steering MERCEDES-BENZ SLR 2006 R199 User Guide

53 Getting started
Driving
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1.
The high beam indicatorA in the
instrument cluster comes on.
For more information on high beam, see
“Combination switch” (
page 109).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left

Press the combination switch up 1 or
down 2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes.
The combination switch automatically
returns to its original position once the
steering wheel has been turned far
enough.iTo signal minor directional changes,
such as a lane change, move combina-
tion switch to point of resistance only
and release. The turn signal flashes
three times.

54 Getting startedDrivingWindshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the
intensity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedIntermittent wiping
Intermittent wiping interval is dependent
on wetness of windshield.

Set the wiper switch to positionI.
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by
the rain sensor.
!Do not operate the wipers when the
windshield is dry. Dust that accumu-
lates on a windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield. If it is necessary to operate the
wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 55).
!Do not leave windshield wipers in
intermittent setting when the vehicle is
taken to an automatic car wash or
during windshield cleaning. Wipers will
operate in the presence of water
sprayed on the windshield, and wipers
may be damaged as a result.iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.

57 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake lever
Pull parking brake lever1 up a s m a ny
notches as possible.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock the vehicle
when leaving.


63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Airbags
Warning!
G
In the event that the
1
indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked, otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper repair work creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be per-
formed by qualified technicians. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front airbags, knee airbags) or side
impacts (head-thorax airbags). However, no
system available today can totally eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the airbags temporarily re-
leases a small amount of dust from the air-
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
airbags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body (
page 46).
Since the airbag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the airbag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously in-
jured or killed by an airbag as it inflates with
great force in the blink of an eye:


Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the airbag cover on
the steering wheel must be at least ten
inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front airbag inflates.


Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.


Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the head-thorax airbag in-
flates. This could result in serious inju-
ries or death should the airbag be
triggered. Always sit nearly upright,
properly use the seat belts and appropri-
ate size infant or child restraint system.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front airbag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.


67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Warning!
G


Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and ETDs (Emergency Tension-
ing Devices) are designed to function on
a one-time-only basis. An airbag or ETD
that was activated must be replaced.


No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front airbag cov-
er, outboard sides of the front seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door trim
panels, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between airbags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


D o n o t m a k e a n y m o d i f i c a t i o n t h a t c o u l d
change the effectiveness of the belts.


Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide
adequate protection.


Airbag system components will be hot
after an airbag has inflated. Do not
touch.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.


In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air-
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the airbag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Given the considerable deployment
speed and the textile structure of the
airbags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment.

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsThe - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on (
page 29) when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Braking
If the ABS activates during braking, the
ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v in the in-
strument cluster dial flashes. Because of
the electrohydraulic brake system, you will
not feel any pulsation in the brake pedal.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.The ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v flashes
whenever the ABS is activated which can
be an indication of hazardous road condi-
tions and functions as a reminder to take
extra care while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous, full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 299).
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction. The
ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 52)
and (
page 53).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
MOff
UAutomatic headlamp mode
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the
combination switch is pushed
forward) and parking lampsˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf you remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch and open the driver’s
door while the parking lamps or low
beam headlamps are switched on, then

a warning sounds


$ appears in the left multifunc-
tion display


the message
Turn off lamps
appears in right multifunction dis-
play

109 Controls in detail
Lighting
Rear fog lamp (driver’s side only)
Switch on the front fog lamps
(page 108).

Pull out the exterior lamp switch to
second stop.
The rear fog lamp switches on.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
exterior lamp switch comes on.

Push in the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The rear fog lamp switches off.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
The front fog lamps remain lit.
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasherHigh beam

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB orU (
page 105).

Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1 to switch on the
high beam.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 29).

Pull the combination switch in direction
of arrow2 to its original position to
switch off the high beam.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
goes out.
High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow2.

115 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Resetting the trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer in the right multifunction dis-
play (
page 117).

If it is not displayed, press buttonè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel until the trip odometer appears
in the right multifunction display.

Press and hold the reset button1
(page 113) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(page 29) denotes excessive engine
speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the left multifunction display (
page 117).
For information on how to select the unit of
the displayed temperature, i.e. degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F),
see “Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 129).
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious
engine damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.