2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 Mirrors

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 28
Center console ..................................... 29
Upper part ...................................... 29
Lower part ...................................... 30
Overhead control panel ........................ 31
Door control panel................................ 32
Getting started................................... 33
Unlocking ............................................. 34
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 34
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 35
Starter switch positions .................. 36
Adjusting .............................................. 39
Seats .............................................. 39
Steering wheel ................................ 42
Mirrors ............................................ 43
Driving .................................................. 45
Fastening the seat belts ................. 45
Starting the engine ......................... 48
Switching on headlamps ................. 51
Turn signals .................................... 52
Windshield wipers ........................... 53
Problems while driving.................... 55
Parking and locking .............................. 56
Parking brake ................................. 57
Switching off headlamps................. 57
Turning off the engine ..................... 58
Emergency engine shut-down ......... 60

Contents
Vehicle status message memory
menu ............................................ 143
Settings menu .............................. 144
Trip computer menu..................... 159
TEL menu* ................................... 161
Automatic transmission ..................... 164
One-touch gearshifting................. 166
Gear ranges ................................. 167
Gear selector lever position ......... 168
Automatic shift program .............. 170
Driving tips ................................... 171
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift).................................. 172
Manual shift program
SL 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG ......... 175
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 177
Good visibility .................................... 178
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 178
Rear window defroster ................. 178
Rear view mirrors ......................... 178
Sun visors .................................... 180Automatic climate control .................. 182
Setting the temperature................ 185
Adjusting air volume ..................... 185
Adjusting air distribution............... 186
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 186
Defrosting windshield ................... 187
Air recirculation mode .................. 187
Rear window defroster .................. 189
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 190
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 191
Air conditioning............................. 191
Ventilated storage compartments. 192
Power windows .................................. 193
Opening and closing the windows. 193
Synchronizing power windows ...... 195
Retractable hardtop............................ 196
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ....................... 196Driving systems .................................. 205
Cruise control ............................... 205
Distronic* ..................................... 208
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 220
Parktronic* (Parking assist) .......... 223
Useful features ................................... 228
Storage compartments ................. 228
Ashtray ......................................... 233
Cigarette lighter ............................ 233
Heated steering wheel*
(SL 500, SL 600)........................... 234
Load assist in the trunk ................ 235
Electrical outlet............................. 236
Telephone* ................................... 236
Tele Aid ......................................... 237
Garage door opener ...................... 246

40 Getting startedAdjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM1

compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint sys-
tem, which is properly secured with the ve-
hicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
!When moving the seats, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
The memory function (
page 120) lets
you store the setting for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.

42 Getting startedAdjustingSteering 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 the ignition (
page 36).
or

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

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

Move stalk up or down in 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 234).
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 or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* 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 120) lets
you store the setting for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
seat position and the exterior rear view
mirrors.

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror

Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 178).
Exterior rear view mirrorThe buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Press button1 for the left mirror or
button2 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

44 Getting startedAdjustingFor more information, see “Good visibility”
(page 178).!If an exterior rear view mirror was forc-
ibly pushed forward (hit from the rear)
or forcibly pushed rearward (hit from
the front), reposition it by applying firm
pressure until it snaps into place. The
mirror housing is then properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror in
the usual manner.iThe memory function (
page 120) lets
you store the setting for the exterior
rear view mirrors together with the set-
tings for the steering wheel and the
seat position.

120 Controls in detailMemory function
With the memory switch you can store up
to three different settings per SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position:

Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror position
These key-dependent memory settings
can be deactivated if desired
(
page 158).The memory switch is located on the door.
M Memory button
1, 2, 3 Stored positions

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to en-
sure adequate control, reach and com-
fort. The head restraint should also be
adjusted for proper height. See also the
section on airbags (
page 63) for
proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be
adjusted for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

121 Controls in detail
Memory function
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
exterior rear view mirrors to the de-
sired position (
page 39).

Press memory buttonM.

Release memory button and press a
stored position button1, 2, or3 within
three seconds.
All the settings are stored at the select-
ed position.
Recalling positions from memory
On memory switch, press and hold
stored position button1, 2 or3 until
the seat, steering wheel and exterior
rear view mirrors have fully moved to
the stored positions.Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position
For easier parking, you can adjust the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror so
that you can see the right rear wheel as
soon as you engage reverse gearR.
For information on activating the parking
position feature, see “Setting parking posi-
tion for exterior rear view mirror”
(page 158).
iReleasing the button immediately
stops movement to the stored posi-
tions.
iYou can store a parking position for the
passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror for each SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*.