2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 fog light

103 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on or off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
U
.Daytime running lamp mode

Turn exterior lamp switch to
position
M
or
U
.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on. In low ambient light con-
ditions the parking lamps will also
switch on.
Canada only:
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(3 minutes delay).
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to position
B
to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
Warning!
G
In automatic headlamp mode, the head-
lamps will not be automatically switched on
under foggy conditions. To minimize risk to
you and to others, activate headlamps by
turning exterior lamp switch to
B
.
The driver is responsible for the operation of
the vehicle’s lights at all times. The automat-
ic headlamp feature is only an aid to the driv-
er. Switch on the vehicle lights manually
when driving or when traffic conditions re-
quire you to do so.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated, the low beam headlamps will
not be switched off automatically.iFront fog lamps and rear fog lamp can
not be switched on manually with exte-
rior lamp switch in position
U
. To
activate the fog lamps turn exterior
lamp switch to position
B
.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.

104 Controls in detailLightingUSA only:
The high beam headlamps can also be ac-
tivated when driving with the daytime run-
ning lamp mode activated and the exterior
lamp switch in position
M
.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 124).
Locator lighting and night security
illumination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the control system
section, see “Setting locator lighting”
(
page 125) and "Exterior lamps delayed
switch-off" (
page 125).Switching on front fog lamps

Make sure that the low beam head-
lamps are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The green indicator lamp
‡
in the
lamp switch lights up.
Switching on rear fog lamp

Make sure that the low beam head-
lamps are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp
†
in the
lamp switch lights up.
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Switching on high beams
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
B

or to
U
(page 102).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam symbol in the tachome-
ter will light up.
iSee notes on the exterior lamp switch
(page 102).

125 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting locator lighting
During darkness, the following lamps will
come on when the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the locator lighting fea-
ture is activated, and the vehicle is un-
locked by remote control:


the parking lamps


the tail lamps


the license plate lamps


the front fog lamps
To activate locator lighting:

Make sure that the locator lighting fea-
ture is set to
ON (see below).

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion
U
.
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened. It switches off au-
tomatically after a period of approximately
40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with button æ
or
ç
to the
Lighting
sub-
menu

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
Locator lighting
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press
æ
or
ç
to select the de-
sired setting.
The locator lighting will be switched on
or off.Setting night security illumination
(Exterior lamps delayed switch-off)
Use the
Headlamps delayed switch-off

function to set whether and for how long
you would like the exterior lamps to illumi-
nate during darkness after all doors are
closed. When the delayed switch-off fea-
ture is activated and the exterior lamp
switch is in position
U
, the following
lamps will remain lit after you remove the
key from the starter switch:


the parking lamps


the tail lamps


the license plate lamps


the front fog lamps
To activate night security illumination:

Select delayed switch-off period (see
below).

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion
U
.

149 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
Setting the temperature
Use the temperature controls1 and7 to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C). Increasing

Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the right.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Decreasing

Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the left.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
When the retractable hardtop is closed,
do not obstruct air flow by placing ob-
jects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

151 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls2 and6
(page 148) to separately adjust the air
distribution on each side of the passenger
compartment. The following symbols are
found on the controls:
Adjusting manually

Press the control knob.
The
U
light on the control knob
goes out. The air distribution can be ad-
justed manually.Adjusting automatically

Press the control knob.
The
U
light on the control knob
comes on. The air distribution is adjust-
ed automatically.
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on.

Turn the air distribution control to
h

or
k
.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set to
U
and there is a high need for
cooling, the display MAXCOOL lights up on
the left and right temperature controls.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when retractable
hardtop is closed).
Defrosting
Activating
Press button
P
(page 148).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
P
(page 148).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air through the cen-
ter air vents
j
Directs air to the windows
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the footwells
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.

152 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAir recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button
,
(page 148).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.Deactivating

Press button
,
(page 148).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically


after five minutes if the outside temper-
ature is below approximately 41°F
(5 °C)


after five minutes if the air conditioner
is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temper-
ature is above approximately 41°F
(5 °C)
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26 °C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air. A quantity of
outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
iIf you keep button
,
pressed, the
side windows will close.
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically


at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel
If you have turned off the air condition-
er (page 155) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
iIf you keep button
,
pressed, the
side windows will return to their previ-
ous position.

155 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Reactivating
There are several ways to reactivate the
automatic climate control system:
Press any button on the automatic cli-
mate control panel (
page 148).
The indicator lamp on button
M

switches off.
or

Turn one of the control knobs on the
automatic climate control.
The indicator lamp on button
M

switches off.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press button AC
OFF
(page 148).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press AC
OFF
again (
page 148).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134A. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the AC
OFF
button on the automatic
climate control panel starts to blink,
this indicates that the air conditioning
is losing refrigerant. The compressor
has turned itself off. The air condition-
ing cannot be turned on again.


Have the air conditioner checked at
the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

277 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
Licence plate
lamp, L
The left licence plate lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Licence plate
lamp, R
The right licence plate lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Front foglamp, L
The left front fog lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Front foglamp, R
The right front fog lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Rear foglight, L
The left rear fog lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Rear foglight, R
The right rear fog lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Reverse lamp, L
The left backup lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Reverse lamp, R
The right backup lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.