steering MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2005 R230 Owner's Guide

158 Controls in detailControl systemThe following settings are available for the
easy-entry/exit feature:Setting key-dependency
Use this function to set whether the mem-
ory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel and the exterior rear view mirrors
mirrors should be stored separately for
each SmartKey (
page 120).

Move the selection marker with button
æ or ç to the
Convenience
sub-
menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
Key-dependent
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ or ç to set key-depen-
dency to
On or
Off
. Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror
Use the
Mirror setting when parking

function to select whether the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror should be
turned downward during parking maneu-
vers when reverse gear R is engaged. For
additional information, see “Activating ex-
terior rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 179).

Move the selection marker with button
æ or ç to the
Convenience
sub-
menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
Mirror setting when park-
ing
.
Off
The easy-entry/ex-
it feature is deacti-
vated
Steer. column
Only the steering
column is moved
Steer.col. +seat
Both, the steering
column and the
seat are moved

161 Controls in detail
Control system
Call up range (distance to empty)
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
Range
.
In the right display you will see the cal-
culated range based on the current fuel
tank level.
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.

Switch on the telephone and COMAND.

Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL
menu in the left display.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
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 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

172 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control (Speedshift)
Steering wheel gearshift control is avail-
able on vehicles with Sport Package*, on
SL 55 AMG, and on SL 65 AMG only.
When driving in the automatic program
modesC orS, or in the MANUAL program
mode (SL 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG only),
you can change the gears manually on the
steering wheel or by using the gear selec-
tor lever (
page 166).Steering wheel gearshift control
SL 500 with Sport Package* and
SL 600 with Sport Package*
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Button, outside: downshift
2Button, inside: upshift
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

173 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Press the inside 1 of one of the
buttons on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 167).Upshifting

Press the outside of one of the
buttons2 on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmis-
sion.
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.
The last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.

174 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control
SL 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Left button: downshift
2Right button: upshiftDownshifting

Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 167) when you are driving in the
automatic program mode (CorS).
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.
The MANUAL program mode will not
be stored. When the engine is turned
off with the MANUAL program mode
selected, the transmission will go to
the automatic program mode (CorS)
when the engine is restarted.
The last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Upshifting
Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission
when you are driving in the automatic
program mode (CorS).Manual shift program SL 55 AMG and
SL 65 AMG
In the MANUAL program mode you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 174) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 166).The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
MANUAL For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the right multifunction
display (
page 165).
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

176 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionActivating manual shift program
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for
MANUAL program mode appears in
the right multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
MANUAL program mode. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.Downshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction
(page 166).
or

Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel (
page 174).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Upshifting
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.iWhen you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.
!In the MANUAL program mode, the
transmission will not upshift, even if
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Shift up to the next gear before
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red
marking on the tachometer
(page 24). Otherwise the engine
could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warran-
ty

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction
(page 166).
or

Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel (
page 174).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
If, instead of the manual program mode
symbol
M, the symbolp appears in the
right multifunction display (
page 165),
shift to the next higher gear. The fuel
supply will otherwise be interrupted to
prevent the engine from overrevving.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
MANUAL program mode is not possible.Deactivating manual shift program

Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 175) repeatedly
until
Cor
S appears in the right
multifunction display.
or

Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The MANUAL program mode is not
stored.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

205 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed


ABC with vehicle level control systems,
with which you can change vehicle sus-
pension characteristics


Parktronic*, which assists the driver
during parking maneuvers
For information on the BAS, ABS, and ESP,
see “Driving safety systems” (
page 79).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above
25 mph (40 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it ad-
visable to travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

209 Controls in detail
Driving systems
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle.Warning!
G
Distronic is a convenience system, its speed
adjustment reduction capability is intended
to make cruise control more effective and
usable when traffic speeds vary. It is not
however, intended to, nor does it, replace
the need for extreme care. The responsibili-
ty for the vehicle speed and the distance to
the vehicle ahead, including most impor-
tantly brake operation to assure safe stop-
ping distance, always rests with the driver.
Distronic cannot take street and traffic con-
ditions into account.
Warning!
G
Distronic requires familiarity with its opera-
tional characteristics. We strongly recom-
mend that you review the following
information carefully before operating the
system.iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation undesired operation of
the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.Warning!
G
Distronic cannot take street and traffic con-
ditions into account. Only use Distronic if
the weather and traffic conditions make it
advisable to travel at a steady speed.