2000 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 steering

46 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Storing position in memory
6Memory button
7Position buttons “1”, “2” and “3”
After the seat and head restraint are positioned, push
memory button (6), release, and within 3 seconds push
position button “1”. Two additional sets of positions
may be stored into memory using position buttons “2”
and “3”.Using the same position button, the steering wheel
position and exterior rear view mirror positions will
also be stored together with the seat position. For
adjusting steering wheel and mirrors see page 70.
Recalling stored positions
Press position button “1”, “2” or “3” and hold until seat/
head restraint/steering wheel/exterior rear view mirror
movement has stopped.
Note:
For safety reasons, the seat/head restraint/steering
wheel/exterior rear view mirror movement stops after
releasing the position button.
3
2
1
2
1
2

47 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Important!
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver should adjust
the seat height for proper vision as well as fore/aft
placement and backrest angle to insure adequate
control, reach, operation, and comfort. The head
restraint should also be adjusted for proper height.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head
approximately at ear level. See also airbag section for
proper seat positioning on page 60.
In addition, also adjust the steering wheel to ensure
adequate control, reach, operation, and comfort.
Both the inside and outside rear view mirrors should be
adjusted for adequate rearward vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small children should be
seated in a properly secured restraint system that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
All seat, head restraint, rear view mirror, and steering
wheel adjustments as well as fastening of seat belts
should be done before the vehicle is put into motion.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
Wa r n i n g !
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 deactivate the passenger side 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 fatal
injury will result.Infants and small children must be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system, which
is properly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is
not properly secured in the child restraint.

49 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Multicontour seats (optional)
Switch is located on side of seat.
We recommend to adjust the multicontour seat in the
following order:
1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest bottom
3Backrest center
4Side bolster adjustmentSome m od els may be eq uipped with m ulticontour sea ts.
These seats have movable seat cushions, and inflatable
air cushions bu il t into th e backrest to provide ad ditional
lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement and amount of backrest
cushion height and curvature can be continuously
varied with regulators (1, 2 and 3) after turning the key
in steering lock to position 2.
The side bolsters of the backrest can be adjusted with
rocker switch (4):
• press down forward end -
increase side support,
• press down rearward end -
decrease side support.
If the engine is turned off, the last cushion setting is
retained in memory, and automatically adjusts the
cushion to this setting when the engine is restarted.
P91.25-0298-26
1
2
3
4

50 Seats
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Seat heater (SL 500 optional)
The seat heater switches are located on the center
console.
The seat heaters can be switched on with the key in
steering lock positions 1 or 2.Press switch to turn on seat heater:
1Normal seat heating mode. One indicator lamp in
the switch lights up.
2Rapid seat heating mode. Both indicator lamps in
the switch light up. After approximately 5 minutes
in the rapid seat heating mode, the seat heater
automa tica lly sw itches to norma l operation and only
one indicator lamp will stay on.
Turning off seat heater:
If one indicator lamp is on, press upper half of switch.
If both indicator lamps are one, press lower half of
switch.
If left on, the seat heater automatically turns off after
approximately 30 minutes of operation.
P91.30-0270-26
12

53 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Seat belt nonusage warning system
With the key in steering lock position 2, a warning
sounds for a short time if the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
Wa r n i n g !
Failure to wear and properly fasten and position
your seat belt greatly increases your risk of
injuries and their likely severity in an accident.
You and your passenger should always wear seat
belts.If you are ever in an accident, your injuries can be
considerably more severe without your seat belt
properly buckled. Without your seat belt buckled,
you are much more likely to hit the interior of the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed.In th e sam e c rash, th e possibility of injury or death
is lessened if you are wearing your seat belt.Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there
are seat belts available. Be sure everyone riding in
the vehicle is correctly restrained with a separate
seat belt.
Wa r n i n g !
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 deactivate the passenger side front
airbag wh en it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates in a
crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury can
result.
Infants and small children must be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system, which
is properly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is
not properly secured in the child restraint.

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.

59 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Supplemental restraint system (SRS)
Airbags are intended as a supplement to seat belts.
Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
seat belts in impacts for which the airbags were
designed to operate, and do not afford any protection
whatsoever in crashes for which the airbags are not
designed to deploy.
The SRS uses two crash severity levels (thresholds) to
activate either the emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
or front airbag or both. Activation depends on the
direction and severity of the impact exceeding the
preset thresholds and whether the seat belt is fastened.
Seat belt fastened
• first threshold exceeded:
ETR activates
• second threshold exceeded:
airbag also activates
Seat belt not fastened
• first threshold exceeded:
airbag activates, but not ETR
Driver and passenger systems operate independently of
each other.Emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
The seat belts are equipped with emergency tensioning
retractors. These tensioning retractors are located in
each belt’s inertia reel and become operationally ready
with the key in steering lock position 1 or 2.
The emergency tensioning retractors are designed to
activate only when the seat belts are fastened during
frontal and front-angled impacts and rear impacts
exceeding the first threshold of the SRS and in rear
impacts exceeding a preset severity level. They remove
slack from the belts in such a way that the seat belts fit
more snugly against the body restricting its forward
movement as much as possible.
In cases of other frontal impacts, rollovers, certain side
impacts, rear collisions or other accidents without
sufficient frontal or rear impact forces, the emergency
tensioning retractors will not be activated. The driver
and passenger will then be protected by the fastened
seat belts and inertia reel in the usual manner.
For seat belt and emergency tensioning retractor safety
guidelines see page 66.

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