2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG tow

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 7
Product information ................................ 7
Operator’s Manual .................................. 8
Service and warranty information ..... 8
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles ............. 9
Maintenance .................................. 10
Roadside Assistance ...................... 10
Change of address or ownership.... 10
Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada ...................................... 11
Where to find it .................................... 12
Symbols ............................................... 13
Operating safety .................................. 14
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 14
Problems with your vehicle .................. 15
Reporting safety defects...................... 16
Reporting safety defects ................ 16At a glance......................................... 17
Cockpit ................................................ 18
Instrument cluster ............................... 20
Multifunction steering wheel ............... 22Center console ..................................... 23
Upper part ...................................... 23
Lower part ...................................... 24
Overhead control panel ........................ 25
Door control panel................................ 26
Getting started................................... 27
Unlocking ............................................. 28
Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 28
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* ......... 30
Adjusting .............................................. 32
Seats............................................... 32
Steering wheel ................................ 34
Mirrors ............................................ 35
Driving .................................................. 37
Fastening the seat belts.................. 37
Starting the engine ......................... 39
Switching on headlamps ................. 43
Turn signals and high beam ............ 43
Windshield wipers ........................... 44
Problems while driving .................... 45
Parking and locking .............................. 47
Parking brake.................................. 47
Switching off headlamps................. 48
Turning off engine with the key ....... 48Turning off engine with
KEYLESS-GO* ................................ 49
Emergency engine shut-down ......... 50
Safety and Security........................... 51
Occupant safety ................................... 52
Airbags ........................................... 53
Seat belts ....................................... 58
Roll bar ........................................... 61
Children in the vehicle .................... 62
Panic alarm .......................................... 67
Activating........................................ 67
Deactivating.................................... 67
Driving safety systems ......................... 68
ABS ................................................. 68
BAS ................................................. 69
ESP ................................................. 70
SBC brake system .......................... 72
Anti-theft systems ................................ 75
Immobilizer ..................................... 75
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 75
Tow-away alarm .............................. 77

ContentsPractical hints.................................. 249
What to do if … .................................. 250
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 250
Messages in the display ............... 257
Where will I find ...?............................ 288
First aid kit ................................... 288
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 288
Locking/unlocking in an emergency.. 290
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 290
Locking the vehicle ...................... 292
Lowering the Easy Pack feature
manually ....................................... 292
Changing batteries ....................... 293
Replacing bulbs ................................. 295
Bulbs ............................................ 295
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 298
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 299
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 301
Removing ..................................... 301
Installing....................................... 301
Flat tire .............................................. 302
Preparing the vehicle.................... 302
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 1 ..... 302
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 2 ..... 308
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 312Batteries ............................................ 319
Disconnecting the batteries ......... 320
Removing the batteries ................ 321
Charging and reinstalling
batteries....................................... 321
Reconnecting the batteries .......... 321
Jump starting ..................................... 323
Towing the vehicle ............................. 325
Installing towing eye bolt ............. 327
Fuses ................................................. 329
Main fuse box............................... 329
Technical data................................. 331
Spare parts service ............................ 332
Warranty coverage............................. 333
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 333
Identification labels ........................... 334
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 335
SL 500 ......................................... 335
SL 55 AMG ................................... 335
Engine................................................ 336
Rims and tires.................................... 337
Same size tires ............................. 337
Mixed size tires ............................ 338Spare wheel ................................. 338
Electrical system ............................... 339
Main dimensions ............................... 340
Weights ............................................. 341
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 342
Capacities .................................... 342
Engine oils ................................... 343
Engine oil additives ...................... 343
Air conditioner refrigerant............ 343
Brake fluid.................................... 343
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 344
Fuel requirements ........................ 344
Gasoline additives ........................ 344
Coolants ...................................... 345
Windshield and headlamp washer
system ......................................... 347
Consumer information ....................... 348
Uniform tire quality grading ......... 348
Technical terms............................... 351Index................................................. 357

24 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch
186
2
Active Body Control (ABC)
switch
183
3
Tow-away alarm switch
77
4
Hardtop open/close con-
trol with buttons for roll bar
159
61
5
Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment
35
Item
Page
6
Vehicle level control switch
184
7
ESP control switch
71
8
Thumbwheel for setting
distance for Distronic*
179
9
Distance warning func-
tion* on/off switch
179
10
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
141
11
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
137

48 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the switch to
M
(page 43).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 102).
Turning off engine with the key
Place the gear selector lever inP.

Turn the key in the starter switch
(page 29) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 37).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the KEY-
LESS-GO
* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Children could release
the parking brake and/or move the gear se-
lector lever from positionP, either of which
could result in an accident and/or serious
injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 140).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheel against road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the road curb.

71 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have drive wheels spin
and thus cut into surfaces for better grip
such as:

starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains


in sand or gravel
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
!Because of ESP’s automatic operation,
the engine must be shut off when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer.


the vehicle is being towed with the
front axle raised.
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
rear axle brake system.
ESP will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire
size (page 337).
Warning!
G
ESP should not be switched off during nor-
mal driving other than in the circumstances
described below. Disabling of the system
will reduce vehicle stability in standard driv-
ing maneuvers.iDistronic* cannot be activated when
ESP has been deactivated.

73 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The SBC brake system is automatically ac-
tivated when you:

unlock the vehicle with the key or the
KEYLESS-GO* card


open the driver’s or passenger door


turn the key in the starter switch to
position1


in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
start/stop button on selector lever
once


depress the brake pedal


release the parking brake
Warning!
G
The SBC brake system requires electrical
power to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 253) and
the warning messages (
page 265) light up
while driving. To brake, the driver must then
apply significantly greater brake pedal pres-
sure and depress the pedal much further to
obtain the expected braking effect. If neces-
sary, apply full pressure to the brake pedal.
Brakes are only applied to the front wheels.
Stopping distance 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 appropriate 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 in-
formation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 325).
iIf the SBC brake system is activated as
the brake pedal is first depressed, you
may feel a reduced pedal resistance
and longer pedal travel than normal.
When releasing the pedal, you may also
feel the brake pedal pulsate and you
may hear a sound which is caused by
the activation of the SBC pump. This is
normal and not an indication of a mal-
function. Pedal travel returns to normal
when you release the brake pedal and
the sound soon ceases.

77 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
Arming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical-
ly.Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The switch is on the center console be-
tween the driver’s seat and the passenger
seat.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
key.

Press switch1.
The indicator lamp2 in the switch
lights up briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the key or (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*) the lock but-
ton at each door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem (
page 202) provided Tele Aid
service was subscribed to and properly
activated.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.

140 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle is
parked. Only place selector lever in
positionP when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehicle is
parked. Rather, the driver should al-
ways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to placing the selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed from
the starter switch with the selector
lever in positionP.
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR
only when vehicle is stopped.
Effect
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmis-
sion, never engageN while driving.
If ESP is deactivated or malfunction-
ing:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN,
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 47).
When parked on an incline, also turn the
front wheels towards the road curb.