2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG headlamp

309 Operation
Winter driving
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your vehi-
cle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service in-
cludes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a pre-mixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze which is formulated
for temperatures below freezing point
(page 437).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to ensure
that the engine can be started and the
SBC brake system will be fully opera-
tional even at low ambient tempera-
tures.


Tire change. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends M+S rated radial-ply tires with a
minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the
winter season.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS and ESP in winter
operation.
For safe handling, make sure all winter
tires mounted are of the same make and
have the same tread design.
!When scraping ice or snow from the
rear window, be careful not to damage
the sealing strip or apertures along the
side of the window.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.

317 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the en-
gine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control link-
age bushings and joints should be lubricat-
ed. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys should
be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently.Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in ex-
terior rear view mirrors prior to running the
vehicle through an automatic car wash to
prevent damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, side markers, tail lamps,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approximately 3 ft (1 m), the ve-
hicle could be inadvertently locked or
unlocked.

336 Practical hintsWhat to do if …On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:

Text messages (
page 337)


Symbol messages (
page 345)
iSwitching on the ignition causes all in-
strument cluster lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps
and the multifunction display are in
working order before starting your jour-
ney.

361 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
License plate
lamp, L
The left license plate lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
License plate
lamp, R
The right license plate lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Light sensor
Drive to
workshop!
The light sensor is malfunctioning.
The headlamps switch on automati-
cally.

In the control system, set lamp operation to
manual (
page 152).

Switch on headlamps using the exterior lamp
switch.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Low beam
Left
The left low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Low beam
Right
The right low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

363 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
Right turn signal
Mirror
The right turn signal in the side mir-
ror is malfunctioning. This message
will only appear if all light emitting
diodes have stopped working.

Have the LEDs replaced as soon as possible.
Tail lamp
Left
Auxiliary
lamp on!
The left tail lamp is malfunctioning.
An auxiliary lamp has been brought
into use.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Tail lamp
Right
Auxiliary
lamp on!
The right tail lamp is malfunction-
ing. An auxiliary lamp has been
brought into use.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Turn off
lamps
You have removed the SmartKey
from the starter switch and opened
the driver’s door or removed the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* from
the vehicle and left the headlamps
on.
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM.
Turn signal
Rear left
Auxiliary
lamp on!
The left rear turn signal lamp is mal-
functioning. An auxiliary lamp has
been brought into use.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.

380 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsBulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp ad-
justment.
iIf the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of
high humidity, driving the vehicle a dis-
tance with the lights on should clear up
the fogging.
iBackup lamps will be brought into use
when the following lamps malfunction:

Turn signal lamps


Brake lamps


Parking lamps


Tail lamps
Observe the messages in the multi-
function display (
page 335).

381 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Front lamps Rear lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn signal
LED
2
Turn signal lamp
1156 NA
3
Low beam
1
1Vehicles with Bi-Xenon* headlamps: Low beam
and high beam use the same D2S-35W lamp. Do
not replace the Xenon and Bi-Xenon* bulbs your-
self. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
D2S-35 W
4
Xenon headlamps:
High beam, high beam
flasher
H7 (55 W)
Bi-Xenon* head-
lamps:
High beam flasher
H7 (55 W)
Parking and standing
lamps
W 5 W
5
Fog lamp
HB4 (51 W)
6
Side marker lamp
W 5 W
Lamp
Type
7
Rear fog lamp
(driver’s side only);
replacement
P 21 W
1156/32 cp
8
High mounted brake
lamp
LED
9
Backup lamp;
replacement
P 21 W
1156/32 cp
a
Tail, parking and
standing lamp, side
marker lamp
LED
b
Tail, parking and
standing lamp, brake
lamp
LED
c
License plate lamps
C 5 W
d
Turn signal lamp;
replacement
P 21 W
1156/32 cp

382 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12-volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch the lights off before changing a
bulb to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:


the additional turn signals in the exteri-
or rear view mirrors


the high mounted brake lamp


the brake lamps


the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps in the tail lamp unit


the rear fog lamps


the low beam (Xenon or Bi-Xenon*)
lamps


the front fog lamps
Warning!
G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot


drop the bulb


scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
iHave the headlamp adjustment
checked regularly.