2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 key

34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 40).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you, and
lock your vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats can be operated when the
respective door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down

Switch on ignition
or

Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out

Move stalk forward or back in the direc-
tion of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that you have a good view on all
the displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster.
For more information, see “Heated steer-
ing wheel* (SL 500, SL 600)”
(
page 220).
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
* with you and
lock your vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the steering wheel adjustment feature can
be operated when the driver’s door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iThe memory function (
page 114) lets
you store the setting for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
seat position and the rear view mirrors.

43 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionP Park position with gear selector lever
lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 155).Starting with the SmartKey

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.

Do not depress the accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).

Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off with
the SmartKey” (
page 53).
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.

Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
The selector lever lock is released.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
The engine starts automatically if the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is in the
vehicle.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 54).
Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey: Turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure.

If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
Or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.

Repeat the starting procedure
(page 43). Remember that extended
starting attempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 363).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

45 Getting started
Driving
Parking brake
1Parking brake
2Parking brake release handle

Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle2.
The indicator lamp ; (USA only) or
3 (Canada only) in the
speedometer goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Place the gear selector lever in
positionD orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake, which could result in an acci-
dent and/or serious injury.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!In order to avoid damage to the trans-
mission:

Wait for the gear selection process
to complete before setting the vehi-
cle in motion.


Place the gear selector lever in
positionR only when the vehicle is
stopped.

49 Getting started
Driving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
!If anything blocks the windshield wiper
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off im-
mediately.

For safety reasons,

turn off the engine by turning
the SmartKey to position 0 and
withdraw the SmartKey from
the starter switch
or


turn off the engine by pressing
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button and open the driver’s
door (with the driver’s door
open, the starter switch is in po-
sition 0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the
starter switch)
before attempting to remove any
blockage.


Remove blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center

51 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows:Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start / stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.

52 Getting startedParking and lockingParking brake
1Parking brake
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake1.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp ; (USA only) or 3 (Can-
ada only) in the speedometer dial will
be illuminated
Switching off headlamps
Turn the switch to M (
page 46).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 117).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake and/or move the gear selec-
tor lever from positionP, either of which
could result in an accident and/or serious
injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. 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 158).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheels towards the road curb.