the roll bar switch make
sure that the roll bar’s path is clear and no
persons are injured by the moving roll bar
due to inattention. Raising or lowering of the
roll bar could injure someone inadvertently
occupying the rear storage area.
For your own safety, we recommend to drive
with the roll bar raised if the outside temper-
ature is below +5°F (-15°C).!If the outside temperature falls below
+5°F (-15°C), the roll bar must be
raised manually using the buttons pro-
vided to avoid damaging the hydraulics.
iWhen the roll bar is raised automatical-
ly, you will hear a ratcheting sound.
Warning!
G
If the roll bar warning light in the ta-
chometer remains lit after starting the en-
gine, there is a malfunction. In the display
you see the message
Raise the
roll-over bar
.
For safety reasons, drive only with the roll
bar upright until the malfunction is repaired.
Have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
Warning!
G
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger seat, the
passenger front airbag will not deploy only if
the 7 indicator lamp remains illuminat-
ed.
Please be sure to check the indicator every
time you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
passenger seat. Signals from such devices
may interfere with the BabySmart
TM system.
Such signal interference may cause the
7 indicator lamp not to come on during
self-test or be continuously lit, indicating
that the system is not functioning.

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) indepen-
dent of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure. The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when you switch on igni-
tion. It goes out when the engine is run-
ning.
Braking
If the ABS activates during braking, the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster dial flashes. Because of the
SBC brake system, you will not feel any
pulsation in the brake pedal.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.The ABS/ESP warning lamp v flashes
whenever the ABS is activated which can
be an indication of hazardous road condi-
tions and functions as a reminder to take
extra care while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous, full pressure on the
brake pedal.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
Warning!
G
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS
and the ESP are also switched off.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing
steering capability and extending the brak-
ing distance.

109 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the trunk
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by firmly pulling on
handle1.

Close trunk lid with hands placed flat
on trunk lid.
Trunk lid emergency release
The emergency release button is located
on the left side of the trunk.
1Emergency release button
Briefly press emergency release
button1.
The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid
opens slightly.

Push up the trunk lid to fully open.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed. Among oth-
er dangers, such as your view being blocked,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the SmartKey in the trunk.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To pre-
vent a possible inadvertent lockout, the
trunk lid will open automatically if a
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is recog-
nized inside the trunk.
When the hardtop is retracted, it must
be completely lowered in the trunk be-
fore the trunk lid can be closed
(page 235).


124 Controls in detailLightingManual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on or off with the
exterior lamp switch.Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:


Low beam headlamps


Tail lamps


Parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the engine turned off
with KEYLESS-GO* and the driver’s
door open, a warning sounds if the
parking lamps or the low beam head-
lamps are switched on.
The message $
Turn off lamps

appears in the multifunction display.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated (mandatory in Canada) and
the engine running, the low beam head-
lamps cannot be switched off manual-
ly.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)” (
page 152).
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and / or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.

127 Controls in detail
Lighting
Fog lamps
Front fog lamps

Switch on the low beam headlamps
(page 51).

Pull out the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp ‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(page 123).

Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp ‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.Rear fog lamp (driver’s side only)

Switch on the front fog lamps
(page 127).

Pull out the exterior lamp switch to sec-
ond stop.
The rear fog lamp is switched on.
The yellow indicator lamp † in the
lamp switch comes on (
page 123).

Push in the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The rear fog lamp is switched off.
The yellow indicator lamp † in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
The front fog lamps remain lit.
Warning!
G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position U to B with
the vehicle at a standstill. Switching from
U to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps
on. Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding permis-
sible lamp operation.
iThe fog lamps cannot be switched on
with the exterior lamp switch in posi-
tion U. To switch on the fog lamps,
turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion B first.

128 Controls in detailLightingCombination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasherHigh beam

Turn the exterior lamp switch toB
or toU (
page 123).

Push the combination switch in direc-
tion of arrow1 to switch on the high
beam headlamps.
The high beam indicator lamp A in
the instrument cluster comes on.

Pull the combination switch in direction
of arrow 2 to its original position to
switch off the high beam headlamps.
The high beam indicator lamp A in
the instrument cluster goes out.
High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher switches on au-
tomatically when an airbag deploys.
The switch is located on the dashboard be-
tween the center air vents.
1Hazard warning flasher switch

129 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on the hazard warning
flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals are flashing.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
Interior 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 SmartKey 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 af-
ter a preset time (
page 155).
iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective turn signals will operate when
the ignition is switched on.iIf the hazard warning flasher was
switched on automatically because of
an airbag that has deployed, press haz-
ard warning flasher switch 1 once to
switch it off.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes.

131 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(page 24).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


switch on the ignition


press the reset button (
page 24)


switch on the exterior lamps
Opening a door will activate the instrument
cluster only for about 30 seconds.
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 148).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset button to adjust the illumina-
tion brightness for the instrument cluster
and the switches on the center console.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature gauge
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened to suit ambient
light conditions.
Warning
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns an can occur just by
opening the hood. Stay away from the
engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.