cooling MERCEDES-BENZ SLR 2005 R199 Owner's Manual

Contents
Automatic transmission ..................... 167
One-touch gearshifting................. 168
Gear ranges ................................. 170
Gear selector lever positions ....... 171
Shift program mode selector
switch .......................................... 173
Driving tips ................................... 173
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 174
Manual gearshift program ............ 175
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 177
Good visibility .................................... 178
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 178
Rear view mirrors ......................... 179
Sun visors .................................... 180
Rear window defroster ................. 181
Automatic climate control ................. 182
Adjusting the temperature ........... 185
Adjusting air volume .................... 186
Adjusting air distribution .............. 187
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ....... 187
Defrosting the windshield ............ 188
Air recirculation mode.................. 188
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 190Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 191
Air conditioning............................. 192
Power windows .................................. 193
Opening and closing the windows. 193
Synchronizing power windows ...... 196
Driving systems .................................. 197
Cruise control ............................... 197
Useful features ................................... 200
Map pocket in passenger
footwell ......................................... 200
Storage compartments ................. 200
Parcel net in trunk ........................ 201
Ashtray and cigarette lighter......... 202
12-V socket .................................. 203
Telephone ..................................... 203
Tele Aid ......................................... 207
Garage door opener ...................... 215
Floormats...................................... 221
Dust cover .................................... 222
Roof and trunk lid racks ................ 225
Operation.......................................... 226
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) .......... 228
Driving instructions ............................ 229
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 229
Drinking and driving...................... 229
Pedals ........................................... 229
Power assistance .......................... 230
Brakes .......................................... 230
Driving off ..................................... 232
Parking ......................................... 232
Tires.............................................. 233
Hydroplaning ................................ 234
Tire traction .................................. 234
Tire speed rating ........................... 234
Winter driving instructions ............ 235
Standing water ............................. 236
Passenger compartment............... 236
Driving abroad .............................. 236
Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 237
Catalytic converter ....................... 237
Emission control ........................... 238
Coolant temperature .................... 239

55 Getting started
Driving
The coolant temperature is
above 248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 249).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

184 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAutomatic climate control panel
Function
1
Air distribution, left (automatic or
manual operation)
2
Defrosting the windshield
3
Air recirculation
4
Rear window defroster (
page 181)
5
Air distribution, right (automatic or
manual operation)
Function
6
Temperature control, right
7
Automatic climate control on/off
(complete system)
8
Residual heat/ventilation
9
Air volume control (automatic or
manual operation)
a
AC cooling on/off
b
Temperature control, left

185 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The 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.
Adjusting the temperature
Use temperature controls6 andb to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing
Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the right.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 187).
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.iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

187 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control knobs1
and5 (
page 184) to separately adjust
the air distribution on each side of the pas-
senger compartment. The following sym-
bols are found on the controls:Adjusting manually

Press the control knob.
The U light on the control knob
goes out. The air distribution can be ad-
justed manually.
Adjusting automatically

Press the control knob.
The U light on the control knob
comes on. The air distribution is adjust-
ed automatically.
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on.

Turn the air distribution control to h
or k.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set to U and there is a high need for
cooling, MAXCOOL is activated.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior.
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air through the cen-
ter air vents
j
Directs air to the windows
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the footwells

191 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating the automatic climate control systemDeactivating
It is possible to completely deactivate the
automatic climate control system.

Press button M (
page 184).
The indicator lamp on button M
comes on.Reactivating
There are several ways to reactivate the
automatic climate control system:

Press any button on the automatic cli-
mate control panel (
page 184).
The indicator lamp on button M
switches off.
or

Turn one of the control knobs on the
automatic climate control.
The indicator lamp on button M
switches off.
iWhen the air conditioning is switched
off, the outside air supply and circula-
tion are also switched off. Only choose
this setting for a short time. Otherwise
the windows could fog up.
iUnder certain circumstances, e.g.
when the fuel system is too hot and
needs to be cooled, the cooling switch-
es on again automatically. The red lamp
on the ± button the automatic cli-
mate control panel flashes.
After cooling the fuel system sufficient-
ly, the air conditioning switches off
again and the red lamp stops flashing.

192 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAir conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.

Press ± button (
page 184).
The indicator lamp on the ±
button comes on.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press ± button again (
page 184).
The indicator lamp on the ± button
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134A. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
iUnder certain circumstances, e.g.
when the fuel system is too hot and
needs to be cooled, the cooling switch-
es on again automatically. The red lamp
on the ± button the automatic cli-
mate control panel flashes.
After cooling the fuel system sufficient-
ly, the air conditioning switches off
again and the red lamp stops flashing.
!If you press the ± button on the au-
tomatic climate control panel and it
starts to flash, this indicates that the
air conditioning is losing refrigerant.
The compressor has turned off. The air
conditioning cannot be turned on
again.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

249 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
1Expansion tank

Using a rag, turn cap slowly approxi-
mately one half turn to the left to
release any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level

for cold coolant: reaches the upper
mark on the bracing rib of the ex-
pansion tank (arrow)


for warm coolant: is approximately
0.4 in (1 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap.
For more information, see “Coolants”
(
page 380).
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 coolant temperature is
above 194°F (90°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
approximately
1/2 turn to relieve excess
pressure. If opened immediately, scald-
ing hot fluid and steam will be blown out
under pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene
glycol which may burn if it comes into
contact with hot engine parts.

300 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.

Immediately add coolant to prevent
engine from overheating
(page 249).
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.

Have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric
radiator fan may be broken.

If the coolant temperature is below
248°F (120°C), you can continue
driving to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
248°F (120°C).

Stop as soon as possible and allow
the engine and coolant to cool down.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine 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.

308 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
ESP
Display malfunc-
tion
Visit
workshop!
The ESP or the ESP display is
malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.
SLR
ACL system
malfunction
Visit
workshop!


The locking system is
malfunctioning.


The transmission cooling
system is malfunctioning.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.