mirror MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2003 R230 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 7
Product information ................................ 7
Operator’s Manual .................................. 8
Service and warranty information ..... 8
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles ............. 9
Maintenance .................................. 10
Roadside Assistance ...................... 10
Change of address or ownership.... 10
Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada ...................................... 11
Where to find it .................................... 12
Symbols ............................................... 13
Operating safety .................................. 14
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 14
Problems with your vehicle .................. 15
Reporting safety defects...................... 16
Reporting safety defects ................ 16At a glance......................................... 17
Cockpit ................................................ 18
Instrument cluster ............................... 20
Multifunction steering wheel ............... 22Center console ..................................... 23
Upper part ...................................... 23
Lower part ...................................... 24
Overhead control panel ........................ 25
Door control panel................................ 26
Getting started................................... 27
Unlocking ............................................. 28
Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 28
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* ......... 30
Adjusting .............................................. 32
Seats............................................... 32
Steering wheel ................................ 34
Mirrors ............................................ 35
Driving .................................................. 37
Fastening the seat belts.................. 37
Starting the engine ......................... 39
Switching on headlamps ................. 43
Turn signals and high beam ............ 43
Windshield wipers ........................... 44
Problems while driving .................... 45
Parking and locking .............................. 47
Parking brake.................................. 47
Switching off headlamps................. 48
Turning off engine with the key ....... 48Turning off engine with
KEYLESS-GO* ................................ 49
Emergency engine shut-down ......... 50
Safety and Security........................... 51
Occupant safety ................................... 52
Airbags ........................................... 53
Seat belts ....................................... 58
Roll bar ........................................... 61
Children in the vehicle .................... 62
Panic alarm .......................................... 67
Activating........................................ 67
Deactivating.................................... 67
Driving safety systems ......................... 68
ABS ................................................. 68
BAS ................................................. 69
ESP ................................................. 70
SBC brake system .......................... 72
Anti-theft systems ................................ 75
Immobilizer ..................................... 75
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 75
Tow-away alarm .............................. 77

ContentsControls in detail............................... 79
Locking and unlocking ......................... 80
Keys ............................................... 80
KEYLESS-GO card*......................... 84
Opening the doors from the inside . 89
Opening the trunk from the inside.. 89
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 90
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 91
Automatic central locking .............. 91
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 92
Seats.................................................... 93
Lumbar support .............................. 93
Multicontour backrest* .................. 93
Moving the seats forward and
backward........................................ 95
Seat ventilation* ............................ 96
Seat heater..................................... 97
Memory function.................................. 99
Storing positions into memory ..... 100
Recalling positions from memory . 100
Storing parking position ............... 100
Lighting .............................................. 102
Exterior lamp switch ..................... 102
Combination switch...................... 104Hazard warning flasher ................ 105
Interior lighting............................. 106
Courtesy lighting .......................... 107
Instrument cluster ............................. 108
Instrument cluster illumination .... 108
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 108
Trip odometer .............................. 109
Tachometer .................................. 109
Outside temperature indicator ..... 109
Control system .................................. 110
Multifunction display .................... 110
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 111
Menus .......................................... 113
Standard display menu ................ 115
AUDIO menu ................................ 115
NAVI menu ................................... 117
Distronic* menu........................... 117
Malfunction memory menu .......... 118
Settings menu .............................. 119
Trip computer menu ..................... 131
TEL menu* ................................... 133
Automatic transmission ..................... 137
One-touch gearshifting................. 138
Gear ranges.................................. 139
Gear selector lever position ......... 140
Program mode selector switch..... 141Accelerator position ..................... 142
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) and manual shift program
SL 55 AMG................................... 142
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) .......................................... 144
Good visibility .................................... 145
Rear view mirror .......................... 145
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 146
Rear window defroster ................. 146
Sun visors .................................... 146
Automatic climate control ................. 147
Setting the temperature............... 149
Adjusting air volume .................... 150
Adjusting air distribution .............. 151
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ....... 151
Defrosting .................................... 151
Air recirculation mode.................. 152
Rear window defroster ................. 153
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 154
Deactivating the automatic climate
control system ............................. 154
Air conditioning ............................ 155
Ventilated storage compartments 156
Power windows.................................. 157
Opening and closing the windows 157

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

25 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Left reading lamp on/off
106
2
Temperature sensor for
automatic climate control
147
3
Right reading lamp on/off
106
4
Interior lighting control
106
5
Hands-free microphone
for Tele Aid (emergency
call system), telephone*
and voice control system*
(see separate operating
instructions)
199
6
Rear view mirror
35,
145
7
Garage door opener
208
8
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
200

26 At a glanceDoor control panel
Door control panel
Item
Page
1
Door handle
89
2
Switches for open-
ing/closing front and rear
side windows
157
3
Memory function (for stor-
ing seat, mirror and steer-
ing wheel settings)
99
4
Seat heater
97
Seat ventilation*
96
5
Seat adjustment
32, 93
6
Remote trunk lid release
switch
90
7
Door pocket
192

32 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body. Your seat
must be adjusted so that you can correctly
fasten your seat belt (
page 37).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the KEY-
LESS-GO
* card (if so equipped) with you,
and lock your vehicle.
The power seats can also be operated with
the appropriate door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
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 side front
airbag when it is properly installed. Other-
wise they will be struck by the airbag when
it inflates 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.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering column, height
Move the stalk up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow2. Make sure that your
legs can move freely and that all the
displays (including malfunction and in-
dicator lamps) on the instrument clus-
ter are clearly visible.
Mirrors
Adjust the inside and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Inside rear view mirror
Manually adjust the inside rear view
mirror.Exterior rear view mirror
The buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side mirror
2Passenger side mirror
3Adjustment button
iThe memory function (
page 99) lets
you store the steering wheel adjust-
ment together with the adjustment for
the seat and the exterior rear view mir-
rors.

36 Getting startedAdjusting

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
All the lights in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press button1 for the left mirror or
button2 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left or right according to the setting de-
sired.More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 145).
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes. Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush the affect-
ed area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter.iThe memory function (
page 99) lets
you store the steering wheel adjust-
ment together with the adjustment for
the seat and the exterior rear view mir-
rors.
!If an exterior rear view mirror housing
is forcibly pushed forward or rearward,
reposition it by applying firm pressure
until it snaps into place. The mirror
housing is now properly positioned and
you can adjust the mirror normally.

99 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
With the memory switch you can store up
to three different settings per key and KEY-
LESS-GO* card.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position:

Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel position


Inside rear view mirror position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror position
These key dependent memory settings can
be deactivated if desired (
page 130).The memory switch is located on the door.
MMemory button
1, 2, 3Stored positions

Be sure that the ignition is switched on
or one door is open.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up when the ignition is switched
on.
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to en-
sure adequate control, reach and com-
fort. The head restraint should also be
adjusted for proper height. Also see air-
bag section (
page 53) for proper seat
positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the inside and
outside rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213.
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.

100 Controls in detailMemory functionStoring positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
rear view mirrors to the desired posi-
tion (
page 32).

Press memory buttonM.

Release memory button and press a
stored position button1, 2, or3 within
three seconds.
All the settings are stored at the select-
ed position.
Recalling positions from memory
On memory switch, press and hold
stored position button1, 2 or3 until
the seat, steering wheel and rear view
mirrors have fully moved to the stored
positions.
Storing parking position
For easier parking you can adjust the pas-
senger exterior rear view mirror so that you
can see the right rear wheel as soon as you
engage reverse gearR.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
stored driving position:

10 seconds after you put the gear se-
lector lever in positionD


immediately once you exceed a speed
of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)


immediately when you press the button
for driver’s side mirror
iReleasing the button immediately
stops movement to the stored posi-
tions.
iThe mirror parking position feature
(page 131) must be activated and the
passenger side exterior rear view mirror
(page 35) must be selected at the
time in order for the system to recall the
stored mirror position when reverse
gearR is engaged.