2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 technical data

390 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.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 lossDo not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

391 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

corrosion protection


freeze protection


boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Service Booklet for re-
placement interval.Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The re-
placement interval published in the
Service Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion /Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage). Please make sure the
mixture is in accordance with label instruc-
tions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

392 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/Anti-
freeze Agent.Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion / antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection
– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
SL 500
6.1 US qt (5.8 l)
6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
SL 600 (main cooling system)
6.9 US qt (6.5 l)
7.5 US qt (7.1 l)
SL 600 (low temperature cooling system)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
SL 55 AMG
7.3 US qt (6.9 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)

393 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Windshield and headlamp washer system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The windshield and headlamp washer fluid
reservoir has a capacity of approx.
7.4 US qt (7 l).
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze, depending on am-
bient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:


1 part “S” to 100 parts water
(40 ml “S” to 4 l water)
For temperatures below freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1 part “S” to 100 parts solvent
(40 ml “S” to 4 l solvent).
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts because it may ignite
and burn. You could be seriously burned.

394 Technical dataConsumer information
Consumer informationThis has been prepared as required of all
manufacturers of passenger cars under Ti-
tle 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the “National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Tread wear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straightahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

395 Technical data
Consumer information
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!
G
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.

398 Technical termsCAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping depending on vehi-
cle settings and/or ambient condi-
tions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
Collapsible tire
An especially compact spare tire that
must be inflated with a provided air
pump before using. It should only be
used to bring the vehicle to the nearest
service station.
COMAND
(Co
ckpit Man
agement and
D
ata System)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio, CD changer and navigation system, as well
as other optional equipment (e.g. tele-
phone).
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Distronic*
A driving convenience cruise control
system which helps the driver maintain
a pre-selected speed:


If there is no vehicle directly ahead,
the system operates in the same
way as conventional cruise control.


If a slower moving vehicle is ahead,
Distronic* will reduce your vehicle
speed to the extent permitted by re-
duced throttle and up to 20% brak-
ing power to maintain the preset
minimum following distance.
DTR
(->Distr
onic*)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency Tensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS

400 Technical termsMultifunction display
Two display fields in the instrument
cluster used to present information
provided by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
on the tachometer dial (not on
SL 55 AMG, see “Tachometer”
(
page 125). Avoid this engine speed
range, as it may result in serious engine
damage that is not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parktronic*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


engine


clutch/torque converter


transmission


transfer case


drive shaft


differential


axle shafts/axlesProgram mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operation (S)
and comfort operation (C).
SL 55 AMG with steering wheel gear-
shift control and manual shift program:
in addition to S and C (for regular S or
comfort C operation, see above), you
can use MANUAL for manual shift pro-
gram
Remote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
REST
(Residual Engine Heat Utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.