2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 center console

122 Controls in detailMemory function1Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror
2Adjustment button
MMemory button
Stop the vehicle.

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Press button1 in center console.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is selected.

Adjust the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror with button2 so that you
see the rear wheel and the road curb.

Press memory buttonM.

Within three seconds, press adjust-
ment button2 in the center console.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.iIf the mirror does move, repeat the
above steps. After the setting is stored,
you can move the mirror again.

130 Controls in detailLightingDeactivating
Slide switch4 to the right.
The interior lighting and the entry/exit
lamps remain switched off in darkness,
even when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open the trunkManual control
Switching lamps on

Press switch3.
The interior lighting switches on.
Switching lamps off

Press switch3 again.
The interior lighting switches off.
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door handles


the driver and passenger footwells
With SmartKey in starter switch position1:


the door handles


the center console
iThe setting selected for the interior
lighting is used for the trunk lighting as
well.
If you leave the trunk lid open for an ex-
tended period of time, the trunk light-
ing will switch off automatically after
approximately ten minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door handle
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.

131 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(page 24).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


switch on the ignition


press the reset button (
page 24)


switch on the exterior lamps
Opening a door will activate the instrument
cluster only for about 30 seconds.
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 148).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset button to adjust the illumina-
tion brightness for the instrument cluster
and the switches on the center console.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature gauge
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened to suit ambient
light conditions.
Warning
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns an can occur just by
opening the hood. Stay away from the
engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.

170 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAutomatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the right multifunction display
(
page 165).

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the right multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Upshifting
Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission
when you are driving in the automatic
program mode (CorS).Manual shift program SL 55 AMG and
SL 65 AMG
In the MANUAL program mode you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 174) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 166).The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
MANUAL For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the right multifunction
display (
page 165).
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

216 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting the following distance in
Distronic
You can set the specified following for Dis-
tronic by varying the time setting between
1.0 and 2.0 seconds. Using this time set-
ting and the current speed of your vehicle,
Distronic calculates and sets the required
following distance to the vehicle ahead.
The set distance will be shown in the
speedometer display field.
The thumbwheel for making the time set-
ting is located on the lower section of the
center console.1Distance warning function on/off
switch
2Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a greater following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel2 towards ¯.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a smaller following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel2 towards ®.
Distance warning function
When Distronic is deactivated, this func-
tion will continue to warn you when recog-
nizing a stationary obstacle or a slower
vehicle moving in your vehicle’s path and
the danger of a collision exists:


The DTR warning lamp E comes on
red.


An intermittent warning will sound if
necessary.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle
ahead.
Warning!
G
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver’s preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving recom-
mendations for safe following distance.

220 Controls in detailDriving systemsActive Body Control (ABC)
The ABC system automatically selects the
optimum suspension tuning and ride
height for your vehicle.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

Your driving style


Road surface conditions


The vehicle loading


Your choice of suspension style,
“sporty” or “regular”, which you select
using the ABC switch.
The selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.The ABC switch with the indicator lamp is
located in the lower section of the center
console.
1ABC switch
2Indicator lamp

Start the engine (
page 48).Suspension for sporty driving style
The setting for sporty driving is selected
when indicator lamp2 is illuminated.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when the indicator lamp2 is off.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.

222 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
The switch and the indicator lamps are lo-
cated in the lower section of the center
console.
Briefly press switch3 to change from
one level setting to the next. At level 1,
indicator lamp2 is illuminated and at
level 2 both indicator lamps are illumi-
nated. When the vehicle is at level 2,
pressing the switch will return the vehi-
cle to normal level.
1Indicator lamp 1
2Indicator lamp 2
3Vehicle level control switch
Vehicle level when
stationary
Use for
Height increase over
normal
Automatic lowering
Indicator lamps
(page 222)
Normal
Normal operation
None
Max. approx. 0.5 in (12 mm)
Both lamps off
Level 1
Driving with snow chains
(page 310)
Max. 0.6 in (15 mm)
1
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
One lamp on
Level 2
Very rough road surface
conditions
Max. 1.0 in (25 mm)
1
Max. approx. 1.0 in (25 mm)
Both lamps on
1Dependent on loading
iPressing the switch twice in quick suc-
cession will cause the vehicle to imme-
diately raise or lower to the new vehicle
level as selected.
The selected vehicle level setting re-
mains stored in memory even if the en-
gine is turned off and restarted.