height MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 2006 R230 Owner's Manual

40 Getting startedAdjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
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.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint sys-
tem, which is properly secured with the ve-
hicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
iThe memory function (
page 121) lets
you store the settings for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.
!When moving the seats, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow3 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat cushion depth

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow4 until your legs
are supported comfortably.
Seat backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow6 until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.Head restraint height

Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow1.Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head re-
straint.

Push or pull on the lower edge of the
head restraint cushion.
For more information on seats, see “Seats”
(
page 115).
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the center of
the head restraint supports the back of the
head at eye level. This will reduce the poten-
tial for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.iWhen moving the seat fore or aft after
adjusting the head restraints, the head
restraints may readjust automatically.

78 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, are
required for use with the BabySmart
TM air-
bag deactivation system. With the special
child seat properly installed, the passenger
front airbag will not deploy.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate BabySmart
TM compatible in-
fant or child restraint system, which is prop-
erly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the seat
is occupied.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular seat belts. Position the
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be neces-
sary to achieve proper belt positioning for
children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits proper-
ly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.


99 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button ‹or Œ.
Battery check lamp5 (
page 96)
comes on briefly to indicate that the
SmartKey batteries are in order.Unlocking the trunk
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.

Press and hold button Š on the
SmartKey until trunk unlocks.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then the
batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey (
page 99) and replace
them if necessary (
page 389).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the driver’s door (
page 385) and
the trunk (
page 110).


Have the vehicle batteries and their
connections checked
(page 413).


Use the mechanical key to lock or
unlock the doors (
page 387).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf battery check lamp5 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.

Replace the batteries (
page 389).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within sig-
nal range of the vehicle, pressing
the‹orŒ button will lock or
unlock the vehicle accordingly.
iIf the trunk does not unlock, it is still
locked separately (
page 110).

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingChecking the battery
Press button ‹or Œ.
Battery check lamp5 (
page 101)
comes on briefly to indicate that the
SmartKey batteries are in order.Unlocking the trunk
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
1Handle

Pull on handle 1.
The vehicle unlocks the trunk lid only.Loss of SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
If you lose your SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO, you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
deactivated by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO or the mechanical key to
your car insurance company immedi-
ately.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
!If battery check lamp5 (
page 101)
does not come on briefly during check,
then the SmartKey battery is dis-
charged.


Replace the battery (
page 389).
You can obtain the required battery at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf the trunk does not unlock, it is still
locked separately (
page 110).

108 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the trunk
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
Opening the trunk from the outside
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
1Handle

Pull on handle 1 and lift the trunk lid.The trunk can also be opened using


the SmartKey, see “Locking and un-
locking” (
page 96)


the remote trunk lid release switch, see
“Opening the trunk from the inside”
(page 108)


the trunk lid emergency release button,
see “Trunk lid emergency release”
(page 111)
Opening the trunk from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary and the retract-
able hardtop is fully opened or closed.
The switch is located on the driver’s door.
!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.
iVehicles without KEYLESS-GO*:
The vehicle must be unlocked.iTo facilitate trunk loading and unload-
ing when the hardtop is retracted, you
can raise the hardtop from its storage
position in the trunk using the load as-
sist feature (
page 236). You may also
unhook the luggage cover.
Remember to resecure the luggage
cover after loading/unloading the
trunk. Otherwise you will not be able to
lower the retractable hardtop.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*:
If the trunk lid does not open, the en-
tire vehicle is still locked globally
(
page 96) or it is still locked sepa-
rately (
page 110).

116 Controls in detailSeatsLumbar support
You can adjust the contour of the seat’s
lumbar support to help enhance support to
your spine.
The thumbwheel is located on the lower
side of the seat.
1Thumb wheel
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Set the lumbar support between 0
and 5.
Multicontour backrest*
The multicontour backrest has inflatable
air cushions built into the seat backrest to
provide additional lumbar and side sup-
port.
The seat backrest cushion height and cur-
vature can be continuously varied with
switches on the lower side of the seat
when the ignition is switched on.
1Shoulder region support
2Side bolsters adjustment
3Massage function (PULSE)
4Lumbar region support
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).Shoulder region support

Press æ or ç on switch1.
The air cushion inflates or deflates.
Lumbar region support

Press k or j on rocker
switch4.
This selects the air cushion you wish to
adjust.

Press æ or ç on rocker
switch4.
The air cushion inflates or deflates.
Side bolsters adjustment

Press switch2 to the right or left.
The lateral support increases or de-
creases.

121 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on airbags
(page 65) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213.With the memory switch you can store up
to three different settings.
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the driver’s door:


Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror position
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the passenger door:


Passenger seat and backrest positionThe memory switch is located on the door
control panel.
M Memory button
1, 2, 3 Stored positions

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

196 Controls in detailRetractable hardtopLuggage cover
The luggage cover is located in the trunk.
1Handle
2Holders
Closing luggage cover
Pull out the luggage cover using
handle1.

Hook the luggage cover into left and
right side holders2.Opening luggage cover

Unhook luggage cover from side hold-
ers.

While holding on to handle1, guide
luggage cover back into its storage
compartment. Opening the retractable hardtop with
the switch
Hardtop switchBefore pulling on the hardtop switch, you
must make sure

the parking brake is engaged
(page 51)


the luggage cover is closed, see Lug-
gage cover


the trunk lid is closed


the ignition is switched on
!To prevent damage to the hardtop or
luggage/cargo when lowering the roof:

Load trunk only to the height of the
luggage cover.


Do not permit luggage/cargo to
push up the closed luggage cover.


Do not load anything on top of or in
front of the luggage cover.


Do not place anything on the shelf
behind the roll bar.

219 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Active Body Control (ABC)
The ABC system automatically selects the
optimum suspension tuning and ride
height for your vehicle.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

Your driving style


Road surface conditions


The vehicle loading


Your choice of suspension style
You can set the following suspension
styles:


Regular (Comfort)


SportyThe ABC button with the indicator lamp is
located in the lower section of the center
console.
1ABC button
2Indicator lamp

Start the engine (
page 49).Suspension for sporty driving style
The setting for sporty driving is selected
when indicator lamp2 is illuminated.

Press button1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
The message
ABC Active Body Con-
trol SPORT appears in the multifunc-
tion display for a short time.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when the indicator lamp2 is off.

Press button1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.
The message
ABC Active Body Con-
trol COMFORT appears in the multifunc-
tion display for a short time.
iThe selected setting is stored, even if
the engine is turned off.