MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2004 R230 Owner's Manual

120 Controls in detailLightingSwitching on fog lampsSwitching on front fog lamps

Make sure the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The green indicator lamp ‡ in the
lamp switch comes on.
Switching on rear fog lamp

Make sure the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp † in the
lamp switch comes on.
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Warning!
G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position
U
to
B

with the vehicle at a standstill. Switching
from
U
to
B
will briefly switch off
the headlamps. Doing so while driving in low
ambient lighting conditions may result in an
accident.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps
on. Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding permis-
sible lamp operation.

121 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on high beams
Turn the exterior lamp switch toB
or toU (
page 117).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam indicator A in the ta-
chometer comes on.
High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be activat-
ed with the ignition switched on or off. It is
activated automatically when an airbag is
deployed.
The switch is located above and between
the center air vents.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals flash.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signals will
operate when the starter switch is in
position 1 or 2.

122 Controls in detailLightingInterior lighting
1Left reading lamp
2Right reading lamp
3Interior lighting on/off
4Slide switch for interior lighting controlAutomatic control
Activating

Slide switch4 to the left.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open the trunk
In addition, the entry/exit lamps in the
door trays will come on when you open
a door.
The interior lamps are switched off af-
ter a preset time (
page 145).Deactivating

Slide switch4 to the right.
The interior lighting and the entry/exit
lamps remain switched off in darkness,
even when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open the trunk
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes.

123 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching lamps on
Press switch3.
The interior lighting switches on.
Switching lamps off

Press switch3 again.
The interior lighting switches off.
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door handles


the driver and passenger footwells
With SmartKey in starter switch position1:


the door handles


the center console
iThe setting selected for the interior
lighting is used for the trunk lighting as
well.
If you leave the trunk lid open for an ex-
tended period of time, the trunk light-
ing will switch off automatically after
approximately ten minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door handle
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.

124 Controls in detailInstrument cluster
Instrument clusterFor a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(page 22).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


switch on the ignition


press the reset button (
page 22)


switch on the exterior lamps
Opening a door will activate the instrument
cluster only for about 30 seconds.
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 140).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset button to adjust the illumina-
tion brightness for the instrument cluster
and the switches on the center console.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 22) clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 22) counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature gauge
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened to suit ambient
light conditions.
Warning
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns an can occur just by
opening the hood. Stay away from the
engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.

125 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display (
page 127).

If it is not displayed, press the j or
k button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears.

Press and hold reset button4
(page 22) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
SL 55 AMG
The tachometer of the SL 55 AMG does not
have a red marking denoting excessive en-
gine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive speed.
!Excessive coolant temperature triggers
the coolant temperature warning lamp
(page 304) and a warning in the
multifunction display (
page 286).
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

126 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the right multifunction display
(page 22). For information on how to se-
lect the unit of the displayed temperature,
i.e. degrees Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahr-
enheit (°F), see “Selecting temperature
display mode” (
page 140).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next the sensor, not
by comparison to external displays, e.g.
bank signs, etc.
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an Ice-Warning Device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

127 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button is in posi-
tion 1. The control system enables you to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
The multifunction display consists of the
display fields in the speedometer and the
tachometer. In its default state, the left
display field shows the trip and main
odometer, while the present outside tem-
perature appears in the right display field.
This default setting is referred to as the
standard display.
1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current gear selector lever position
4Outside temperature
5Automatic transmission program mode
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.

128 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.


If you press button è or ÿ re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.


If you press button k or j re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.
1
Left multifunction display in the
speedometer
2
Right multifunction display in the
tachometerOperating the control system
3
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeçdown / to decreaseæup / to increase
4
Telephone*íto take a callìto end a call
5
Menu systemsèfor next menuÿfor previous menu
6
Moving within a menujfor next displaykfor previous display

129 Controls in detail
Control system
In the
Settings
menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
“Settings menu” (page 137).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.The menus are described on the following
pages.