oil pressure MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 2004 R230 Owner's Manual

ContentsOperation......................................... 237
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 238
Driving instructions ............................ 239
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 239
Drinking and driving ..................... 239
Pedals .......................................... 239
Power assistance ......................... 240
Brakes .......................................... 240
Driving off..................................... 242
Parking ......................................... 242
Tires ............................................. 243
Hydroplaning ................................ 243
Tire traction .................................. 244
Tire speed rating .......................... 244
Winter driving instructions ........... 245
Standing water ............................. 246
Passenger compartment .............. 246
Driving abroad .............................. 246Control and operation of radio
transmitters ................................. 247
Catalytic converter ....................... 247
Emission control .......................... 248
Coolant temperature .................... 249
At the gas station .............................. 250
Refuelling ..................................... 250
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 252
Engine compartment ......................... 253
Hood ............................................ 253
Engine oil ..................................... 255
Transmission fluid level ................ 258
Oil level in the ABC system .......... 258
Coolant ........................................ 258
Battery ......................................... 260
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 261Tires and wheels................................ 262
Important guidelines .................... 262
Life of tires................................... 263
Direction of rotation..................... 263
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 263
Rotating wheels ........................... 267
Winter driving .................................... 268
Winter tires .................................. 268
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 269
Snow chains................................. 269
Maintenance...................................... 271
Clearing the service indicator ...... 271
Service term exceeded ................ 272
Calling up the service indicator .... 272
Resetting the service indicator .... 272
Vehicle care....................................... 274
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 274

131 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu 1
Menu 2
Menu 3
Menu 4
Menu 5
Menu 6
Menu 7
Menu 8
Standard dis-
play
AUDIO
NAVI
Distronic*
Malfunction
memory
Settings
Trip computer
Telephone
Commands/submenusDigital speed-
ometer
Select radio
station
Activate
route guid-
ance
Call up set-
tings
Call up malfunc-
tion messages
Reset to factory
settings
Fuel consump-
tion statistics af-
ter start
Load phone
book
Call up FSS
Select satel-
lite radio sta-
tion*
(USA only)
Instrument clus-
ter submenu
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
since the last re-
set
Search for
name in
phone book
Check tire
pressure*
Operate CD
player
Lighting sub-
menu
Call up range
Check engine
oil level
Vehicle sub-
menuConvenience
submenu

132 Controls in detailControl system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with button k or
j.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press button j once.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the right display field.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO off
is shown in the
right display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up digital speedometer
132
Call up FSS
272
Check tire pressure*
264
Check engine oil level
255
Function
Page
Select radio station
133
Select satellite radio station*
(USA only)
133
Operate CD player
134

252 OperationAt the gas stationCheck regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
For information on refilling the reser-
voir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 261).
2Brake fluid
For information on brake fluid, see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(page 386).3Coolant level
For information on coolant, see “Cool-
ant” (
page 258).
Brake fluidEngine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Checking engine oil level with the control
system” (
page 255).
Opening hood see (
page 253).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information, see “Replacing bulbs”
(
page 331).
Exterior lamp switch see “Switching on
headlamps” (
page 46).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on tire inflation pressure,
see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
(
page 263).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately. Noti-
fy an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as
this will not solve the problem. For
more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 301).

258 OperationEngine compartment
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 386) and
(
page 388).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission. Oil level in the ABC system
The oil level in the ABC system does not
need to be checked. If there is visible oil
loss or if malfunction messages appear in
the display, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center check the ABC
system.
Coolant
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
158°F (70°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.


263 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tires
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
various factors including but not limited to:

Driving style


Tire pressure


Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
ensure that the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of rotation of the tire.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
If the tires are warm, you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly:

Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.


Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.

390 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

warm-up hesitation


unstable idle


knocking/pinging


misfire


power lossDo not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

406 IndexCentral locking
Automatic 105
Central locking switch 105
Switching on/off (control
system) 146
Unlocking from inside 105
Central locking switch 25
Central unlocking switch 25
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*) 329
Batteries (SmartKey) 328
SmartKey setting 91
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
settings 96
Vehicle level 209
Charging
Vehicle batteries 361
CHECK ENGINE
Messages in display 303
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 23, 285Checking
Coolant level 258
Oil level 252, 255
Tire inflate pressure 252
Vehicle lighting 252
Child safety
Airbags 60
Automatic child seat recognition 72
Infant and child restraint systems 58
Cigarette lighter 25, 219
Cleaning
Cup holder 279
Gear selector lever 279
Hard plastic trim items 279
Headlamps 168
Headliner 279
Leather upholstery 280
Plastic and rubber parts 280
Seat belts 279
Steering wheel 279
Upholstery 280
Windshield 47
Wood trims 280Clock 21
Closing
Hood 254
Power window with
KEYLESS-GO* 183
Retractable hardtop (SmartKey) 189
Retractable hardtop (switch) 186
Side windows 182
Sunshade 192
Trunk lid 102
Windows 181
Windows with KEYLESS-GO* 183
Cockpit 398
Collapsible tire 398
COMAND 25, 398
COMAND, radio and telephone 247
Combination switch 21, 47, 120, 121
Comfort driving
Transmission program mode 161
Consumer information 394