2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG ABS

346 Practical hintsFlat tire
Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.

Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the elec-
tric air pump out of the trunk.

Attach the sticker where it will be easily
seen by the driver on the instrument
cluster.1TIREFIT container
2Flap
3Notch
4Electrical plug
5Air hose
6Flange

Open flap2 on the electric air pump.

Pull plug4 and air hose5 out of the
pump housing.
Warning!
G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approx. 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire dam-
age caused by driving with extremely low
tire pressure, or on a flat tire, or a damaged
wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact your nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center for assistance or call Roadside
Assistance.
Warning!
G
Take care not to allow the contents of
TIREFIT to come in contact with hair, eyes or
clothing. TIREFIT is harmful if inhaled, swal-
lowed or absorbed through the skin - causes
skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Any contact with eyes or skin should be
flushed immediately with plenty of water.
If clothing comes in contact with TIREFIT,
change clothing as soon as possible.
In case of allergic reaction or rash, consult a
physician immediately.Warning!
G
Keep TIREFIT out of reach of children.
If swallowed, rinse mouth immediately with
plenty of water and drink plenty of water.
Do not induce vomiting!
Consult a physician immediately.
Keep away from open flame or heat source.
iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You
can then peel it off.

351 Practical hints
Flat tire

On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The jack support tubes are located behind
the front wheel housings and in front of the
rear wheel housings.1Jack support tube cover (except
SL 55 AMG and vehicles with
Sport Package*)

Open cover1 by pressing at point in-
dicated by arrow.

Remove cover1, taking care not to
damage the locking tabs.
Warning
G
When turning the wheel wrench to loosen
the wheel bolts, make sure you position
hands on the wrench in such a way that you
avoid injury to yourself, such as scraping
your hands against the wheel. Make sure
turning the wheel wrench will not scratch or
damage the wheel rim.


352 Practical hintsFlat tire2Jack support tube hole (SL 55 AMG and
vehicles with Sport Package* only)
Insert a flat blade screwdriver in the
opening of cover2 and pry it out.

Remove cover2, taking care not to
damage the locking tabs.1Jack arm
2Jack support tube hole
3Crank

Insert jack arm1 fully into tube
hole2 up to the stop.

Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank3 clockwise until the jack base
meets the ground. Make sure the jack
is vertical (plumb line).

Continue to turn the crank until the tire
is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.
Warning!
G
Insert the jack arm fully into the jack sup-
port tube hole up to the stop. Otherwise the
vehicle may fall from the jack and cause per-
sonal injury or damage to the vehicle.


357 Practical hints
Flat tire
Replacing jack support tube cover
Slide tongue of cover under the upper
edge of the tube opening.

Applying even pressure, press cover
until it snaps into place.
Be careful not to damage the locking
tabs or clamp the plastic retaining
strap.

369 Practical hintsFuses
Fuses
Main fuse box
The main fuse box is in the engine com-
partment on the driver’s side in front of the
bulkhead (wall separating the engine and
passenger compartments).
1Main fuse box
2Unlocking
3Locking
Opening
Move slide to position 2 and lift cover.Closing

Hook cover onto tabs and close.

Move slide to position 3.
Fuse chart
The fuse chart is found in the vehicle tool
kit in the trunk. The amperages of the fus-
es are also given there.
Spare fuses
Spare fuses are found in the vehicle tool kit
in the trunk.
Fuse extractor
The fuse extractor is found in the vehicle
tool kit in the trunk.
iOnly install fuses that have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz and
that have the specified amperage rat-
ing.
Never attempt to repair or bridge a
blown fuse. Have the cause determined
and remedied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!The fuse box cover must be properly
positioned with the slide at the ‹
symbol to prevent moisture or dirt from
entering the fuse box and possibly im-
pairing fuse operation.

389 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
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 must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
!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

397 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
ABC
(A
ctive B
ody C
ontrol)
Active, computer-controlled system
that hydraulically adjusts the suspen-
sion at all four wheels in response to
various driving situations.
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The alignment
bolt, or centering bolt, is an aid used
when changing a tire to align the wheel
with the wheel hub.BabySmart
TM1
airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front airbag when such a
seat is properly installed (indicator
lamp 7 on the glove box comes on).
See your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for availability.
BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front airbag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed.BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.

403 Index
A
ABC 207, 397
Messages in display 292
Oil level 258
Setting vehicle level 208
ABC switch 26
ABS 75, 76, 397
Messages in display 293
Warning lamp 23, 283
ABS/ESP
Warning lamp 23, 282
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 162
Activating
Air circulation mode 175
Air conditioning (cooling) 180
Anti-theft alarm system 85
Central locking (control system) 146
Distance warning function* 204
Distronic* 200
Easy-entry/exit feature 148Electric air pump 355
ESP 80
Exterior lamps 117
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position 167
Hazard warning flasher 121
High beams 121
Ignition 31
Immobilizer 53
Parktronic* 212
Rear window defroster 177
Residual heat 178
Seat heating 110, 111
Seat ventilation* 113
Tow-away alarm 87
Windshield wipers 48
Active Body Control (ABC) switch 26
Active Body Control see ABC
Adding
Engine oil 257Adjusting
Air distribution 174
Air volume 173
Backrest tilt 35, 36
Exterior rear view mirrors 38
Head restraint height 36
Head restraint tilt 36
Interior rear view mirror 38
Lumbar support 108
Mirrors 38
Multicontour backrest* 109
Seat cushion depth 36
Seat cushion tilt 36
Seat height 36
Seat in the lumbar region 109
Seat in the shoulder region 109
Seats 34
Steering column in/out 37
Steering column up/down 37
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioner refrigerant 388