MERCEDES-BENZ SLR 2007 R199 Owner's Manual

180 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Turn program selector switch3 to the
desired setting (I, II or III).
Downshifting
Briefly press left shift button1 or pull
the left shift paddle1 (
page 177).
or
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear. Upshifting
Briefly press right shift button2 or
pull the right shift paddle2
(
page 177).
or
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.If the red gearshift indicator lamp>
comes on in the speedometer display
(
page 29), shift to the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be interrupt-
ed to prevent the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition:
If you have selected the 722 Edition menu
(
page 123) and up appears in the right
multifunction display in addition to the red
gearshift indicator lamp>, shift to the
next higher gear. The fuel supply will other-
wise be interrupted to prevent the engine
from overrevving.
Deactivating manual gearshift program
Turn program mode selector switch1
(
page 175) to the shift programC
orS.
The selected gearshift program ap-
pears in the right multifunction display.
iThe currently selected manual shift program
(I, II or III) does not appear in the right multifunc-
tion display. The current setting is indicated only
on the program mode selector switch 3.
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 transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.
!In the manual program modeM, the trans-
mission will not upshift, even if the engine has
reached its overrevving range. Shift up to the
n ext g ear bef ore t he en gi ne has reac hed i ts over-
revving range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red marking on
the tachometer (
page 28). Otherwise the en-
gine could be damaged which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

181 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less re-
sponsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission 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 to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move gear selector lever to drive
positionD (for second gear) or
positionR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

182 Controls in detail
Good visibility
For information on the windshield wipers,
see “Switching on windshield wipers”
(
page 52).
Headlamp cleaning system
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Press button 1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 257).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 43).
Auto-dimming mirror
The reflection brightness of the interior
rear view mirror will respond automatically
to glare when

the ignition is switched on
and

incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirror will not react if

reverse gearR is engaged

the interior lighting is turned on
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and

operated the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition, the counter
resets.

183 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at
sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
Glare can endanger you and/or others.
Warning!G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact with
the vehicle paint finish can be completely
removed only while in the liquid state and by
applying plenty of water.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Warning!G
Do not use the driver’s side vanity mirror
while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and/or others.

184 Controls in detail
Good visibility
1Vanity mirror cover
2Vanity mirror lamp
3Mounting
4Holder for gas cardsGlare through the windshield
Make sure the sun visor is properly
engaged in mounting 3.
Swing the respective sun visor down.
When you do not experience glare
anymore, swing the sun visor up.
Glare through a door window
Swing respective sun visor down.
Disengage the sun visor from
mounting3.
Pivot the sun visor to the side.Vanity mirror
Swing respective sun visor down.
Flip up vanity mirror cover1 to access
the vanity mirror.
Vanity mirror lamp 2 comes on.
After using the vanity mirror, flip down
vanity mirror cover 1.
Swing the sun visor up.
iWhen the sun visor is disengaged from
mounting3, vanity mirror lamp2 switches
off.
!To avoid damage to vanity mirror cover 1,
make sure it is closed before pivoting the sun
visor to the side.

185 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the
defroster as soon as the rear window is
clear. The defroster is automatically
deactivated after approximately
6 to 17 minutes of operation depending on
the outside temperature.Activating
Press buttonF on the automatic
climate control panel (
page 188).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press buttonF again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and/or others.
!If the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp starts flashing, this
means that too many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system re-
sponds automatically by deactivating the rear
window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the
rear window defroster automatically switches
back on automatically.

186 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control

187 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Function
1Left side air vent, adjustable
2Left center air vent, adjustable
3Air temperature controls for center
and side air vents
4Right center air vent, adjustable
5Right side air vent, adjustable
6Air volume control for right side air
vent
7Air volume control for center air
vents
8Air volume control for left side air
vent
9Automatic climate control panel
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the sliders
for the center air vents to the middle position.

188 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel
Function
1Air distribution, left (automatic or
manual operation)
2Front defroster
3Air recirculation
4Rear window defroster (page 185)
5Air distribution, right (automatic or
manual operation)
Function
6Temperature control, right
7Automatic climate control on/off
(entire system)
8Residual heat/ventilation
9Air volume control (automatic or
manual operation)
aAC cooling on/off
bTemperature control, left

189 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.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the ±mode is activated
(
page 196).
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
to 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 controls (
page 192) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of
unprotected skin.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you
and/or others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before its
scheduled interval. A clogged filter will reduce
the air volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior
before driving off. The automatic climate control
will then adjust the interior temperature to the
set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.