2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 check engine

273 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The coolant is too hot.
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop the vehicle.

Only start the engine again after the message
disappears. You could otherwise damage the
engine.

Stop immediately and check the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken, do not drive any further.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
If it is in order, drive immediately to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down. The engine should not be oper-
ated with the coolant temperature above
266°F (130°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

280 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
Engine oil level
Check level!
The engine oil level is too low.

Check the engine oil level (
page 228) and
add oil as required.
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level!
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the en-
gine or the catalytic converter.

Have oil siphoned. Observe all legal require-
ments with respect to its disposal.
Engine oil
Visit workshop!
The engine oil has dropped to a crit-
ical level.
There is water in the oil.

Check the engine oil level (
page 228) and
add oil as required.

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.

Have the oil checked.
Engine oil level
Visit workshop!
The measuring system is malfunc-
tioning.

Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

319 Practical hints
Batteries
Batteries
Your vehicle is equipped with two batter-
ies:

The starter battery (located in the en-
gine compartment)


The battery for electrical consumers
(located in the trunk)
Starter battery in the engine compartment1Positive terminal
2Negative terminal
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the starter switch. Oth-
erwise the alternator and other elec-
tronic components could be severely
damaged.
Have the starter battery checked regu-
larly by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof batteries only to avoid the
risk of acid burns in the event of an acci-
dent.

323 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the starter battery is discharged, the en-
gine can be started with jumper cables and
the battery of another vehicle.Observe the following:


Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only use 12V batteries to jump start
your vehicle. Jump starting with a more
powerful battery could damage the ve-
hicle’s electrical system, which will not
be covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross section and insulated terminal
clamps.
Always make sure that the jumper ca-
bles are not on or near pulleys, fans, or
other parts that move when the engine
is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

324 Practical hintsJump startingThe starter battery is located in the engine
compartment.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off the engine.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift selector lever to positionP.1Negative terminal of charged battery
2Negative terminal of discharged
battery
3Positive terminal of discharged battery
4Positive terminal of charged battery

Remove the red cover from positive ter-
minal on both vehicles (
page 319).

Connect the positive terminals 3 and 4
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Start with the charged battery.

Start the engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect the negative terminals 1 and 2
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Start with the charged battery.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can again turn on the electri-
cal consumers. Do not turn on the
lights under any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals 1 and 2 of the
batteries and then from the positive
terminals 3 and 4.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Never lean over the battery while connect-
ing or jump starting.Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 232).
iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.

345 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

corrosion protection


freeze protection


boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. You should have it replaced ev-
ery 15 years or 150 000 miles (250 000
km), whichever comes first.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The
above replacement interval is only applica-
ble if MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion /Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage). Please make sure that
the mixture is in accordance with label in-
structions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

346 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/Anti-
freeze Agent.Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion / antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection
– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
SL 500
6.1 US qt (5.8 l)
6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
SL 55 AMG
6.9 US qt (6.5 l)
7.6 US qt (7.2 l)

359 Index
Brakes 216
Warning lamp 253
Break-in period 214
Bulbs, replacing
Backup lamps 299
Brake lamps 296
Front lamps 295, 298
License plate lamps 300
Parking lamps 299
Rear fog lamp 299
Standing lamps 299
Tail lamp assemblies 299
Turn signal lamps, front 298
Turn signal lamps, rear 299
C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 351
CAN System 351
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. 342
Catalytic converter 223
CD player
Operating 116
Center air vents 23
Center console
Lower part 24
Upper part 23Centigrade
Setting temperature units 122
Central locking
Automatic 91
Central locking switch 92
Switching on/off (control
system) 128
Unlocking from inside 92
Central locking switch 23
Central unlocking switch 23
Changing
Batteries (key) 293
Batteries (KEYLESS-GO* card) 294
Key setting 81
KEYLESS-GO* card setting 86
Vehicle level 185
Charging
Vehicle batteries 321
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 21, 256
Checking
Batteries (KEYLESS-GO* card) 87
Coolant level 230
Oil level 226, 228
Tire inflate pressure 226
Vehicle lighting 226Vehicle lock status (KEYLESS-GO*
card) 87
Child safety
Airbags 54
Automatic child seat recognition 64
Infant and child restraint systems 52
Cigarette lighter 23, 197
Cleaning
Headlamps 146
Windshield 44
Clock 19
Closing
Glove box 190
Hood 228
Retractable hardtop (electronic
key) 164
Retractable hardtop (switch) 161
Side windows 158
Side windows (KEYLESS-GO*) 88
Sunshade* 167
Trunk lid 83, 91
Cockpit 352
Collapsible tire 352
COMAND 23
COMAND* 352
COMAND*, radio and telephone 222