hardtop MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2003 R230 Owner's Manual

Contents
Retractable hardtop........................... 159
Opening and closing the retractable
hardtop ........................................ 159
Driving systems ................................. 168
Cruise control .............................. 168
Distronic* .................................... 171
Active Body Control (ABC) ........... 183
Parktronic system* ...................... 186
Useful features .................................. 190
Interior storage spaces ................ 190
Ashtray......................................... 196
Cigarette lighter ........................... 197
Heated steering wheel* (Canada
only–model SL 500) ..................... 197
Easy-Pack load assist in the trunk 198
Electrical outlet ............................ 199
Telephone* .................................. 199
Tele Aid ........................................ 200
Garage door opener ..................... 208Operation......................................... 213
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 214
Driving instructions............................ 215
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 215
Drinking and driving ..................... 215Pedals ........................................... 215
Power assistance .......................... 216
Brakes........................................... 216
Driving off ..................................... 218
Parking.......................................... 218
Tires .............................................. 219
Hydroplaning................................. 219
Tire traction .................................. 220
Tire speed rating ........................... 220
Winter driving instructions ............ 221
Standing water.............................. 222
Passenger compartment ............... 222
Driving abroad .............................. 222
Control and operation of radio trans-
mitters .......................................... 222
Catalytic converter........................ 223
Emission control ........................... 224
Coolant temperature..................... 224
At the gas station ............................... 225
Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................ 226Engine compartment .......................... 227
Hood ............................................. 227
Engine oil ...................................... 228
Transmission fluid level ................ 230
Oil level in the ABC system ........... 230
Coolant ......................................... 230
Battery .......................................... 232
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 233
Tires and wheels ................................ 234
Important guidelines ..................... 234
Life of tires ................................... 235
Direction of rotation ..................... 235
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 235
Rotating wheels ............................ 238
Winter driving ..................................... 239
Winter tires ................................... 239
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 240
Snow chains ................................. 240
Maintenance ...................................... 241
Clearing the service indicator ....... 241
Service term exceeded ................. 241
Calling up the service indicator .... 242
Resetting the service indicator ..... 242
Vehicle care ....................................... 243
Cleaning and care of the vehicle ... 243

24 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch
186
2
Active Body Control (ABC)
switch
183
3
Tow-away alarm switch
77
4
Hardtop open/close con-
trol with buttons for roll bar
159
61
5
Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment
35
Item
Page
6
Vehicle level control switch
184
7
ESP control switch
71
8
Thumbwheel for setting
distance for Distronic*
179
9
Distance warning func-
tion* on/off switch
179
10
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
141
11
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
137

30 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
The functions of the KEYLESS-GO card are
nearly identical to those of the key, except
that it cannot be used to open the retract-
able hardtop. When using the key and the
card at the same time, the key overrules
the card.

Grasp the door handle.
The turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs on the doors move up.Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have the status0 (as with key
removed).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.
iThe KEYLESS-GO card must be outside
the vehicle to unlock it.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
key and the KEYLESS-GO card with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe SBC brake system is activated.

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyRaising the roll bar
Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.

Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is raised.Lowering the roll bar
If the rollbar was raised manually:

Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.

Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is lowered.
If the rollbar was raised automatically:

Press and hold button2 until you hear
the roll bar lock into place.

Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is lowered.
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child and recommended for
use by Mercedes-Benz.


Ensure that the infant or child is prop-
erly secured by a belt at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Infant and child restraint systems
Only use a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
Warning!
G
If the roll bar warning light

in the ta-
chometer remains lit after starting the en-
gine, there is a malfunction. In the display
you see the message
Raise the
roll-over bar
.
For safety reasons drive only with the roll
bar upright until the malfunction is repaired.
Have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf you raised the roll bar manually using
the button, the roll bar will be automat-
ically lowered and then raised again
when you open or close the retractable
hardtop.

79 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Retractable hardtop
Driving systems
Useful features

80 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. if you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlockingKeys
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The remote control key provides an ex-
tended operating range. To prevent theft,
however, it is advisable to only unlock the
vehicle when you are in close proximity to
it.
The key centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the trunk lid


the glove box


the storage space under the armrest


the storage compartment in the rear


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹
Lock button
2
Š
Unlock button for the trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4
Œ
Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6
Â
Panic button (
page 67)
iYou can also open and close the re-
tractable hardtop using the key
(page 163).

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk lid
The handle is located in the rear license
plate recess.
1Trunk lid lock
2Handle 
Lift the trunk lid.The trunk can also be opened from the in-
side in an emergency, see Trunk lid emer-
gency release (
page 90).
Separately locking the trunk

Close the trunk lid (
page 91).

Pull the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 290).

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.1Unlocked
2Locked

Turn the key completely to the right to
position2.
The trunk remains locked even when
the vehicle is centrally unlocked.
iThe vehicle must be unlocked.
To 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 loading
aid feature (
page 198). 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.
iYou can only cancel the separate trunk
locking mode by means of the mechan-
ical key.

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Loss of KEYLESS-GO-card
If you lose your KEYLESS-GO card, you
should do the following:
Have the KEYLESS-GO card deactivat-
ed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Report the loss immediately to your car
insurance company.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on the door handle2.
If door was locked, the locking knob1
will move up.
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.
1Remote trunk lid release switch
2Indicator lamp
iIf you open a door, the side windows on
that side of the vehicle will lower slight-
ly. The windows close again when you
close the door.

90 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Pull remote trunk lid release switch1.
The trunk unlocks. The indicator
lamp2 comes on. It remains lit until
you close the trunk again.
Trunk lid emergency release
The emergency release button is located
on the left side of the trunk.
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:

The button will blink for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.


The button will blink for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.

Briefly press the emergency release
button.
The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid
opens.
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 loading
aid feature (
page 198). 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.
!The emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid if the vehicle bat-
tery is discharged or disconnected.iIf the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked, the exterior lamps will flash and
the alarm will sound as the trunk lid
opens.
To cancel the alarm, insert the key in
the starter switch or press button
Œ

or
‹
on the key.

91 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the trunk lid
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
handle1.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk lid automatically
lock when the vehicle is set into motion.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 128).
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the key in the trunk.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To pre-
vent a possible inadvertent lockout, the
trunk lid will open automatically if a
KEYLESS-GO card is recognized inside
the trunk.
When the hardtop is retracted, it must
be completely lowered in the trunk be-
fore the trunk lid can be closed
(page 199).
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed


is on a test stand