2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 oil

292 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Text messagesLeft display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
ABC
Drive carefully!
The capability of the ABC system is
restricted. This can impair handling.

Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
The vehicle is losing oil.

Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Stop,
car too low
The car is parked on an extremely
uneven surface.

Press the vehicle level control button to select
level 2 (
page 209).
ABC is malfunctioning.

Stop and press the ABC button to select a
higher vehicle level (
page 209).

Do not turn steering wheel too far to avoid
damaging the front fenders.

Listen for scraping noises.

Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

307 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
:
USA only:Add 1 qt engine oil
at next refuelingCanada only:Add 1 l engine oil
at next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 257) and check the
engine oil level (page 255).
Engine oil level
Stop, engine off!
There is no oil in the engine. There
is a danger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as soon as
possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 257) and check the
engine oil level (page 255).
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level!
You have added too much engine
oil. There is a risk of damaging the
engine or the catalytic converter.

Have excess oil siphoned or drained off. Ob-
serve all legal requirements with respect to its
disposal.

308 Practical hintsWhat to do if …When the message
Add 1 qt engine oil
at next refueling (Canada:
1l
) appears
while the engine is running and at
operating temperature, the engine oil level
has dropped to approximately the
minimum level.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the required
level with an approved oil.
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
:
Engine oil
Visit workshop!
It may be that there is water in the
engine oil.

Have the engine oil checked.
Engine oil level
Visit workshop!
The engine oil has dropped to a crit-
ical level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 255) and
add oil as required (
page 257).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have the
engine checked for possible leaks.
The measuring system is malfunc-
tioning.

Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

333 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12 volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:


the additional turn signals in the exteri-
or rear view mirrors


the high mounted brake lamp


the brake lamps


the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps in the tail lamp assemblies


the rear fog lamps


the low beam (Xenon or Bi-Xenon*)
lamps


the front fog lamps
Warning!
G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot,


drop the bulb,


scratch the bulb.
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.

353 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
Warning!
G
Inflate spare wheel tire only after the wheel
is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
pump (
page 354)
before
lowering the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident. Be
sure to use the correct wheel bolts.

386 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and approved by Mercedes Benz. Please refer to the Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
inquire at your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
SL 500
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
SL 500
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
Rear axle
SL 500
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Hydraulic system for active body control (ABC)
approx. 4.3 US qt (4.0 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+)

387 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Cooling system
SL 500
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
approx. 12.3 US qt (11.6 l)
approx. 13.6 US qt (12.9 l)
approx. 14.5 US qt (13.7 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion / Antifreeze
Low temperature cooling system
SL 600
approx. 2.2 US qt (2.1 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:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg. of 96 RON /86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
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 392).

388 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on approved
products is available in the
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet, or at an 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 damage the engine.
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.
!Always check the oil filler cap
(page 257) for important informa-
tion pertaining to the engine oil need-
ing to meet a specific Mercedes-Benz
specification (e.g. MB 229.5). If such
information is printed on the oil filler
cap, only use an engine oil from the list
of approved engine oils in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet
that meets the specification indicated
on the oil filler cap.
Using engine oils of other specification
may cause the FSS to incorrectly deter-
mine the next service interval and will
result in engine damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty