height MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2005 R230 Owner's Manual

40 Getting startedAdjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM1

compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates 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.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
!When moving the seats, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
The memory function (
page 120) lets
you store the setting for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow3 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat cushion depth

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow4 until your legs
are supported comfortably.
Seat backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow6 until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.Head restraint height

Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow1.Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head re-
straint.

Push or pull on the lower edge of the
head restraint cushion.
For more information on seats, see “Seats”
(
page 113).
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the center of
the head restraint supports the back of the
head at eye level. This will reduce the poten-
tial for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

76 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
BabySmart
TM1
airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, are
required for use with the BabySmart
TM air-
bag deactivation system. With the special
child seat properly installed, the passenger
front airbag will not deploy.The 7indicator lamp located on the
glove box will be illuminated, except with
the SmartKey removed or in starter switch
position0.
Self-test BabySmart
TM
without special
child seat installed
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice, the 7 indicator lamp located on
the glove box comes on for approximately
six seconds and then goes out.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func-
tioning. You must see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before seating any
child on the passenger seat.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular seat belts. Position the
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be neces-
sary to achieve proper belt positioning for
children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits proper-
ly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
iThe system does not deactivate the
head-thorax airbag and the emergency
tensioning device.

98 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingUnlocking the trunk
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
Press and hold button Š on the
SmartKey until trunk unlocks.Loss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key to your car insurance
company immediately.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with KEYLESS-GO come
with two SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO,
each with remote controls and a remov-
able mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys with
KEYLESS-GO are a different color to help
distinguish each SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO unit.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked every time you grasp a door
handle.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed. The turn signals will
flash three times to confirm locking.

105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the battery
Press button ‹ or Œ.
Battery check lamp5 (
page 98)
comes on briefly to indicate that the
SmartKey batteries are in order.Unlocking the trunk
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
1Handle

Pull on handle 1.
The vehicle unlocks the trunk lid only.
!If battery check lamp5 (
page 98)
does not come on briefly during check,
then the SmartKey battery is dis-
charged.


Replace the battery (
page 377).
You can obtain the required battery at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed (
page 109). The
turn signals will flash three times to
confirm locking.
To prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
recognized inside the trunk.

107 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk
A minimum height clearance of
6.2 ft (1.88 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.Opening the trunk from the outside
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
1Handle

Pull on handle 1 and lift the trunk lid.
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.!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.
iVehicles without KEYLESS-GO*:
The vehicle must be unlocked.
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 load as-
sist feature (
page 235). 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.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*:
If the trunk lid does not open, the en-
tire vehicle is still locked globally
(
page 94).

116 Controls in detailSeatsMulticontour backrest* (standard on SL 600, SL 55 AMG, and SL 65 AMG)
The multicontour backrest has inflatable
air cushions built into the seat backrest to
provide additional lumbar and side sup-
port.
The seat backrest cushion height and cur-
vature can be continuously varied with
switches on the lower side of the seat
when the ignition is switched on.
1Shoulder region support
2Side bolsters adjustment
3Massage function (PULSE)
4Lumbar region support

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
Shoulder region support

Press æ or ç on switch1.
The air cushion inflates or deflates.
Lumbar region support

Press k or j on rocker
switch4.
This selects the air cushion you wish to
adjust.

Press æ or ç on rocker
switch4.
The air cushion inflates or deflates.
Side bolsters adjustment

Press switch2 to the right or left.
The lateral support increases or de-
creases.Massage function (PULSE)
You can reduce muscle tension during long
trips by periodically using the massage
function.

Press button3.
The indicator lamp on button3 comes
on. The air cushions in the lumbar re-
gion inflate and deflate rhythmically.iThe massage function switches off au-
tomatically after approximately eight
minutes. The indicator lamp goes out.

120 Controls in detailMemory function
With the memory switch you can store up
to three different settings per SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position:

Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel 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 158).The memory switch is located on the door.
M Memory button
1, 2, 3 Stored positions

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.
!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. See also the
section on airbags (
page 63) for
proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be
adjusted 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.

197 Controls in detail
Retractable hardtop
Luggage cover
The luggage cover is located in the trunk.
1Handle
2Holders
Closing luggage cover
Pull out the luggage cover using
handle1.

Hook the luggage cover into left and
right side holders2.Opening luggage cover

Unhook luggage cover from side hold-
ers.

While holding on to handle1, guide
luggage cover back into its storage
compartment. Opening the retractable hardtop with
the switch
Hardtop switchBefore pulling on the hardtop switch, you
must make sure

the parking brake is engaged
(page 50)


the luggage cover is closed, see Lug-
gage cover


the trunk lid is closed


the ignition is switched on
!To prevent damage to the hardtop or
luggage/cargo when lowering the roof:

Load trunk only to the height of the
luggage cover.


Do not permit luggage/cargo to
push up the closed luggage cover.


Do not load anything on top of or in
front of the luggage cover.


Do not place anything on the shelf
behind the roll bar.

220 Controls in detailDriving systemsActive Body Control (ABC)
The ABC system automatically selects the
optimum suspension tuning and ride
height for your vehicle.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

Your driving style


Road surface conditions


The vehicle loading


Your choice of suspension style,
“sporty” or “regular”, which you select
using the ABC switch.
The selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.The ABC switch with the indicator lamp is
located in the lower section of the center
console.
1ABC switch
2Indicator lamp

Start the engine (
page 48).Suspension for sporty driving style
The setting for sporty driving is selected
when indicator lamp2 is illuminated.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when the indicator lamp2 is off.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.