wheel MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG 2008 R230 Owner's Guide

92 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 342) and
(
page 367).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ABS/ESP® warning lamp v flashing in
the instrument cluster. In this case proceed
as follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The
capabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner which could jeopardize
the user’s safety or the safety of others.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine must be shut off (SmartKey in starter
switch position 0 or 1or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position 0 or 1) when

the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer

the vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
The ESP
® will only function properly if you use
wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 449).
iThe cruise control and the Distronic*
system deactivate automatically when the ESP®
is in operation (
page 225).

93 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Electronic traction system
The electronic traction system is a compo-
nent of ESP
®.
The electronic traction system improves
the vehicle’s ability to utilize available trac-
tion, especially under slippery road condi-
tions by applying the brakes to a spinning
wheel.
When you switch off the ESP
®, the elec-
tronic traction system is still enabled.Switching off the ESP
®
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch
off the ESP® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:

when driving with snow chains

in deep snow

in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the electronic traction system will still
apply the brakes to a spinning wheel

the ESP® continues to operate when
you are braking

you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic* system

the cruise control or the Distronic*
system switch off if currently activated
Warning!G
If you are driving too fast, the electronic
traction system cannot reduce the risk of an
accident.
The electronic traction system cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
Warning!G
ESP® should not be switched off during nor-
mal driving other than in the circumstances
described below. Disabling of the system
will reduce vehicle stability in standard driv-
ing maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
Warning!G
Switch on the ESP® immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply any-
more. Otherwise the ESP
® will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.

94 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The switch is located in the lower part of
the center console.
1ESP
® switch
Press ESP® switch1 until the
ABS/ESP® warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.Switching on the ESP
®
Press ESP® switch1.
The ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v in
the instrument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP
® switched on.
Electro-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.iWhen the ESP® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ABS/ESP®
warning lamp v in the speedometer flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the
vehicle.
Warning!G
When the ABS/ESP® warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers reduces.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
Never ignore a brake malfunction indicated
in the speedometer display, for example by
the;(USA only) or3(Canada only)
warning lamp. Refer to the “Practical hints”
section (
page 345). Also read and ob-
serve the messages in the instrument clus-
ter multifunction display (
page 377).

95 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The electro-hydraulic brake system is auto-
matically activated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or with KEYLESS-GO*

open the driver’s or passenger door

turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1

in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on the gear se-
lector lever once

depress the brake pedal

release the parking brake
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 345)
comes on and warning messages
(
page 377) 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 434).

122 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Power closing assist for trunk lid
Press the trunk lid gently into its lock.
The trunk closes automatically.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk lid lock automati-
cally when the vehicle is set into motion.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 166).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the vehicle from
inside using the central locking switches.
This can be useful, for example, if you want
to unlock the passenger door from the
inside or want to lock the vehicle before
starting to drive.
The central locking switches do not lock or
unlock the fuel filler flap or the interior
storage compartments, such as the glove
box.
Warning!G
Make sure the trunk is closed when the
engine is running and while driving.
Among other dangers, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle
interior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
iYou can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact exceeds a
preset threshold.
The vehicle locks automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more. You could therefore
lock yourself out when the vehicle

is pushed

is on a test stand
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

124 Controls in detail
Seats
For more information on seat adjustment,
see “Seat adjustment” (
page 44).
Moving the seats forward and
backward
You can move the seats forward and back
to facilitate loading and unloading.The switch is located on the top side of the
seat.
1Seat forward
2Seat backward
Moving the seat forward
Press switch at1 and release.
The seat moves forward automatically.
Moving the seat backward
Press switch at2 and release.
The seat moves backwards to its previ-
ous position automatically.
Lumbar support
You can adjust the contour of the seat’s
lumbar support to help enhance support to
your spine.
1Thumbwheel
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Set the lumbar support
between 0 and 5.
Warning!G
When moving the seats, be sure that no one
can be caught by them. Never place hands
under seat or near any moving parts during
a seat adjustment procedure. To stop the
seat from moving when potential danger
exists:

Press the switch once more.

Move the seat adjustment switch on the
door (
page 43).
!When moving the seats, make sure that
there are no items in the footwell or behind the
seats. Otherwise you could damage the seats.

129 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head
restraint should also be adjusted for
proper height. See also the section on
air bags (
page 70) for proper seat
positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
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 an appropri-
ate infant or child restraint system which is
properly secured by a lap-shoulder belt
and that complies with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to three different configurations.
Each stored position on the driver’s side
includes the following settings:

Seat position and lumbar support

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting

Steering wheel position

Exterior rear view mirrors’ positionEach stored position on the passenger side
includes the following settings:

Seat position and lumbar support

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting
The memory switch is located on the door
control panel.
M Memory button
1, 2, 3 Stored positions
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
or
Open the respective door.
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.

130 Controls in detail
Memory function
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
exterior rear view mirrors to the
desired position (
page 43).
Press memory buttonM.
Release memory button and press a
stored position button1, 2, or3 within
3 seconds.
All the settings are stored at the
selected position.
Recalling positions from memory
On memory switch, press and hold
stored position button1, 2 or3 until
the seat, steering wheel and exterior
rear view mirrors have fully moved to
the stored positions.
iReleasing the button immediately stops
movement to the stored positions.

136 Controls in detail
Lighting
High beam
Canada only: Turn the exterior lamp
switch to position B (
page 131).
or
USA only: Turn the exterior lamp switch
to positionB or U (
page 131).
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1 to switch on the
high beam.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lamp A in the instrument cluster
comes on.
Pull the combination switch in direction
of arrow 2 to its original position to
switch off the high beam.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lamp A in the instrument cluster
goes out.
High beam flasher
Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow2.
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps*
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps
improve illumination of the area in the
direction into which you are turning.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps will
operate with the engine running and with

the exterior lamp switch in
positionB (
page 131)
or

the exterior lamp switch in
positionU (
page 131)
or

the daytime running lamp mode
activated (
page 133)Driving forward
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
Switch on the left or right turn signal
(
page 57), depending on whether
you are turning left or right.
The respective front fog lamp comes
on and illuminates the area in the
direction into which into which you
are turning.
or
Turn the steering wheel in the desired
direction.
The front fog lamp on the side of your
steering direction comes on.
iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps will
only come on in low ambient lighting conditions.
iIf you are driving faster than
25 mph (40 km/h) or have the front fog lamps
switched on, the corner-illuminating function is
not available.
iIf you have switched on the turn signal for
one side but turn the steering wheel in the
opposite direction, the corner-illuminating lamp
comes on for the side indicated by the turn
signal.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamp remains lit
for a maximum of 3 minutes. Afterwards, it goes
out even if the turn signal is still switched on.

137 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
The combination switch for the turn signal
resets automatically after major steering
wheel movements. This will switch off the
corner-illuminating front fog lamps if they
were activated by switching on the left or
right turn signal.If the turn signal should stay on after
making the turn, the turn signal and
corner-illuminating front fog lamp can be
switched off by returning the combination
switch to its original position.
Driving in reverse
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lampsPlace the gear selector lever in
positionR.
The front fog lamp opposite to your
steering direction comes on.
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
Place the gear selector lever out of
positionR.
The respective front fog lamp goes out.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher switches on
automatically when an air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is
located on the upper part of the
center console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchiThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
temporarily come on both sides of the vehicle
if you turn the steering wheel in one direction
and then again in the other direction shortly
thereafter.
iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
will come on automatically depending on the
steering angle, even if you did not switch on
either turn signal.
If the corner-illuminating front fog lamps came
on automatically, they will also go out automati-
cally depending on the steering angle.iThere may be a brief delay before the
corner-illuminating front fog lamps switch off.