2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG Owner's Manual

337 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
Only use tires and rims which have been
specifically developed for your vehicle and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Other tires and rims can have detrimental
effects, such as

poor handling characteristics


increased noise


increased fuel consumption
Same size tires
!Moreover, tires and rims not approved
by Mercedes-Benz may, under load,
exhibit dimensional variations and dif-
ferent tire deformation characteristics
that could cause them to come into
contact with the vehicle body or axle
parts. Damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle may be the result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. A tire inflation
pressure table is located on the fuel fill-
er cap of the vehicle. The tire pressure
should be checked regularly and
should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Follow tire manufacturer’s mainte-
nance recommendation included with
vehicle.
SL 500
SL 55 AMG
Rims (light alloy)
81/2J x17
81/2 J x18
Wheel offset
1.38 in (35 mm)
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
255/45 R17 98W
–
Winter tires (radial-ply tires)
255/45 R17 98V M+S
255/40 R18 95V M+S

338 Technical dataRims and tiresMixed size tiresSpare wheel
SL 500 (Sport Package*)
SL 55 AMG
Front axle:Rims (light alloy)
81/2J x18
81/2J x18
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
255/40 R18 95W or 255/40 R18 95Y
255/40 R18 95W or 255/40 R18 95Y
Rear axle:Rims (light alloy)
91/2Jx18
91/2Jx18
Wheel offset
1.30 in (33 mm)
1.30 in (33 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
285/35 R18 97W
1 or 285/35 R18 97Y
1
285/35 R18 97W
1 or 285/35 R18 97Y
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
SL 500
Rim
6B x17 ET25
Wheel offset
0.98 in (25 mm)
Collapsible tire
185/60-17-93P
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
iThe SL 55 AMG is not equipped with a
spare wheel. TIREFIT (
page 302).

339 Technical data
Electrical system
Electrical system
Model
SL 500
SL 55 AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/150 A
14 V/180 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
BatteryStarter battery
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
Battery for electrical consumers
12 V/70 Ah
12 V/70 Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch F 8 DPER
NGK PFR 5 R-11
NGK IL FR 6 A
Electrode gap
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)

340 Technical dataMain dimensions
Main dimensionsModel
SL 500
SL 55 AMG
Overall vehicle length
178.4 in (4 531 mm)
178.4 in (4 531 mm)
Overall vehicle length when opening/
closing hardtop
185.4 in (4 709 mm)
185.4 in (4 709 mm)
Overall vehicle width
71.9 in (1 827 mm)
71.9 in (1 827 mm)
Overall vehicle height
51.1 in (1 295 mm)
51.1 in (1 295 mm)
Overall vehicle height when opening/
closing hardtop
65.9 in (1 674 mm)
65.9 in (1 674 mm)
Wheelbase
100.8 in (2 560 mm)
100.8 in (2 560 mm)
Track, front
61.4 in (1 559 mm)
61.8 in (1 569 mm)
Track, rear
60.9 in (1 547 mm)
61.1 in (1 551 mm)

341 Technical data
Weights
Weights
Roof load max.
110lb (50kg)
Trunk load max.
220 lb (100 kg)

342 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
brands tested and recommended by us. Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
SL 500
SL 55 AMG
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
Rear axle
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Hydraulic system for active body control (ABC)
approx. 5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
MB Hydraulic Fluid
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 3.0 oz (85 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
1.1 US qt (1.05 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
SL 500
SL 55 AMG
approx. 12.2 US qt (11.6 l)
approx. 13.7 US qt (13 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion / Antifreeze
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
21.1 US gal (80.0 l)
2.6 US gal (10.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96 RON /
86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10

343 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, only
use engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could result in engine damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioner refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
er system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil, otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Hydraulic system for retractable hardtop
0.42 US qt (0.4 l)
MB Hydraulic Fluid
Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning system
7.4 US qt (7 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (
page 346).

344 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use Premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m us t b e 91 mi n. It is an a ve ra ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

warm-up hesitation


unstable idle


knocking/pinging


misfire


power loss
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible


avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration


do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage


do not exceed
2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain