airbag off MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2005 R230 Owner's Manual

Contents
Practical hints................................. 323
What to do if … .................................. 324
Lamps in the instrument cluster .. 324
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp ......... 334
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 335
Where will I find ...? ........................... 372
First aid kit ................................... 372
Vehicle tool kit, jack, and
spare wheel.................................. 372
Locking/unlocking in an emergency . 374
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 374
Locking the vehicle ...................... 376
Lowering the load assist manually 376
Replacing batteries in the
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 377
Replacing bulbs ................................. 380
Bulbs ............................................ 380
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 383
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps..... 385Replacing wiper blades....................... 386
Removing wiper blades ................. 386
Installing wiper blades .................. 387
Flat tire ............................................... 388
Preparing the vehicle .................... 388
Sealing tires with TIREFIT.............. 388
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 393
Batteries ............................................. 401
Disconnecting the batteries .......... 403
Removing the batteries ................. 404
Charging and reinstalling
batteries ....................................... 404
Reconnecting the batteries ........... 405
Jump starting ...................................... 406
Towing the vehicle .............................. 408
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 411
Fuses .................................................. 412
Main fuse box ............................... 412
Technical data.................................. 415
Parts service ...................................... 416
Warranty coverage ............................. 417
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 417
Identification labels ............................ 418
Layout of poly-V-belt drive.................. 419
SL 500 .......................................... 419
SL 55 AMG ................................... 419
SL 600, SL 65 AMG ...................... 419
Engine ................................................ 420
Rims and tires .................................... 422
Same size tires ............................. 423
Mixed size tires ............................. 425
Spare wheel .................................. 427
Electrical system ................................ 428
Main dimensions ................................ 429
Weights .............................................. 430

45 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
the pedals. You could then no longer brake
or accelerate.
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(page 62).
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM1

compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.


65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Should you choose to place a child 12 years
old or under in the passenger seat of your
vehicle, you must properly use a
BabySmart
TM child restraint which will turn
off the passenger front airbag (
page 74).
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact airbag.
It should be noted, however, that there is a
possibility for a head-thorax airbag related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a head-thorax airbag which needs to de-
ploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head-thorax airbag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the head-thorax airbag be activated.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or child restraint system for
all children 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the pas-
senger side head-thorax airbag deactivated,
then deactivation can be accomplished
upon your written election to do so at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an addi-
tional cost. Please contact your local
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
for details.

70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts (
page 63).
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. This could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.
Keep door storage compartments closed
while vehicle is in motion. Failure to do so
may cause the seat belt to catch at the rear
and prevent proper positioning of the seat
belt.
Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt. Never use
a seat belt for more than one person at a
time.

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.


Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag, driv-
er-side kneebag, passenger airbag,
head-thorax airbags) and ETD (seat belt
emergency tensioning device). The sys-
tem is designed to enhance the protec-
tion offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air-
bags, driver-side kneebag and ETD) and
side (head-thorax airbags and ETD) im-
pacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.


Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The
belt would also apply too much force to
the ribs or abdomen, which could se-
verely injure internal organs such as
your liver or spleen.


Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
might cause injuries.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son or other objects.


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.

334 Practical hintsWhat to do if …AIRBAG OFF indicator lampProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
7
The AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
comes on.
A BabySmart
TM1
child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the passen-
ger front airbag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning if the
7indicator lamp comes on with no
BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the front
passenger seat.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
7
The AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
does not come on with a
BabySmart
TM child seat properly
installed on the front passenger
seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat.

Check installation of the child seat.
If the indicator lamp remains out:

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint to
transport children on the front passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.

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.

446 IndexAir conditioner refrigerant 433
Air conditioning (cooling)
Turning off 191
Turning on 191
Air pressure 305
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air pump, electric 373
Turning on 398
Air recirculation mode 187
Air volume adjustment 185
AIRBAG OFF
Warning lamp 334
Airbags 63
Children 64
Front 68
Head-thorax 68, 69
Kneebag 68
Passenger 68Alarm
Audible 78, 88
Canceling 90
Visual 88
Alignment bolt 439
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 396
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 432, 437
Anti-theft alarm system 88
Arming 89
Canceling the alarm 90
Disarming 89
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system 88
Tow-away alarm 90
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest
Storage compartment 229
Ashtray 29, 233
Aspect ratio 305
At the gas station 267
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 275Automatic climate control 29, 182
Center air vents 29
Deactivating 191
Residual heat utilization 190
Side air vents 29
Temperature sensor 31
Automatic shift program 170
Automatic transmission 164
Accelerator position 171
Comfort program mode 170
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 177
Gear ranges 167
Gear selector lever 30, 164
Gear selector lever position 164, 168
Gear shifting malfunctions 177
Kickdown 171
Manual shifting 166
One-touch gearshifting 166
Program mode selector switch 30,
170
Transmission fluid 275