ECO mode MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2006 R230 Owner's Manual

9
Product information

Introduction
Product information
Please observe the following in your own
best interest:
We recommend using Genuine
Mercedes-Benz parts as well as conversion
parts and accessories explicitly approved
by us for your vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine
their reliability, safety and special suitabili-
ty for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be
held responsible for them, even if in indi-
vidual cases an official approval or authori-
zation by governmental or other agencies
should exist. Use of such parts and acces-
sories could adversely affect the safety,
performance or reliability of your vehicle.
Please do not use them.Genuine Mercedes-Benz parts as well as
conversion parts and accessories ap-
proved by us are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center where you will
receive comprehensive information, also
on permissible technical modifications,
and where proper installation will be per-
formed.

88 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsElectro-hydraulic brake system
The electro-hydraulic brake system com-
bines a hydraulic brake circuit with elec-
tronically controlled brake servo
assistance. You have increased braking
safety and improved braking comfort.Warning!
G
Never ignore a brake malfunction indicated
in the speedometer display, for example by
the;(USA only) or3(Canada only)
indicator lamp. Refer to the “Practical hints”
section (
page 334). Also read and ob-
serve the messages in the instrument clus-
ter multifunction display (
page 361).
Warning!
G
The electro-hydraulic brake system requires
electrical power to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 334)
comes on and warning messages
(
page 361) appear in the multifunction
display while driving. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased!
If there is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be transported with
all wheels off the ground using flatbed or ap-
propriate wheel lift/dolly equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(page 421).

135 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
multifunction display shows the main
odometer and the digital speedometer,
while the trip odometer appears in the
right multifunction display. This default
setting is referred to as the standard dis-
play.
1Main odometer
2Outside temperature
3Current gear selector lever position
4Trip odometer
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.

153 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting locator lighting
With the locator lighting feature activated
and the exterior lamp switch in position
U, the following lamps will switch on
during darkness when the vehicle is un-
locked with the SmartKey:

Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lamps
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened.
If you do not open a door after unlocking
the vehicle with the SmartKey, the lamps
will switch off automatically after approxi-
mately 40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with button
æ or ç to the
Lighting
sub-
menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see
Locator lighting
in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press button æ or ç to switch
the locator lighting feature to
On.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion U when exiting the vehicle.
The locator lighting feature is
activated.
iFor safety reasons, resetting the Lighting
submenu to factory settings
while driving (
page 147) will not de-
activate the daytime running lamp
mode.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Cannot be fully
reset to factory settings when
driving
.

160 Controls in detailControl systemRejecting a call
If you do not wish to receive the call, you
can choose to reject it. 
Press button t.
You have rejected the call. The caller
receives a busy signal.
Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the right multifunction display you will then
see the message:

Press button s.
You have answered the call. In the right
multifunction display you see the
length of the call.Ending a call

Press button t.
You have ended the call. In the right
multifunction display you will again see
the standby message.
Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the left
multifunction display.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the standby message.

Press button j or k.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
right multifunction display you will see
the message
Please wait!
.
When the message
Please wait!
dis-
appears, the phone book has been
loaded.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
right multifunction display.
The stored names are displayed in
ascending or descending alphabetical
order.iIf you press and hold j or k for
longer than one second, the system
scrolls rapidly through the list of names
until you release the button again.
Cancel the quick search mode by
pressing t.

168 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAutomatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the right multifunction display
(
page 163).

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the right multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

176 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionDownshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or

Briefly press button1 on the left side
of the steering wheel (
page 172).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
MANUAL program mode is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program

Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 174) repeatedly
until
Cor
S appears in the right
multifunction display.
or

Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The MANUAL program mode is not
stored.Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.iWhen you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.

182 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/Cmode is deactivated
(
page 189).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
on unprotected skin in the immediate area
of the air vents. Always keep sufficient dis-
tance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution control (
page 181) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of unpro-
tected skin.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the
filter before its scheduled interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air vol-
ume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off. The
climate control will then adjust the
interior temperature to the set value
much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
When the retractable hardtop is closed,
do not obstruct air flow by placing ob-
jects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.

240 Controls in detailUseful featuresEmergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically following an accident in
which the emergency tensioning devices
(ETDs) or airbags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 241) for instruc-
tions on initiating an emergency call man-
ually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
Connecting call

appears in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted. When the con-
nection is established, the message
Call connected
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the ve-
hicle (determined by the GPS satellite loca-
tion system), vehicle model, identification
number and color are generated.A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
The Response Center will attempt to deter-
mine more precisely the nature of the
emergency provided they can speak to an
occupant of the vehicle.
The Tele Aid system is available if


it has been activated and is operational
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
CenteriLocation 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
Response Center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing 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
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

241 Controls in detail
Useful features
Initiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button
Briefly press on cover1.
The cover opens.

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

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

Close cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.Roadside Assistance button •
The Roadside Assistance button• is
located below the center armrest cover.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds)
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message Connecting call
will appear in the
multifunction display and the audio
system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
Warning!
G
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle, ve-
hicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe loca-
tion. The Response Center will automatically
contact local emergency officials with the
vehicle’s approximate location if they re-
ceive an automatic SOS signal and cannot
make voice contact with the vehicle occu-
pants.