towing MERCEDES-BENZ SLR CLASS 2007 User Guide

331 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/
consequencePossible solution
;(USA only)
3(Canada only)
Reduced
brake effect
Visit
workshopThe electro-hydraulic
brake system is in emer-
gency operation mode.
Considerably greater
brake pedal force is
required and the pedal
travel is longer. The stop-
ping distance is in-
creased. If necessary,
apply full pressure to the
brake pedal.Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon as it is
safe to do so.
Apply the parking brake (page 55).
Do not drive any further.
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by blocking the
wheels with wheel chocks or other sizable objects.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
or
Call for Roadside Assistance.
Increased
stopping distance
Visit
workshop
Warning!G
Driving while these messages are displayed
can result in an accident. Have your brake
system checked immediately.
If the electro-hydraulic brake system enters
its emergency operation mode, the driver
must apply significantly greater brake pedal
pressure and depress the pedal much fur-
ther than normal to obtain braking effect.
If necessary, apply full pressure to the brake
pedal. Brakes are only applied to the front
wheels. Stopping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be transported with
all wheels off the ground using flatbed or ap-
propriate 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
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(
page 370).

353 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Where will I find ...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is located on the right-hand
side in the trunk.
1First aid kit
2Retaining strap
Open the retaining strap2.
Remove the first aid kit1.TIREFIT kit, electric air pump, towing
eye bolt and vehicle literature portfolio
The TIREFIT kit, the electric air pump, the
vehicle literature portfolio and the towing
eye bolt are located on the right-hand side
underneath the floor in the trunk.
1Vehicle literature portfolio
2TIREFIT kit, electrical air pump
3Towing eye bolt
iCheck expiration dates and contents for
completeness at least once a year and replace
missing/expired items.
iWhen your SLR is delivered, you will find the
vehicle literature portfolio in the rear storage
compartment (
page 207). For permanent
storage in the vehicle, keep the vehicle literature
portfolio in the storage compartment in the
trunk.
!Your vehicle is equipped with a front towing
eye bolt only.
You cannot tow other vehicles with your vehicle.

370 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with SmartKey in starter switch turned to
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever must be in neutral
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever must be in neu-
tral positionN and the SmartKey must be in
starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle may
be towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
!To be certain to avoid a possibility of dam-
age to the transmission, however, we recom-
mend the drive shaft be disconnected at the rear
axle drive flange for any towing beyond a short
tow to a nearby garage.
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run

there is a malfunction in the electro-hy-
draulic brake system

there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
as that will be necessary to adequately
control the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position2.

371 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!G
The 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. 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. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, see
“Electro-hydraulic brake system”
(
page 86).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. 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. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position2 and activate the
combination switch for the left or right turn
signal in the usual manner – only the selected
turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard
warning flasher will operate again.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2 the
vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as well
as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 139) and switch off the tow-away alarm
(
page 94).
iThe gear selector lever will remain locked in
park positionP and the SmartKey will not turn in
the starter switch if the battery is disconnected
or discharged. See notes on the battery
(
page 367).

372 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing/reinstalling towing eye bolt
Take the towing eye bolt1 from its
storage compartment (
page 353).
1Towing eye bolt
Remove cover from the access hole.
Screw towing eye bolt1 clockwise in
to its stop.
Remove the towing eye bolt when you
no longer need it. To do this, carry out
the above steps in reverse order.
Points to bear in mind

The vehicle must not be tow-started.

If the vehicle is to be towed, only tow it
with all wheels on the ground.

If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, only tow it with the propeller
shaft disconnected.

Before towing the vehicle, make sure
the battery is connected and charged.
Otherwise you will not be able to switch
on the ignition and move the selector
lever to neutral positionN. There will
then be no power assistance when
steering and braking.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye bolt can be used to pull the
vehicle onto a trailer or transporter for
transporting purposes.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Move the selector lever to neutral
positionN.
!Only secure the tow bar to the towing eye
bolt. The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
!Your vehicle is equipped with a front towing
eye bolt only (
page 372).
You cannot tow other vehicles with your vehicle.
!Due to the low clearance height of the SLR,
care must be taken when loading and unloading
from a transporter to avoid damaging the vehicle
body work.
To secure the vehicle, only tie it down by the
wheels or tires. Otherwise it could be damaged.

406 Index
Ashtray 208
Aspect ratio 284
AUDIO menu 126
Audio system 31, 145
Button and soft key operation 148
Cassette operation 154
CD operation 158
Location 145
Operating and display elements 146
Operating safety 145
Operation 148
Radio operation 151
Switching on/off 148
Telephone operation 162, 210
Auto-dimming, Interior rear view
mirror 182
Automatic car wash 296
Automatic central locking, Control
system 104, 139Automatic climate control 186
Adjusting air volume 193
Air conditioning refrigerant 391
Air conditioning, Cooling 196
Air distribution 191, 192
Air recirculation mode 195
Air vents 187
Air volume 191
Control panel 188
Deactivating system 190
Defrosting 185, 194
MAXCOOL 193
Residual heat utilization 197
Side air vents 31
Temperature 191
Temperature sensor 33
Automatic headlamp mode 107
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 112Automatic transmission 169
Accelerator position 173
Damage 372
Driving tips 173
Emergency operation (Limp-Home
Mode) 181
Gear ranges 174
Gear selector lever 32, 169
Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 175
Gear selector lever position 171
Gear shifting malfunctions 181
Kickdown 173
Manual shift program 179
Shift program mode selector
switch 175
Shifting procedure 170
Starting the engine 47
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting 177
Towing 372
Transmission fluid level 254
Automatic transmission fluid 254

410 Index
E
Electric air pump 353
Electrical fuses 373
Electrical outlet see Power outlet
Electrical system, Technical data 386
Electro-hydraulic brake system 81, 86,
402
Activation 87
Deactivation 88
Driving hints 88
Emergency operating mode 87
Messages in the multifunction
display 329
Self-check 88, 334
Warning lamp 86
Electronic Stability Program see ESP
®
Emergency calls
911 166
Tele Aid 215
Emergency operations
Automatic transmission (Limp-Home
Mode) 181
Remote door unlock, Tele Aid 220
Trunk lid, Releasing from inside 104
Unlocking the vehicle 355Emergency Tensioning Device see ETD
Emergency, In case of
First aid kit 353
Flat tire 362
Hazard warning flasher 111
Instrument cluster, Indicator
lamps 300
Roadside Assistance 16, 217
Towing the vehicle 370
Emission control 245
Information label 378
System warranties 14
Vacuum line routing diagram
label 378
Engine
Break-in recommendations 234
Cleaning 297
Compartment 250
Malfunction indicator lamp 29, 304
Number 378, 400
Poly-V-belt layout 379
Starting 47
Tachometer 29
Technical data 380
Turning off 56Engine coolant see Coolant
Engine oil 253, 391
Adding 254, 389
Additives 253, 391
Checking level 253
Consumption 253
Filler neck 253
Message in the multifunction
display 339
Recommended engine oils and oil
filter 391
Temperature 29
Oil temperature indicator 307
Viscosity 400
ESP
®81, 83, 400
Messages in the multifunction
display 318
Resetting 318
Warning lamp 83, 300
ETD 74, 400
Safety guidelines 64
Exterior lamp switch 51, 106
Exterior rear view mirrors 44

420 Index
Low tire pressure telltale 29, 311
Messages in the multifunction
display 324, 346
Ply composition and material
used 283, 286
Problems under-/overinflation 273
Retreads 258
Rims and tires 381
Rotation 287
Service life 260
Size designation 274
Sizes 382
Snow chains 291
Speed rating 241, 274, 276, 286
Storing 261
Temperature 268, 283
Terminology 284
TIN 279
TIREFIT kit 362
Traction 241, 282
Tread depth 260, 290
Treadwear indicators 260
Vehicle maximum load on 286
Wear pattern 287
Winter* 290Top tether, see Children in the vehicle
Total load limit 286
Tow-away alarm 94
Towing 370
Transmission damage 372
Towing eye bolt 353
Installing/reinstalling 372
Traction 85, 175, 241, 286
Transmission gear selector lever see Gear
selector lever
Transmission see Automatic transmission
Transporting the vehicle 372
Traveling abroad 243
Tread 286
Tread depth 260, 290
Treadwear indicators 286
Trip computer 139
Trip odometer 115, 117Trunk
Closing 103
Emergency release 104
Lamp 113
Lock 102
Message in the multifunction
display 352
Opening 101, 102
Opening in an emergency 355
Parcel net 207
Trunk lid rack 230
Turn signals 51
Additional in mirrors 360
Indicator lamps 29
Messages in the multifunction
display 342
Replacing bulbs 359
Turning off the engine 56

421 Index
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards 286
Units, Setting
Digital speedometer 132
Unleaded gasoline, Premium 247, 392
Useful features 206
V
Vacuum line routing diagram label 378
Vehicle
Batteries 256
Control system, Settings menu 129
Dimensions 387
Locking/unlocking 38, 57, 98, 105
Modifications and alterations, Operat-
ing safety 20
Towing 370
Transporting 372
Unlocking in an emergency 355
Vehicle care 295
Vehicle Identification Number see VIN
Vehicle lighting 249
Vehicle literature portfolio 353Vehicle loading 261
Load limit 262
Roof and trunk lid racks 230
Terminology 284
Vehicle maximum load on the tire 286
Vehicle Recovery services, Stolen
(Tele Aid) 221
Vehicle status message memory
menu 128
Vehicle washing 296
VIN 378, 403
W
Warning lamps see Lamps, Indicator and
warning
Warning sounds
Drivers seat belts 74
Exterior lamps 57
Parking brake 50
Warranty coverage 14, 377
Washer fluid see Windshield washer fluid
Washer reservoir level 257
Washing the vehicle 295
Wear pattern, Tires 287
Wheel bolts
Anti-theft wheel nuts 288
Tightening torque 287Wheels, Sizes 382
Wheels, Tires and 258
Windows see Power windows
Windshield
Cleaning 297
Defogging 194
Windshield washer fluid 257, 397
Message in the multifunction
display 352
Mixing ratio 397
Refilling 257
Wiping with 53
Windshield washer system 397
Windshield wipers 27, 52
Cleaning wiper blades 297
Replacing wiper blades 361
Single wipe 53
Winter driving 290
Instructions 242
Snow chains 291
Tires* 290
Winter tires* 290