service indicator 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

77 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
Arming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical-
ly.Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The switch is on the center console be-
tween the driver’s seat and the passenger
seat.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
key.

Press switch1.
The indicator lamp2 in the switch
lights up briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the key or (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*) the lock but-
ton at each door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem (
page 202) provided Tele Aid
service was subscribed to and properly
activated.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.

203 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Tele Aid system is available if:

it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
ter.Initiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button

Briefly press on cover1.
The cover will open.

Press the SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in the SOS button2
will flash until the emergency call is
concluded.

Wait for a voice connection to the Re-
sponse Center.

Close the cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.
iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is il-
luminated continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Emergency call –
Call failed appears in the multifunction
display for approx. 10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

205 Controls in detail
Useful features
These programs are only available in the
USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable,


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.Information button
¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button
¡
.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Info – Connecting call
will
appear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
Info – Call connected
appears
in the multifunction display. The Tele Aid
system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color
and location (subject to availability of cel-
lular and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. When a voice connection is estab-
lished the audio system mutes and the
message
Tele Aid – Info call active
appears in the multifunction display.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position2 (together with the SOS but-
ton and the Information button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 201)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button
•
is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Roadside assistance –
Call failed
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the
ì
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.

206 Controls in detailUseful featuresInformation regarding the operation of
your vehicle, the nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center or Mercedes-Benz USA products
and services is available to you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only).Upgrade Signals
The Tele Aid system processes calls using
the following priority.


Automatic emergency – First priority


Manual emergency – Second priority


Roadside assistance – Third priority


Information – Fourth priority
Should a higher priority call be initiated
while you are connected, an upgrade (al-
ternating) tone will be heard, and the ap-
propriate indicator lamp will flash. If
certain information such as vehicle identi-
fication number or customer information is
not available, the operator may need to re-
transmit.
During this time you will hear a beep and
voice contact will be interrupted. Voice
contact will resume once the retransmis-
sion is completed. Once a call is conclud-
ed, a beep will be heard and the
appropriate indicator lamp will stop flash-
ing. The COMAND system operation will
resume.
iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button
¡
remains illuminated in red
for approx. 10 seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after turning key in the
starter switch to position2 (together
with the SOS button and the Roadside
Assistance button
•
).
See system self-check (page 201)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button
¡
is illuminated continuous-
ly and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
Info Call failed
appears in the multifunction display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the
ì
button on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
fault or the service is not currently ac-
tive, and may not initiate a call. Visit
your Mercedes-Benz Center and have
the system checked or contact the Re-
sponse Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in
the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Cana-
da) as soon as possible.

207 Controls in detail
Useful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. key inside vehicle), and the
reserve key is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.

Then return to your vehicle and press
trunk lock for minimum of 20 seconds
until the SOS button is flashing.
The message
Emergency call –
Call connected
appears in the multi-
function display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your Acquaintance Call.
The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash
or the system does not reset, contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or Mer-
cedes-Benz Customer Assistance at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Cus-
tomer Service at 1-800-387-0100 in
Canada.iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer Assis-
tance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by
pressing button
ì
on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the COMAND system audio is muted
and the selected mode (radio or CD)
pauses. The optional cellular phone (if
installed) switches off. If you must use
this phone, the vehicle must be parked.
Disconnect the coiled cord and place
the call. The navigation system (if en-
ga ged ) wil l continu e to ru n. The dis pla y
in the instrument cluster is available for
use and spoken commands are only
available by pressing the RPT button on
the COMAND unit. A pop-up window
will appear in the COMAND display to
indicate that a Tele Aid call is in
progress.

208 Controls in detailUseful features
Stolen vehicle tracking services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police
The police will issue a numbered inci-
dent report.

Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s Tele
Aid system. Once the vehicle is locat-
ed, the Response Center will contact
the local law enforcement and you. The
vehicle’s location will only be provided
to law enforcement.
Garage door opener
The built-in remote control is capable of
operating up to three separately controlled
objects.
You can program the signal transmitter
keys.Remote control integrated into the inside
rear view mirror1Indicator lamp
2Hand-held remote control trans-
mitter
3, 4, 5Signal transmitter key
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage “Emergency call Call connected”
will appear in the multifunction display
to indicate receipt of the door unlock
command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Re-
sponse Center specialist will attempt
to establish voice contact with the ve-
hicle occupants.
If the trunk button was pressed for
more than 20 seconds before door un-
lock authorization was received by the
Response Center, you must wait
15 minutes before pressing the trunk
button again.

209 Controls in detail
Useful features
Programming or reprogramming the in-
tegrated remote control
Turn key in starter switch to position2.

Hold the end of the hand-held transmit-
ter of the device you wish to train
approximately 2 to 5 inches (5 cm to
12 cm) away from the surface of the in-tegrated remote control located on the
inside rear view mirror, keeping the in-
dicator lamp in view.

Using both hands, simultaneously
press the hand-held transmitter button
and the desired integrated remote con-
trol button. Do not release the buttons.
The indicator lamp on the integrated
remote control will flash, first slowly
and then rapidly. The rapid flashing
lamp indicates successful program-
ming of the new frequency signal.

When the indicator lamp flashes rapid-
ly, release both buttons.

To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps.
Warning!
G
When programming a garage door opener,
the door moves up or down.
When programming or operating the remote
control, make sure there is no possibility of
anyone being injured by the moving door.iCertain types of garage door openers
are incompatible with the integrated
opener. If you should experience diffi-
culties with programming the transmit-
ter, contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, or call
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA only) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.
iFor operation in the USA only: This de-
vice complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:

This device may not cause harmful
interference, and


this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
iIf, after repeated attempts, you do not
successfully program the integrated re-
mote control device to learn the signal
of the hand-held transmitter, the ga-
rage door opener could be equipped
with the “rolling code feature”.

241 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Service Booklet at the times called for
by the FSS (F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem).
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Service Booklet at the
designated times /mileage called for by
the FSS may result in vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
FSS will notify you when your next service
is due.
Approximately one month before your next
service is due, one of the following mes-
sages will appear in the tachometer dis-
play field while you are driving or when you
switch on the ignition (example service A):
Service A in xx days
Service A in xx miles (km)
Service A Due now!
The type of service due is indicated in the
speedometer display field:9
Minor service (A)
´
Major service (B)
Clearing the service indicator
The service indicator is automatically
cleared after 30 seconds. You can also
clear it yourself.1Reset knob

Press the reset knob1.
Service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the tachometer display field:
Service A exceeded by xx days
Service A exceeded by xx miles
(km)
The Mercedes-Benz Center will reset the
service indicator following a completed
service.
iThe interval between services depends
on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.

242 OperationMaintenanceCalling up the service indicator
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 110).

Press button
k
or
j
on the
steering wheel until the service symbol
9
or
´
appears in the speedom-
eter display and the service deadline in
the tachometer.
Resetting the service indicator
In the event that the service on your vehi-
cle is not carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, you can reset the
service indicator yourself.
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 110).

Press button
k
or
j
on the
steering wheel until the service symbol
9
or
´
appears in the speedom-
eter display and the service deadline in
the tachometer.

Press the reset knob for about four
seconds.
This message appears in the tachome-
ter:Do you want to reset the service
interval?
Confirm by using reset button

To confirm, hold down the reset knob
until you hear a signal.
The service indicator now displays the
reset interval.iOnly reset if the proper service has
been performed. Resetting the system
without performing proper service as
called for by the FSS will cause the FSS
to incorrectly determine the next ser-
vice interval which will result in engine
damage not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
If the battery supplying the vehicle’s
electrical consumers is disconnected,
the days of disconnection will not be in-
cluded in the count shown by the ser-
vice indicator. To arrive at the true
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the service indicator.
Do not confuse the service indicator
with the engine oil level indicator
:
.