warning MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 2008 R230 Owner's Manual

Our company and staff congratulate you
on the purchase of your new
Mercedes-Benz.
Your selection of our product is a demon-
stration of your trust in our company
name. Furthermore, it exemplifies your de-
sire to own an automobile that will be as
easy as possible to operate and provide
years of service.
Your Mercedes-Benz represents the
efforts of many skilled engineers and
craftsmen. To help assure your driving
pleasure, and also the safety of you and
your passengers, we ask you to make a
small investment of time:
Please read this manual carefully, then
return it to your vehicle where it will be
handy for your reference.

Please follow the recommendations
contained in this manual. They are
designed to acquaint you with the oper-
ation of your Mercedes-Benz.

Please pay attention to the warnings
and cautions contained in this manual.
They are designed to help improve
the safety of the vehicle operator and
occupants.
We extend our best wishes for many miles
of safe, pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 67
Occupant safety................................... 68
Air bags .......................................... 70
Occupant Classification System ..... 74
Seat belts ....................................... 79
Roll bar ........................................... 83
Children in the vehicle .................... 84
Panic alarm .......................................... 88
Activating ....................................... 88
Deactivating ................................... 88
Driving safety systems ......................... 89
ABS ................................................ 89
BAS ................................................ 91
ESP
®............................................... 91
Electro-hydraulic brake system ...... 94
Anti-theft systems................................ 98
Immobilizer..................................... 98
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 98
Tow-away alarm ........................... 100
Controls in detail............................. 103
Locking and unlocking ....................... 104
SmartKey ..................................... 104
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 108
Checking the batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 113
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 113
Opening the doors from
the inside ..................................... 113
Opening the trunk ........................ 114
Closing the trunk.......................... 116
Valet locking ................................ 120
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 121
Power closing assist for trunk lid . 121
Automatic central locking ............ 122
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 122Seats ................................................. 124
Moving the seats forward and
backward ..................................... 124
Lumbar support ........................... 124
Multicontour backrest*................ 125
Seat heating................................. 126
Seat ventilation* .......................... 128
Memory function ............................... 129
Storing positions into memory ..... 130
Recalling positions from memory. 130
Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* ................................... 136
Hazard warning flasher ................ 137
Interior lighting ............................ 138
Courtesy lighting .......................... 139
Trunk lamp ................................... 139

Contents
Power windows .................................. 201
Opening and closing the
windows ....................................... 201
Synchronizing power windows ..... 203
Retractable hardtop ........................... 204
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ...................... 204
Driving systems ................................. 214
Cruise control............................... 214
Distronic*..................................... 218
Distance warning function*.......... 229
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 230
Parktronic system*
(Parking assist)............................. 233
Useful features .................................. 238
Storage compartments................. 238
Cup holders .................................. 243
Ashtray ......................................... 244
Cigarette lighter ........................... 244
Load assist in the trunk ................ 245
Power outlet ................................. 246
Floormat* ..................................... 247
Telephone*................................... 247
Tele Aid ........................................ 250
Garage door opener ..................... 257
Operation......................................... 265
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 266
Driving instructions............................ 267
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 267
Drinking and driving ..................... 267
Pedals .......................................... 267
Power assistance ......................... 268
Brakes .......................................... 268
Driving off .................................... 270
Parking ......................................... 271
Tires ............................................. 271
Hydroplaning ................................ 272
Tire traction.................................. 273
Tire speed rating .......................... 273
Winter driving instructions ........... 274
Standing water ............................. 275
Passenger compartment .............. 276
Driving abroad.............................. 276
Control and operation of
radio transmitters ........................ 276
Catalytic converter ....................... 277
Emission control .......................... 277
Coolant temperature .................... 278At the gas station .............................. 279
Refueling ...................................... 279
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 280
Engine compartment ......................... 282
Hood ............................................ 282
Engine oil ..................................... 283
Transmission fluid level................ 287
Oil level in the ABC system .......... 287
Coolant ........................................ 288
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system........... 289
Battery ......................................... 290
Tires and wheels................................ 291
Important guidelines .................... 291
Tire care and maintenance........... 292
Direction of rotation..................... 294
Loading the vehicle ...................... 294
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 300
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 302
MOExtended system* .................. 312
Tire labeling ................................. 313
Load identification ....................... 317
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 317

10 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
be glad to demonstrate the proper proce-
dures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations, and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty

Emission System Warranty

Emission Performance Warranty

California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)

State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)

15 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
Trademarks:

ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler.

HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.
The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations
in this manual may differ slightly
from the actual equipment of your
vehicle.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term defini-
tions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.

16 Introduction
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual

the “Technical data” section in this
manual

traffic rules and regulations

motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore
never turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the
vehicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair
facility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself.
Removal of any of these labels may cause
you and others to be unaware of certain
risks which may result in an accident and/or
personal injury.

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Exterior lamp switch57, 131
2Headlamp cleaning button185
3Cruise control lever

Cruise control

Distronic*
214
218
4Shift paddle*: downshift180
5Instrument cluster26, 140
6Multifunction steering
wheel30, 144
7Shift paddle*: upshift180
8Lever for Voice Control
System*, see separate
operating instructions
ItemPage
9Front Parktronic* warning
indicator235
aDigital clock
bInterior storage compart-
ments (locking/unlocking)240
cOverhead control panel33
dGlove box238
eCenter console31, 32
fStarter switch40
gHorn
hSteering wheel adjustment
stalk46
ItemPage
jCombination switch

High beam

Turn signals

Windshield wipers
57
57
58
kParking brake pedal55, 63
lParking brake release
handle55
mHood lock release282
nDoor control panel36
oPower window switch201

27 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
1Coolant temperature
gauge with:
DCoolant temperature
warning lamp348
2Speedometer with:
LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp57
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp57
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only345
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only345
vABS/ESP® warning
lamp342
ItemPage
EDistronic* indicator
lamp1 (white) or
distance warning
lamp* (red)
218,
350
3Left multifunction display
with:

Outside temperature
display142

Main odometer143

Stored speed for

Cruise control

Distronic*
214
156,
218
1Vehicles without Distronic*: Warning/indicator
lamp without function. It illuminates when the
ignition is on. It should go out when the engine
is running.
ItemPage
4Reset button for:

Resetting trip odometer141

Resetting individual
settings158

Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination140

29 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
5Tachometer with:142
AHigh beam head-
lamp indicator lamp135
úEngine malfunction
indicator lamp,
USA only
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
Canada only346
CRoll bar warning
lamp351
-Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) indicator
lamp344
1Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) indicator lamp354
ItemPage
XCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS mal-
function telltale,
USA only
Low tire pressure
telltale*,
Canada only355
6Right multifunction
display with:

Trip odometer143

Gear selector lever
position174

Gear range indicator177

Program mode indicator178
7Fuel gauge with:
AFuel reserve warning
lamp350

31 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper partItemPage
1Central locking switch122
Alarm system indicator
lamp99
2Hazard warning flasher
on/off switch137
3Central unlocking switch123
4Passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp78
5Center and side air vent
adjustment194
6COMAND system, see sepa-
rate operating instructions
7Right cup holder243
8KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button41
9Automatic climate control
panel190
aAshtray
Cigarette lighter244
244
bLeft cup holder243