checking oil MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2005 R230 Owner's Manual

ContentsOperation......................................... 253
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 254
Driving instructions ............................ 255
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 255
Drinking and driving ..................... 255
Pedals .......................................... 255
Power assistance ......................... 256
Brakes .......................................... 256
Driving off..................................... 258
Parking ......................................... 259
Tires ............................................. 259
Hydroplaning ................................ 260
Tire traction .................................. 261
Tire speed rating .......................... 261
Winter driving instructions ........... 262
Standing water ............................. 263
Passenger compartment .............. 264
Driving abroad .............................. 264
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 264
Catalytic converter ....................... 265
Emission control........................... 265
Coolant temperature .................... 266At the gas station .............................. 267
Refuelling ..................................... 267
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 269
Engine compartment ......................... 270
Hood ............................................ 270
Engine oil ..................................... 272
Transmission fluid level ................ 275
Oil level in the ABC system .......... 275
Coolant ........................................ 276
Battery ......................................... 277
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 278
Tires and wheels ................................ 279
Important guidelines .................... 279
Tire care and maintenance ........... 280
Direction of rotation ..................... 282
Loading the vehicle ...................... 282
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 288
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 290
Tire labeling.................................. 295
Load identification ....................... 299
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 300Maximum tire load ....................... 301
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 302
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 302
Tire ply material ........................... 304
Tire and loading terminology ........ 305
Rotating tires ............................... 308
Winter driving .................................... 309
Winter tires .................................. 309
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 310
Snow chains................................. 310
Maintenance...................................... 312
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator....................................... 313
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 313
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 313
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 314
Vehicle care....................................... 315
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 315

138 Controls in detailControl systemMenus, submenus and functions
Menu 1
Menu 2
Menu 3
Menu 4
Menu 5
Menu 6
Menu 7
Menu 8
Standard dis-
play
AUDIO
NAV
Distronic*
Vehicle status
message memory
Settings
Trip computer
Telephone
(page 139)
(page 139)
(page 142)
(page 142)
(page 143)
(page 144)
(page 159)
(page 161)
Commands/submenusDigital speedom-
eter
Selecting
radio station
Activating
route
guidance
Calling up
settings
Calling up vehicle
malfunction, warn-
ing and system sta-
tus messages
stored in memory
Resetting to
factory set-
tings
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
after start
Loading
phone book
Calling up main-
tenance service
indicator
Selecting
satellite radio
station*
(USA only)
Instrument
cluster sub-
menu
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
since the last
reset
Searching for
name in
phone book
Time
submenu
Checking tire in-
flation pressure*
Operating CD
player
Lighting sub-
menu
Calling up
range
Checking engine
oil level
Vehicle sub-
menuConvenience
submenu

139 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with button k or
j.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press button j once.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the right multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO off
is shown in the
right display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Calling up digital speedometer
139
Calling up maintenance service
indicator
313
Checking tire inflation pressure
290
Checking engine oil level
272
Function
Page
Selecting radio station
140
Selecting satellite radio
station* (USA only)
140
Operating CD player
141

269 Operation
At the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
For information on quantities and require-
ments of operating agents, see “Fuels,
coolants, lubricants, etc.” (
page 431).

Open the hood (
page 270).
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
2Brake fluid
3Coolant levelWindshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
For information on refilling the reservoir,
see “Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system” (
page 278).
Brake fluid
For information on brake fluid, see “Fuels,
coolants, lubricants, etc.” (
page 431).Coolant level
For information on checking the coolant
level, see “Coolant” (
page 276).
Engine oil level
For more information on checking the en-
gine oil level, see “Checking engine oil lev-
el with the control system” (
page 272).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information, see “Replacing bulbs”
(
page 380).
Exterior lamp switch see “Switching on
headlamps” (
page 51).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on checking the tire infla-
tion pressure, see “Checking tire inflation
pressure” (
page 290).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately. Noti-
fy an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as
this will not solve the problem. For
more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 349).

272 OperationEngine compartmentEngine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least five minutes with the
engine turned off


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 30 minutes with
the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
The standard display (
page 134) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message appears in the multifunction
displays:
iDo not use any special lubricant addi-
tives, as these may damage the drive
assemblies. Using special additives not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may
cause damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is
available at any Mercedes-Benz
Center.

273 Operation
Engine compartment
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the right multi-
function display:

Engine oil level
OK


Add 1.0 qt.to reach
max.
oil level
(Canada:
1.0 l
)


Add 1.5 qts.
to reach max.oil level
(Canada:
1.5 l
)


Add 2.0 qts.to reach
max.
oil level
(Canada:
2.0 l
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 274).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 431) and
(
page 433).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is not in position2, the
following message will appear:
Turn ignition on to
measure engine
oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).If you see the message:
Observe
waiting time
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait five minutes before repeating
the check procedure.

If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, wait 30 minutes before re-
peating the check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when
engine on
Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait five minutes before checking
oil.

If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture yet, you must wait 30 minutes be-
fore checking oil.
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.

448 IndexCenter air vents 29
Center console
Lower part 30
Upper part 29
Centigrade
Setting temperature units 148
Central locking
Automatic 110
Central locking switch 111
Switching on/off (control
system) 156
Unlocking from inside 111
Central locking switch 29
Central unlocking switch 29
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*) 378
Batteries (SmartKey) 377
SmartKey setting 96
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
settings 103
Vehicle level 222Charging
Vehicle batteries 404
CHECK ENGINE
Messages in display 351
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 27, 327, 328
Checking
Coolant level 276
Oil level 269, 272
Tire inflate pressure 269
Vehicle lighting 269
Child safety
Airbags 64
Automatic child seat recognition 76
Infant and child restraint systems 62
Cigarette lighter 29, 233
Cleaning
Cup holder 320
Gear selector lever 320
Hard plastic trim items 320
Headlamps 178Headliner 320
Leather upholstery 321
Plastic and rubber parts 321
Seat belts 320
Steering wheel 320
Upholstery 321
Windshield 53
Wood trims 321
Cleaning tires 281
Clock 23
Closing
Hood 271
Power window with
KEYLESS-GO* 195
Retractable hardtop (SmartKey) 201
Retractable hardtop (switch) 198
Side windows 194, 195
Sunshade 204
Trunk lid 109
Windows 193
Windows with KEYLESS-GO* 195

452 IndexEmission control 265
Emission control label 418
Engine
Compartment 270
Starting with KEYLESS-GO* 49
Starting with the SmartKey 48
Turning off 58
Turning off with KEYLESS-GO* 59
Turning off with the SmartKey 58
Engine number 440
Engine oil 272, 433
Adding 274
Additives 433
Checking level 272
Consumption 272
Display messages 355
Filler neck 274
Messages in display 273
Engine oil level see Oil levelESP 79, 82, 440
Control switch 30
Switching off 83
Switching on 84
Synchronizing 341
Warning lamp 82
ESP/ABS warning lamp 25
ETD see Emergency Tensioning Device
Express-close front side windows 195
Express-open front side windows 194
F
Fahrenheit
Setting temperature units 148
Fastening the seat belts 45
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 208
First aid kit 372
Flat tire 388
Spare wheel 393
TIREFIT kit 388Flexible Service System (FSS), Canada
only 312, 441
Fluid level 275
Fog lamp, rear 127, 381
Replacing bulb 385
Fog lamps 127
Fog lamps, front 127
Replacing bulbs 381
Front airbags 68
Front lamps 381
Replacing bulbs 383
FSS (Flexible Service System, Canada
only) 312, 441
Fuel 267
Additives 435
Fuel reserve warning lamp 27, 330
Gasoline additives 435
Premium unleaded gasoline 268,
432, 434
Requirements 434
Fuel consumption statistics
After start 159
Since reset 160

457 Index
Multifunction display messages
ABC 337
ABS 338
Battery 345, 346
Brake pads 346
Brake system 350
CHECK ENGINE 351
Coolant 352
Coolant level 351, 353
Display malfunction 354
Doors 354
Easy-entry/exit feature 354
Fuel reserve tank 357
Hood 357
Luggage cover 371
Retractable hardtop 357
Roll bar 364
SBC brake system 347, 348
Seat belts 364
SmartKey 357
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* 359
Tele Aid 364
Telephone* 364Tires 365
Trunk 371
Washer fluid 371
Multifunction steering wheel 28, 135,
442
Buttons 135
N
Navigation system
Operating 142
Night security illumination 154
Normal occupant weight 306
O
Occupant distribution 306
Octane number 443
Odometer, main 25
Oil
Adding 274
Consumption 272
Filler neck 274
Oil level
Checking 269One-touch gearshifting 166
Canceling gear range limit 166
Downshifting 166
Upshifting 166
Opening
Doors from the inside 106
Fuel filler flap 267
Hood 270
Luggage cover 197
Retractable hardtop (SmartKey) 200
Retractable hardtop (switch) 197
Side windows 194
Storage compartment in the
armrest 230
Storage compartment in the center
console 230
Sunshade 204
Trunk from inside vehicle 108
Trunk lid 107
Windows 193