2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 page 96

299 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs

Turn the locking mechanism 2 clock-
wise.

Plug the connector onto the bulb.

Align headlamp cover and click into
place.
Replacing parking and standing lamp
bulbs

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 227).

Press ends of headlamp cover tab to-
gether and remove cover.

Pull out the bulb socket with the bulb.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert a new bulb in the socket.

Reinstall the bulb socket.

Align headlamp cover and click into
place.Replacing side marker lamp

Switch off the lights.

Carefully slide lamp towards rear.

Remove front end first.

Twist bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull out.

Pull bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert new bulb in socket.

Reinstall bulb socket, push in, and twist
clockwise.

To reinstall lamp, set rear end in
bumper and let front end snap into
place.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp assemblies
1Backup lamp
2Turn signal lamp
3Driver’s side: Rear fog lamp
Passenger’s side: Substitute lamp
Switch off the lights.

Open the trunk lid (
page 83).

Fold trim to side and remove.

Twist bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull out.
iHave the headlamp adjustment
checked regularly.


301 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Removing
Turn key in starter switch to position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
setting2 (
page 44).

With wiper arm in the vertical position
(see above), turn key in starter switch
to position0.

Fold wiper arm forward.
You should hear it snap into place.

Turn wiper blade at a right angle to the
wiper arm.

Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer.
Installing
Slide wiper blade onto wiper arm.

Rotate wiper blade into position paral-
lel to wiper arm.

Fold wiper arm back so that blade rests
on windshield.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, remove key from starter
switch before replacing a wiper blade, other-
wise the motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact
the windshield glass without a wiper
blade inserted.
For your convenience, we recommend
that you have this work carried out by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

305 Practical hints
Flat tire

Drive the vehicle back and forth very
slowly approximately 30 ft (10 m).
This distributes the TIREFIT sealant ma-
terial inside the tire.

Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk.
1Flap
2Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
3Union nut
4Electrical plug

Open flap 1 on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug 4 and air hose
with the pressure gauge 2.

Screw the air hose 2 onto the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 4 into vehicle ci-
gar lighter socket.

Turn the key in the ignition to position
1 (
page 29).
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the selector lever once. Do
not depress brake pedal.

Press I on the electric air pump switch.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.
After 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose and the union nut can become hot
during inflation. Please exercise appropri-
ate caution.

If this tire pressure is not attained, turn
off the electric air pump, detach the air
hose from the tire valve, and again
drive vehicle back and forth very slowly
approximately 30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the tire.

Inflate the tire again.
Warning!
G
Observe safety instructions on air pump la-
bel.

309 Practical hints
Flat tire
1TIREFIT container
2Flap
3Notch
4Electrical plug
5Air hose
6Flange
Open flap2 on the electric air pump.

Pull plug4 and air hose5 out of the
pump housing.

Screw the air pump’s air hose5 onto
flange6 of the TIREFIT container.

Stick TIREFIT container1 upside down
into notch3 of the electric air pump.
7Tire valve
8Electric air pump switch
9Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
10Filler hose

Unscrew the valve cap from tire
valve7.

Screw filler hose10 onto tire valve7.

Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle cig-
arette lighter socket.

Turn the key in the ignition to
position1 (
page 29).
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 30) on the selector le-
ver once. Do not depress brake pedal.

PressI on electric air pump switch8.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.
iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You
can then peel it off.
Warning!
G
Observe safety instructions on air pump la-
bel.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.

310 Practical hintsFlat tireAfter 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose can become hot during inflation.
Please exercise appropriate caution.
If this tire pressure is not attained, turn
off the electric air pump, detach the fill-
er hose from the tire valve, and drive
vehicle back and forth very slowly ap-
proximately 30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the tire.

Unscrew the air pump’s air hose5 from
flange6 of the TIREFIT container.

Inflate the tire again.

After attaining a tire pressure of 26 psi
(1.8 bar), press0 on electric air pump
switch8.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.

Turn the key in the ignition to
position0 (
page 29).
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 30) on the selector le-
ver once. Do not depress brake pedal.

Detach the electric air pump.
The air hose may still be hot. Please ex-
ercise appropriate caution.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.

Close the trunk lid.

Drive away immediately.
The TIREFIT sealant will distribute itself
evenly inside the tire.
Warning!
G
If a tire pressure of 26 psi (1.8 bar) is not at-
tained, tire is too severely damaged for
TIREFIT to provide a reliable tire repair.
In this case, TIREFIT cannot properly seal
the tire.
Do not drive the vehicle.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
or call Roadside Assistance.
Warning!
G
Do not exceed vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h). A TIREFIT repair is not
designed to operate at higher speeds.
The sticker must be attached on the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
Vehicle handling characteristics may
change. Adapt your driving accordingly.

312 Practical hintsFlat tireMounting the spare wheel Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described above
(
page 302).

Turn spare wheel bracket counter-
clockwise to loosen.

Take the wheel out of the trunk.
Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level sur-
face:
Place one chock in front of and one
behind the wheel that is diagonally
opposite to the wheel being
changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:

Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other
axle.

Take the vehicle tool kit and the jack
out of the storage compartment under
the trunk floor (
page 289).
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack tubes built into
both sides of the vehicle. To help avoid per-
sonal injury, use the jack only to lift the ve-
hicle during a wheel change. Never get
beneath the vehicle while it is supported by
the jack. Keep hands and feet away from the
area under the lifted vehicle. Always firmly
set parking brake and block wheels before
raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully inserted in the jack tube. Always lower
the vehicle onto sufficient capacity jack-
stands before working under the vehicle.

315 Practical hints
Flat tire
Mounting the new wheel
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
Warning!
G
Inflate spare wheel tire only after the wheel
is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
pump (
page 316)
before
lowering the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
Warning!
G
Only use genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.

316 Practical hintsFlat tireInflating the spare tire
Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk (
page 289).
1Flap
2Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
3Union nut
4Electrical plug

Open flap 1 on air pump.

Pull out the electrical plug 4 and air
hose with the pressure gauge 2.

Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve.

Screw the air hose 2 onto the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 4 into vehicle ci-
gar lighter socket.

Turn the key in the ignition to
position1.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the selector lever once with-
out depressing the brake pedal.

Press 1 on the electric air pump switch.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.

Inflate the tire to approx. 36 psi
(2.5 bar).
This takes about five minutes for the
spare tire. The air hose 2 and the union
nut 3 can become hot duration infla-
tion. Exercise proper caution to avoid
burning yourself when using the equip-
ment.
!Do not lower the vehicle before inflat-
ing the spare wheel tire. Otherwise the
rim may be damaged.Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.