Vents MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2006 R230 Owner's Manual

91 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Press the start/stop button on the gear
selector lever once.
The engine is turned off.

Open the driver’s door.Deactivating
With the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (
page 36).
With KEYLESS-GO*

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the trunk lid


the hood


a storage compartment in the rear


the glove box


the storage compartment under the
armrest
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
iStarting the engine will also deactivate
the immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).

113 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the vehicle from in-
side using the central locking switches.
This can be useful, for example, if you want
to unlock the passenger door from the in-
side or want to lock the vehicle before
starting to drive.
The central locking switch does not lock or
unlock the fuel filler flap.The switches are located above and be-
tween the center air vents of the air condi-
tioning.
Central locking switches1Locking
2UnlockingLocking

Press central locking switch1.
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Unlocking

Press central unlocking switch2.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 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. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Warning!
G
You can open a locked door from inside at
any time. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.

129 Controls in detail
Lighting
Combination 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

134 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the left or right multifunction display
(page 24), depending on the setting
(page 149).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next the sensor, not
by comparison to external displays, e.g.
bank signs, etc.
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

181 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel
Item
1
Center air vent, adjustable
2
Cockpit air vent, fixed
3
Side defroster vent
4
Side air vent, adjustable
5
Center air vent, adjustable
6
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right side air vents
7
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for center air vents
8
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left side air vents
9
Automatic climate control paneliFor draft-free ventilation, move the slid-
ers for center air vents 1 and 5 to
the middle position.
Item
1
Temperature control, left
2
Air distribution, left (automatic or
manual operation)
3
Front defroster
4
Air recirculation
5
Rear window defroster
6
Air distribution, right (automatic or
manual operation)
7
Temperature control, right
8
Automatic climate control on/off
(entire system)
9
Residual heat/ventilation
a
Air volume control (automatic, man-
ual)
b
AC cooling on/off

182 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/Cmode is deactivated
(
page 189).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
on unprotected skin in the immediate area
of the air vents. Always keep sufficient dis-
tance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution control (
page 181) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of unpro-
tected skin.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the
filter before its scheduled interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air vol-
ume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off. The
climate control will then adjust the
interior temperature to the set value
much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
When the retractable hardtop is closed,
do not obstruct air flow by placing ob-
jects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.

185 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution controls2 and6
(page 181) to separately adjust the air
distribution on each side of the passenger
compartment. The following symbols are
found on the controls:

Press control button 2 or 6
(page 181) until the control button
sticks up slightly and the U symbol
on the control button is out.
Automatic air distribution for the re-
spective side of the passenger com-
partment is switched off.

Turn control button to the desired sym-
bol.
The air distribution is adjusted accord-
ing to the chosen setting.
Opening the center air vents

Turn the thumbwheel 7 (
page 180)
upward to the first stop.
Center air vents 1 and 5
(
page 180) are open.
Opening the cockpit air vent and center
air vents

Turn the thumbwheel 7 (
page 180)
upward all the way.
Cockpit air vent 2 and center air vents
1 and 5 (
page 180) are open.Closing the cockpit air vent and center
air vents

Turn the thumbwheel 7 (
page 180)
downward.
Cockpit air vent 2 and center air vents
1 and 5 (
page 180) are closed.
Opening the side air vents

Turn the thumbwheel 6 and 8
(page 180) upward.
The corresponding side air vent is
open.
Closing the side air vents

Turn the thumbwheel 6 and 8
(page 180) upward.
The corresponding side air vent is
closed.
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air through the cen-
ter and side air vents
j
Directs air to the windows
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the footwells
iYou can also turn the air distribution
control to a position between two sym-
bols.
iThe air vents are continuously variable.

191 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating
Press button T (
page 181).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the battery voltage drops


when the coolant temperature is too
low
Ventilated storage compartments
The glove box and the armrest storage
compartment have their own air vents that
allow for cooling ventilation when the auto-
matic climate control system is activated.Glove box1Thumbwheel
2Air ventOpening the air vent

Turn thumbwheel1 upwards.
Closing the air vent

Turn thumbwheel1 downwards.
Storage compartment under the armrest1Thumbwheel
2Air vent
Opening the air vent
Turn thumbwheel1 to the right.
Closing the air vent

Turn thumbwheel1 to the left.
iYou should keep these air vents closed
when outside temperatures are low.

225 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Minimum distance
If the system detects an obstacle in this
range, all the distance warning segments
illuminate and you hear a warning signal. If
the obstacle is closer than the minimum
distance, the actual distance may no long-
er be indicated by the system.Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate to the driver the rel-
ative distance between the sensors and an
obstacle. The warning indicator for the
front area is located above the center air
vents in the dashboard. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is integrated in the
rear trim.
Front area warning indicator1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicleEach warning indicator is divided into six
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle. The Parktronic
system is ready when the border around
the indicator is illuminated.
The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)
Gear selector
lever position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Front and rear area
activated
P
Neither activated

264 OperationDriving instructionsSL 500
SL 500 with Sport Package*
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“W”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 168 mph (270 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km / h).
SL 600
SL 600 with Sport Package*
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km / h).SL 55 AMG
with Performance Package*
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
186 mph (300 km / h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
iFor information on tire speed rating for
winter tires, see “All-season and winter
tires” (
page 304).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 303).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 317).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.