2000 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 door lock

44 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Power seats
The switches are located in both doors.
Turn key in steering lock to position 1 or 2 (with either
d oor open, the power seats ca n a lso be opera ted w it h th e
key removed or in steering lock position 0).
The position should be as far rearward as possible,
consistent with ability to properly operate controls.We recommend to ad just th e power se at in th e fol lowing
order:
1Seat, up/down
Press the switch (up/down direction) until
comfortable seating position with still sufficient
headroom is reached.
2Seat adjustment, fore/aft
Press the switch (fore/aft direction) until a
comfortable seating position is reached that still
allows you to reach the accelerator/brake pedal
safely.
3Seat cushion tilt
Press the switch in the direction of the arrow until
your legs are lightly supported.
4Backrest tilt
Press the switch in the direction of the arrow until
the backrest is in an almost upright position. Adjust
the steering wheel until your arms are slightly
angled when holding the steering wheel. For
steering wheel adjustment see page 70.
3
2
1
2
1
2

45 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index 5Head restraint
(with shoulder belt height adjustment)
Adjust the head restraint so that the upper portion
of the shoulder belt is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. The head restraint can
be tilted forward by hand.
Note:
To prevent the backrest from touching the soft top
storage compartment cover when the seat is moved
back, the backrest will automatically move to a more
upright position.
When reclining the backrest, the seat will automatically
move forward to prevent the backrest from touching the
soft top storage compartment cover.
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the steering lock, and lock the vehicle.The power seats can also be operated with a door
open. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may cause
serious personal injury.
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.Never ride in a moving vehicle with the backrest
reclined.
Sitting in an excessively reclined position can be
dangerous. You could slide under the seat belt in a
collision. If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and seat
belt provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in an upright position and the belt is properly
positioned on the body.The rear storage area should never be occupied by
passengers since the vehicle is a 2 seater.
Fu rth ermore, there i s a ri sk of inju ry i n the rear by
adjusting the power assisted front seats.Never place hands under seat or near any moving
parts while a seat is being adjusted.

58 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child seats, designed
for use with the Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center are required for
use with the BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system.
With the special child seat properly installed, the
passenger side front airbag will not deploy. The 7
indicator lamp located in the dashboard will be
illuminated, except with key removed or in steering lock
position 0. The system does not deactivate the door
mounted side impact airbag.Self-test BabySmart
TM
without special child seat installed
After turning key in steering lock to position 1 or 2, the
7 indicator lamp located in the dashboard comes on
for approx. 6 seconds and then extinguishes.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or is
continuously lit, the system is not functioning. You must
see an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center before seating
any child on the front passenger seat.BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
Wa r n i n g !
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system will
ONLY work with a special child seat designed to
operate with it. It will not work with child seats
which are not BabySmart
TM compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion and
child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces the
effectiveness of the deactivation system.Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.The passenger front airbag will not deploy only if
the 7 indicator lamp remains illuminated.
Please be sure to check the indicator every time
you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the light
remains out, do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint
to transport children on the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.

60 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Airbags 1Driver airbag
2Passenger front airbag
3Side impact airbags
The most effective occupant restraint system yet
developed for use in production vehicles is the seat belt.
In some cases, however, the protective effect of a seat
belt can be further enhanced by an airbag.
In conjunction with wearing the seat belts, the driver
and passenger airbags can provide increased protection
for the driver and passenger in certain frontal impacts
exceeding preset thresholds. Door mounted side impact
airbags can provide increased protection to belted
occupants on the impacted side of the vehicle in side
impacts exceeding its preset thresholds.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is
verified by the indicator lamp "SRS" in the instrument
cluster when turning the key in steering lock to
position 2. If no fault is detected, the lamp will go out
after approximately 4 seconds: after the lamp goes out,
the system continues to monitor the components and
circuitry of the airbag system and will indicate a
malfunction by coming on again. If the lamp does not

70 Adjusting steering column
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Adju st in g steerin g c olu mn
Turn key in steering lock to position 1 or 2 (with either
door open, the steering column can be operated with the
key removed or in steering lock position 0).
To extend or retract:
Move switch (1) in desired direction.
To raise or lower:
Move switch (1) in desired direction.Storing steering column position in memory
The steering column position is stored in memory
together with the seat/heat restraint/exterior rear view
mirror position and can be recalled when necessary,
see memory recalling on page 46.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the telescoping adjustment locked
could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

85 Exterior lamp switch
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Standing lamps
When the vehicle is parked on the street the standing
lamps (right or left side parking lamps) can be turned
on, making the vehicle more visible to passing vehicles.
The standing lamps cannot be operated with the key in
steering lock position 2.
Daytime running lamp mode
When the engine is running and the selector lever is in
a driving position, the low beam headlamps (includes
parking lamps, side marker lamps, taillamps and
license plate lamps) are automatically switched on.
When shifting from a driving position to position “N”
or “P”, the low beam switches off (2 seconds delay).
For nighttime driving the exterior lamp switch should
be turned to position B to permit activation of the
high beam headlamps.Night security illumination
When exiting the vehicle after driving with the exterior
lamps on, they switch on again for added illumination
for approximately 30 seconds after closing the last door.
The lamp-on time period can be changed at your
Mercedes-Benz Center.

117 Interior equipment
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Express opening of door windows
Press switch k past resistance point and release –
window lowers to fully open position. To interrupt
procedure, briefly press j or k.
Note:
The power windows can also be closed with the key or
infrared remote control while locking the vehicle doors
or trunk, see page 41.
Important!
Do not close a door with the windows fully closed while
the power supply is interrupted (battery disconnected or
empty). Doing so could damage the window frame.
The power windows should first be resynchronized.
After a power interruption, first synchronize the
windows to enable activation of the soft top.Synchronizing power windows
When opening a door after the power supply was
interrupted (battery disconnected or low), the window
will open slightly, indicating that the Express feature
should be resynchronized.
Press j side of power window switch until the
window is completely closed and hold for additional 2
seconds. Repeat procedure for each window.
The automatic full opening procedure of the windows
should now be restored.

120 Interior equipment
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Interior lighting
Interior lamps
The switches are located above the inside rear view
mirror.
1Interior lamps are switched on, and off (soft fade)
delayed, when unlocking or locking the vehicle, or
when opening or closing either door. However, there
will be no (soft fade) delay when the key is in
steering lock position 2.2Interior lamps switched off
3Interior lamps switched on continuously
Reading lamps
4Left reading lamp switched on
5Reading lamps switched off
6Right reading lamp switched on
Entrance lamps in footwells, exit lamps in doors
These lamps are switched on and off by the door contact
switches.
Note:
To prevent t he veh icl e battery from being discha rged, do
not leave doors open for a long period of time.
1
2
3
4
5
6P68.00-0508-26