Page 247 of 474

245 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Response Center will then unlock your 
vehicle with the remote door unlocking 
feature.Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police
The police will issue a numbered 
incident report.
Pass this number on to the 
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along 
with your password issued to you when 
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt 
to covertly contact the vehicle’s Tele 
Aid system. Once the vehicle is locat-
ed, the Response Center will contact 
the local law enforcement and you. The 
vehicle’s location will only be provided 
to law enforcement.
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage 
Call connected
 will appear in the 
multifunction display to indicate re-
ceipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a 
Response Center specialist will at-
tempt to establish voice contact with 
the vehicle occupants.
If the trunk recessed handle was pulled 
for more than 20 seconds before door 
unlock authorization was received by 
the Response Center, you must wait 
15 minutes before pulling the trunk re-
cessed handle again.
iIf the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away 
alarm stays on for more than 
30 seconds, a call to the Response 
Center is initiated automatically by the 
Tele Aid system provided Tele Aid ser-
vice was subscribed to and properly ac-
tivated, and that necessary cellular 
service and GPS coverage are avail-
able. See anti-theft alarm system 
(page 88) and tow away alarm 
(page 90). 
     
        
        Page 266 of 474

264 OperationDriving instructionsPassenger compartmentDriving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive 
Mercedes-Benz service network at your 
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas 
which are not listed in the index of your 
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you 
should request pertinent information from 
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Control and operation of radio trans-
mitters
COMAND, radio and telephoneTelephones and two-way radios
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit should only 
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on 
the outside of the vehicle.
Refer to the radio transmitter operation in-
structions regarding use of an external an-
tenna.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown 
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury 
to vehicle occupants unless the items are 
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle safely. 
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System), radio or tele-
phone
1 if road, weather, and traffic 
conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph 
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is 
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped 
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna) 
from inside the vehicle while the engine is 
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or 
personal injury. 
     
        
        Page 276 of 474

274 OperationEngine compartmentIf there is excess engine oil with the engine 
at normal operating temperature, the 
following message will appear:Engine oil level
Reduce
oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained 
off. Contact an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center
For more information on messages in the 
display concerning engine oil, see the 
“Practical hints” section (
page 355). Adding engine oil
SL 500 and SL 55 AMG1Filler capSL 6001Filler cap
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained 
off. It could cause damage to the 
engine and catalytic converter not 
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited 
Warranty.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil 
filters required for vehicles with 
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or 
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of 
approved engine oils and oil filters, re-
fer to the Factory Approved Service 
Products pamphlet in your vehicle liter-
ature portfolio, or contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System 
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at 
change intervals longer than those 
called for by the Maintenance System 
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not 
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited 
Warranty.  
     
        
        Page 277 of 474

275 Operation
Engine compartment
SL 65 AMG1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful 
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding. 
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil 
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the 
“Technical data” section (
page 431) and 
(
page 433).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need 
to be checked. If you notice transmission 
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions, 
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center 
check the automatic transmission. Oil level in the ABC system
The oil level in the ABC system does not 
need to be checked. If there is visible oil 
loss or if malfunction messages appear in 
the display, have an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center check the ABC 
system.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained 
off. It could cause damage to the 
engine and catalytic converter not 
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited 
Warranty. 
     
        
        Page 357 of 474
355 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 liter
engine oil
at next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.
Add engine oil (
page 274) and check the 
engine oil level (page 272).
Engine oil level
Stop, put 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 274) and check the 
engine oil level (page 272).
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. 
     
        
        Page 366 of 474

364 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
Turn signal
Rear right
Auxiliary
lamp on!
The right rear turn signal lamp is 
malfunctioning. An auxiliary lamp 
has been brought into use.
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Visit workshop!
The display for the lights is malfunc-
tioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as 
soon as possible.
C
Raise
roll-over bar
The roll bar is malfunctioning. 
Raise the roll bar using the roll bar button 
(page 73).
Have the roll bar checked by an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
< 
Seat belt system
Drive to
workshop
The seat belt system is malfunction-
ing.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as 
soon as possible.
L 
TeleAid
Drive to
workshop
One or more main functions of the 
Tele Aid system are malfunctioning.
Have the Tele Aid system checked by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
ì
Function 
unavailable
This display appears if button ì 
or í on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel is pressed and the vehicle 
is not equipped with a telephone. 
     
        
        Page 442 of 474

440 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. 
     
        
        Page 446 of 474

444 Technical termsTightening torque
Force times lever arm (e.g. a lug 
wrench) with which threaded fasteners 
such as wheel bolts are tightened.
Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the 
speed range for which a tire is ap-
proved.
Traction
Force exerted by the vehicle on the 
road via the tires.
Vehicle level control
The ground clearance of the vehicle is 
automatically controlled according to a 
selected setting and speed. The driver 
can choose manually within a range of 
ground clearance, for example on very 
rough roads.
VIN
(V
ehicle I
dentification N
umber)
The number set by the manufacturer 
and placed on the body to uniquely 
identify each vehicle produced.Voice control system*
Voice control system for car phones, 
portable cell phones and audio sys-
tems (radio, CD, etc.).
Wind screen
Screen for deflecting wind from the ve-
hicle interior when the hardtop is low-
ered.
Xenon headlamps
Headlamps which use an electric arc as 
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.