stop start MERCEDES-BENZ SLR 2009 R199 Owner's Manual

49 Getting started
Driving
Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and repeat starting
procedure (
page 48).

Remember that extended starting
attempts can drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a
malfunction in the engine electronics or in
the fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
Parking brake
1Release button
2Parking brake lever

Pull lever2 upwards slightly, press
release button1 and move the lever
down to the stop.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey 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. Children
could release the parking brake, which
could result in an accident and/or personal
serious injury.

50 Getting startedDrivingDriving off
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.

Place the gear selector lever in drive
positionD or reverse gearR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the transmission engag-
es at a higher revolution. This allows the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature earlier.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!
In order to avoid damage to the
transmission:


Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.


Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gearR or park positionP only when the vehi-
cle is stopped.
!
If you hear a warning signal and the mes-
sage Release Parking Brake
appears in the multifunction display when driving
off, you have forgotten to release the parking
brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 49).
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
i
Once the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages.
You can deactivate the automatic locking using
the control system (
page 139).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.

52 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 in direc-
tion of arrow 2 to the desired position,
depending on the intensity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
i
To signal minor directional changes, such as
changing lanes, press combination switch to
point of resistance only and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three times.
!
Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
wipers in dry weather conditions, always operate
the windshield wipers with windshield washer
fluid (page 53).
!
If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.


For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location, remove the SmartKey from starter
switch before attempting to remove any
blockage.


The hood must be opened (
page 250) be-
fore folding the wiper arms away from the
windshield. You could otherwise damage the
hood and/or the wiper arm.


Remove the blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on again.If windshield wipers fail to function at all in
switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the next
highest wiper speed


have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center

54 Getting startedDrivingProblems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be
operating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.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 in
a safe location and turn off the engine.
Allow engine and coolant to cool off.

Check the coolant level and add
coolant if necessary (
page 255).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any
circumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police
authorities.
If the extent of the damage cannot be
determined:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

55 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
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 or dam-
age to the vehicle drivetrain as a result of ve-
hicle 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 park
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.


Take the SmartKey with you and lock
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!
G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


and if the vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< starts flashing and a
warning chime sounds with increasing
intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds
or until the driver’s and passenger’s
seat belts are fastened.
If the driver’s or the passenger’s seat
belt remain unfastened after
60 seconds, the warning chime stops
sounding. The seat belt telltale<
stops flashing but continues to be
illuminated.
The seat belt telltale< will only go out
if both the driver’s and the passenger’s
seat belt (with the passenger seat
occupied) are fastened, or the vehicle is
standing still and a door is opened.
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 312).Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts are equipped with
emergency tensioning devices and seat
belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the
following cases:


in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing the system deployment threshold


in side collisions exceeding the deploy-
ment threshold on the far side of the
impact


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see 1 in-
dicator lamp (
page 60)


in certain vehicle rollovers if the
system determines an additional
degree of protectionThe ETDs will only activate if the seat belts
are fastened (latch plate properly inserted
into buckle).
In an impact, ETDs remove slack from the
seat belts in such a way that the seat belts
fit more snugly against the body. Seat belt
force limiters reduce the force exerted by
the seat belts on occupants during a crash.
Warning!
G
An ETD that was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the ETD, our safety in-
structions must be followed. These are avail-
able at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

88 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The electro-hydraulic brake system is
automatically activated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey


open the driver’s or passenger door


turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1


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 307)
comes on and warning messages
(
page 334) 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. Stopping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the electro-hy-
draulic brake system, we recommend that
the vehicle be transported with all wheels
off the ground using flatbed or appropriate
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
u p t o 3 0 m i l e s ( 5 0 k m ) a n d a t a s p e e d n o t t o
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(page 373).
i
If the electro-hydraulic brake system is acti-
vated as the brake pedal is first depressed, you
may feel a reduced pedal resistance and longer
pedal travel than normal. When releasing the
pedal, you may also feel the brake pedal pulsate
and you may hear a sound which is caused by the
activation of the electro-hydraulic brake system
pump. This is normal and not an indication of a
malfunction. Pedal travel returns to normal when
you release the brake pedal and the sound soon
ceases.
If you experience the above while driving and the
red brake warning lamp (
page 307) illumi-
nates and/or warning messages appear in the
multifunction display (
page 334), the brake
system is malfunctioning. Follow the instructions
of the warning message(s) and have the brake
system checked immediately.

106 Controls in detailLightingFor information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 51)
and “Turn signals” (
page 51).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 108)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 108)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)BLow-beam headlamps or high-beam
headlamps
ˆStanding lamps, right
(turn left one stop)
‚Standing lamps, left
(turn left two stops)
CIndicator lamp for parking lamps
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
i
If you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country
where the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
If you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low-beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message$
Lights Are
Still On
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps or the parking lamps.
If the message
Switch off lights or re-
move key.
appears in the multifunction display,
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch or
switch off the automatic headlamp mode.
!
Failure to switch off the headlamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.

124 Controls in detailControl systemRACETIMER
The RACETIMER allows you to time and
save driving stretches in hours, minutes
and seconds.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the 722S menu.

Press button j repeatedly until you
see the RACETIMER.1Lap
2RACETIMER
3Gear indicatorStarting the RACETIMER

Press button æ.
The timer starts.
Displaying intermediate time

Press button ç while the timer is
running.
The intermediate time is shown for
5 seconds.
Stopping the RACETIMER

Press button æ.
The timer stops.
Warning!
G
The RACETIMER feature is only for use on
roads and in conditions where high speed
driving is permitted. Racing on public roads
is prohibited under all circumstances and
the driver is and must always remain
responsible for following posted speed
limits.
i
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or the starter switch is in
position2 (
page 40).
i
While the RACETIMER is being displayed,
you cannot adjust the volume using
buttonsæ or ç.
i
When you stop the vehicle and turn the
SmartKey to position 1 (
page 40), the RACE-
TIMER stops timing. Timing is resumed when you
switch the ignition back on (page 40) or
restart the engine (
page 47) and then press
the æbutton.

125 Controls in detail
Control system
Saving lap time and starting a new lap
Press button ç while the timer is
running.
The intermediate time will be shown for
5 seconds.

Press button ç within the next
5 seconds.
The intermediate time shown will be
saved as a lap time.
The RACETIMER begins timing the new
lap. The new lap begins to be timed as
soon as the intermediate time is called
up.1Best lap time
2Lap number
3RACETIMER
4Gear indicator
Resetting current lap

Press button æ while the timer is
running.
The timer stops.

Press button ç.
The lap time is reset to “0”.Deleting all laps

Press button æ while the timer is
running.
The timer stops.

Press the reset button in the instru-
ment cluster twice (
page 114).

Press button æ.
The timer starts. The saved laps are
deleted.
i
You can save up to nine laps.
i
It is not possible to delete a single saved lap.
i
When you switch off the engine, the
RACETIMER will be reset to“0” after 30 seconds.
All laps are deleted.