2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 steering

197 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cigarette lighter
The lighter socket can be used to accom-
modate electrical accessories up to a
maximum of 180 W.
1Cigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition.

Push in the cigarette lighter1.
The lighter will pop out automatically
when hot.Heated steering wheel* (Canada
only–model SL 500)
The steering wheel heating warms up the
leather area of the steering wheel.
The lever is on the lower left-hand side of
the steering wheel.
1Switching on
2Indicator lamp
3Switching off
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
serious personal injury.

198 Controls in detailUseful featuresSwitching on
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
should light up.

Turn lever in the direction of arrow1.
The steering wheel is heated. Indicator
lamp2 lights up.
Switching off

Turn lever in the direction of arrow3.
The steering wheel heating is turned
off. Indicator lamp2 goes out.
Easy-Pack load assist in the trunk
To facilitate trunk loading after opening the
lid, use the Easy-Pack feature to raise the
retracted hardtop from its storage position
in the trunk.
1Retracted hardtop
2Luggage cover
3Easy-Pack buttonRaising the hardtop
The hardtop can only be raised when the
luggage cover is closed and the trunk lid is
completely opened.

Press button3.
The hardtop rises a short distance.
Button3 lights up brightly. You can
now open the luggage cover.
iThe steering wheel heating does not
turn off automatically.
Warning!
G
To prevent injuries, make sure that there is
no possibility of body parts getting caught in
moving parts. If potential danger exists,
press the switch again. This will immediately
stop the movement of the hardtop.

200 Controls in detailUseful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing the
í
and
ì
buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(
page 133).
See separate instruction manual for in-
structions on how to operate the tele-
phone.
Tele Aid
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
o m m e n d t h a t y o u p u l l o v e r t o a s a f e l o c a t i o n
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather, and traffic conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, weath-
er, and traffic conditions permit.
1Observe all legal requirements
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approximately
44 feet (approximately 13.5 m) every sec-
ond.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after turning key
in starter switch to position2, or press-
ing KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button (if
so equipped) twice to position2
(page 30) and the message
Tele Aid
not activated
will be shown in the
multifunction display for approx.
10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

201 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on D
e-
mand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:


automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information.
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press button
æ
and to lower,
press button
ç
.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button
•
or
the Information button
¡
, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your Ac-
quaintance Call, you will receive a user ID
and password via first call mail. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock, and
more.System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in the starter
switch to position 2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
stay on longer than
10 seconds or do not come on). The mes-
sage
Tele Aid – Visit workshop!
ap-
pears for approx. 10 seconds in the
multifunction display.
iThe SOS button is located above the in-
side rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button
•

and the Information button
¡
are
located below the center armrest cov-
er.
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the Tele
Aid system may not function and if this
occurs, assistance must be summoned
by other means.

205 Controls in detail
Useful features
These programs are only available in the
USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable,


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.Information button
¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button
¡
.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Info – Connecting call
will
appear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
Info – Call connected
appears
in the multifunction display. The Tele Aid
system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color
and location (subject to availability of cel-
lular and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. When a voice connection is estab-
lished the audio system mutes and the
message
Tele Aid – Info call active
appears in the multifunction display.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position2 (together with the SOS but-
ton and the Information button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 201)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button
•
is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Roadside assistance –
Call failed
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the
ì
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.

206 Controls in detailUseful featuresInformation regarding the operation of
your vehicle, the nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center or Mercedes-Benz USA products
and services is available to you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only).Upgrade Signals
The Tele Aid system processes calls using
the following priority.


Automatic emergency – First priority


Manual emergency – Second priority


Roadside assistance – Third priority


Information – Fourth priority
Should a higher priority call be initiated
while you are connected, an upgrade (al-
ternating) tone will be heard, and the ap-
propriate indicator lamp will flash. If
certain information such as vehicle identi-
fication number or customer information is
not available, the operator may need to re-
transmit.
During this time you will hear a beep and
voice contact will be interrupted. Voice
contact will resume once the retransmis-
sion is completed. Once a call is conclud-
ed, a beep will be heard and the
appropriate indicator lamp will stop flash-
ing. The COMAND system operation will
resume.
iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button
¡
remains illuminated in red
for approx. 10 seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after turning key in the
starter switch to position2 (together
with the SOS button and the Roadside
Assistance button
•
).
See system self-check (page 201)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button
¡
is illuminated continuous-
ly and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
Info Call failed
appears in the multifunction display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the
ì
button on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
fault or the service is not currently ac-
tive, and may not initiate a call. Visit
your Mercedes-Benz Center and have
the system checked or contact the Re-
sponse Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in
the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Cana-
da) as soon as possible.

207 Controls in detail
Useful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. key inside vehicle), and the
reserve key is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.

Then return to your vehicle and press
trunk lock for minimum of 20 seconds
until the SOS button is flashing.
The message
Emergency call –
Call connected
appears in the multi-
function display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your Acquaintance Call.
The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash
or the system does not reset, contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or Mer-
cedes-Benz Customer Assistance at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Cus-
tomer Service at 1-800-387-0100 in
Canada.iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer Assis-
tance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by
pressing button
ì
on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the COMAND system audio is muted
and the selected mode (radio or CD)
pauses. The optional cellular phone (if
installed) switches off. If you must use
this phone, the vehicle must be parked.
Disconnect the coiled cord and place
the call. The navigation system (if en-
ga ged ) wil l continu e to ru n. The dis pla y
in the instrument cluster is available for
use and spoken commands are only
available by pressing the RPT button on
the COMAND unit. A pop-up window
will appear in the COMAND display to
indicate that a Tele Aid call is in
progress.

216 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system In such a case, the red
brake warning lamp (
page 253) and warn-
ing messages (
page 265) in the instru-
ment cluster light up while driving. To brake,
the driver must then apply significantly
greater brake pedal pressure and depress
the pedal much further to obtain the expect-
ed braking effect. If necessary, apply full
pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes are only
applied to the front wheels. Stopping dis-
tance is increased! If there is a malfunction
in the SBC brake system, we recommend
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, refer to "Towing the vehicle"
(page 325).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.