battery MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2005 R230 Owner's Guide

403 Practical hints
Batteries
Disconnecting the batteries
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to position P.

Close the retractable hardtop
(page 196).

Turn off the engine (
page 58).

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
or

Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Open the
driver’s door.

Depress the parking brake.

Open the trunk.
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. The same applies if
battery is disconnected. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adjust your driving style according-
ly. For more information, see “SBC brake
system” (
page 85).
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
!Always disconnect the batteries in the
order described below, even if you only
want to charge the starter battery, for
example. Otherwise the vehicle’s
electronics can be damaged.


404 Practical hintsBatteries
Unhook the luggage cover in the trunk.

Remove the trunk floor.
The battery for electrical consumers is
located in the right hand area of the
trunk (
page 372).

Use the 10 mm open-end wrench from
the vehicle tool kit to disconnect the
negative lead from negative
terminal4 of the consumer battery.

Open the hood (
page 270).

Use the 10 mm open-end wrench from
the vehicle tool kit to disconnect the
negative lead from negative
terminal2 of the starter battery.

Remove the covers from the positive
terminals 1 and 3.

Disconnect the positive lead from pos-
itive terminal 3 of the consumer bat-
tery.

Disconnect the positive lead from pos-
itive terminal 1 of the starter battery.
Removing the batteries
Removing the consumer battery
Remove the screws securing the bat-
tery in the trunk.

Remove the battery support and
bracket.

Take out the battery.
Removing the starter battery

Remove the screws securing the start-
er battery in the engine compartment.

Lift the retaining bracket.

Remove the battery.
Charging and reinstalling batteries
Charge batteries in accordance with
the instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged batteries. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.


405 Practical hints
Batteries
Reconnecting the batteries
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Install starter battery in the designated
location in the engine compartment.

Install consumer battery in the desig-
nated location in the trunk.

Attach supports and brackets.

Tighten support and bracket screws.

Connect positive lead 3 of the con-
sumer battery and positive lead 1 of
the starter battery and fasten covers.

Connect negative lead 2 of the starter
battery.

Connect negative lead 4 of the con-
sumer battery.

Reinstall the trunk floor.

Rehook trunk luggage cover into hold-
ers.
!Always connect the batteries in the
order described below. Otherwise the
vehicle’s electronics can be damaged.!Never invert the terminal connections!
iThe following procedures must be car-
ried out following any interruption of
battery power (e.g. due to reconnec-
tion):

Resynchronize the ESP
(page 341).


Resynchronize side windows
(page 195).

406 Practical hintsJump starting
If the starter battery is discharged, the en-
gine can be started with jumper cables and
the battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or oth-
er parts that move when an engine is
started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

407 Practical hints
Jump starting
The starter battery is located on the right
side of the engine compartment.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.

Remove the red cover from positive ter-
minal on both vehicles (
page 401).1Negative terminal of charged battery
2Negative terminal of discharged
battery
3Positive terminal of discharged battery
4Positive terminal of charged battery

Connect positive terminals 3 and 4
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Clamp cable to charged battery 4
first.

Start the engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals 1 and 2
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Clamp cable to charged battery 1
first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now turn on the electrical con-
sumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals 1 and 2 and then
from positive terminals 3 and 4.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 277).
!Never invert the terminal connections.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

410 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, see “SBC brake
system” (
page 85).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approx. 9 mph
(15 km / h) or more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 110).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged

the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP.
For more information, see “Batteries”
(
page 401) and
“Jump starting” (
page 406).

428 Technical dataElectrical systemModel
SL 500
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/150 A
14 V/180 A
14 V/180 A
14 V/180 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
BatteryStarter battery
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
Battery for electrical consumers
12 V/70 Ah
12 V/70 Ah
12 V/70 Ah
12 V/70 Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch F 8 DPER
NGK PFR5R11
NGK IFR6QG
NGK ILFR6A
NGK IFR6QG
Electrode gap
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.028 in (0.7 mm)
0.031 in (0.8 mm)
0.028 in (0.7 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 22 lb-ft
(20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 lb-ft
(20 – 30 Nm)
18 – 22 lb-ft
(25 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 lb-ft
(20 – 30 Nm)

443 Technical terms
REST
(Residual Engine Heat Utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Retractable hardtop
Hardtop roof that can be opened and
closed at the push of a button and
stored in the trunk.
Roll bar
Occupant protection system which
consists of tubular steel sheathed in
plastic. The roll bar is lowered into the
car body during normal driving condi-
tions and raised automatically. It may
also be manually raised and lowered by
operating a button during critical driv-
ing situations.RON
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
SBC
(S
ensotronic B
rake C
ontrol)
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of posi-
tion P without SmartKey turned and
brake pedal depressed. SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and airbags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.
Tele Aid System
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on D
e-
mand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response: automatic and man-
ual emergency, roadside assistance
and information. Tele Aid is initially ac-
tivated by completing a subscriber
agreement and placing an acquain-
tance call.
The Tele Aid system is operational pro-
vided that the vehicle’s battery is
charged, properly connected, not dam-
aged and cellular and GPS coverage is
available.

447 Index
B
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 76, 439
BabySmartTM compatible child
seats 439
Backrest supports
Lumbar region 116
Shoulder region 116
Backrest tilt 40
Backup lamp bulbs 381
Backup lamps 385
Bar 305
BAS 79, 81, 439
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 377
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Changing 378
Check lamp 105
Batteries, vehicle 277
Charging 404
Disconnecting 403
For electrical consumers 277, 373,
401For starter 277, 401
Messages in display 345, 346
Reconnecting 405
Removing 404
Service 401
Battery
For electrical consumers 373
Bead 305
Bi-Xenon* 439
Bi-Xenon* headlamps 439
Block heater 310
Brake fluid 269, 431, 433
Brake lamp bulb, high mounted 381
Brake lamp bulbs, left and right 381
Brake pads
Message in display 346
Brake system
Messages in display 350
Brakes 256
High-performance brake system (SL 65
AMG only) 258
Warning lamp 326Break-in period 254
Bulbs, replacing
Backup lamps 385
Brake lamps 381
Front lamps 380, 383
License plate lamps 385
Parking lamps 384
Rear fog lamp 385
Standing lamps 384
Tail lamp assemblies 385
Turn signal lamps, front 383
Turn signal lamps, rear 385
C
CAC see Customer Assistance Center
CAN System 440
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. 431
Catalytic converter 265
CD player
Operating 141

451 Index
Intermittent signal tone 211
Setting a higher speed 214
Setting a slower speed 214
Setting distance 30
Setting last stored speed 215
Setting speed 214
System sensor cover 318
Warning and indicator lamps 210
Distronic* warning lamp 25
Door control panel 23, 32
Door handle 32
Doors
Message in display 354
Opening from inside vehicle 106
Storage compartments 229
DOT 305
Downhill driving
Cruise control 206
Downshifting 166
Drinking and driving 255Drive sensibly - save fuel 255
Driving 45, 50
Driving abroad 264
Driving hints
Distronic* 217
SBC brake system 87
Driving instructions 255
Driving off 258
Driving safety systems 79
ABS 79, 80
BAS 81
ESP 82
Driving systems 205
ABC 220
Cruise control 205
Distronic* 208
Parktronic* 223
Vehicle level control 221
DTR see DistronicE
Easy-entry/exit 157
Messages in display 354
Easy-entry/exit feature 113
Electric air pump 373, 397
Electrical consumer battery 277
Electrical outlet 236
Electronic Stability Program see ESP
Emergency call system*
Initiating emergency call 240
Requirements 237
Emergency engine shut-down 60
Emergency operation
Locking the vehicle 376
Lowering load assist 376
Unlocking storage
compartments 375
Unlocking the trunk 375
Unlocking the vehicle 374
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 177
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) 72,
440