2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG warning

142 Controls in detailControl systemNAV menu
The
NAV
menu contains the functions need-
ed to operate your navigation system.

Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the message
NAV
in the
left multifunction display.
The message shown in the multifunction
display depends on the status of the navi-
gation system:


When the navigation system is off, the
message
NAV off
appears in the multi-
function display.


When the navigation system is on, the
message
HEADING
appears in the left
multifunction display and the destina-
tion in the right multifunction display.
Please refer to the COMAND manual for in-
structions on how to activate the route
guidance system.
Distronic* menu
Use the Distronic menu to display the cur-
rent settings for your Distronic system.
What information is shown in the left mul-
tifunction display depends on whether the
Distronic system is active or inactive.
Please refer to the “Driving systems” sec-
tion of this manual (
page 208) for in-
structions on how to activate Distronic.

Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see one of the following two
pictures in the display.Distronic deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated you will see
the standard display in the left multifunc-
tion display.
1Vehicle ahead, if detected
2Actual distance to vehicle ahead
3Preset distance threshold to vehicle
ahead
4Your vehicle
5Symbol for activated distance warning
function

143 Controls in detail
Control system
Distronic activated
When Distronic is activated the DTR sym-
bol and the set speed are seen in the left
display.
1Symbol for activated Distronic
2Set speed
Vehicle status message memory menu
Use the vehicle status message memory
menu to scan malfunction and warning
messages that may be stored in the sys-
tem. Such messages appear in the multi-
function display and are based on
conditions or system status the vehicle’s
system has recorded.

Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until the vehicle status message mem-
ory appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
No vehicle status messages
If no conditions have been recorded, the
message in the right display is:
Malfunction memory, no malfunctions
.
Vehicle status messages have been
recorded
If conditions have occurred causing status
messages to be recorded, the number of
messages appears in the right multifunc-
tion display:
1Number of recorded status messages
Warning!
G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 335).

144 Controls in detailControl system
Press button k or j.
The stored messages will now be dis-
played in the order in which they have
occurred. For malfunction and warning
messages, see “Vehicle status messag-
es in the multifunction display”
(page 335).
Should the vehicle’s system record any
conditions while driving, the number of
messages will reappear in the multifunc-
tion display


when the SmartKey in the starter
switch is turned to position0 or re-
moved from the starter switch
or


when you turn off the engine by press-
ing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop but-
ton on the gear selector lever once and open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position 0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch)
Settings menu
In the
Settings
menu there are two func-
tions:


The function
Reset
, with which you can
reset all the settings to those set at the
factory.


A collection of submenus with which
you can make individual settings for
your vehicle.

Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until the
Settings...
menu appears in
the left display.
iAfter you have scrolled through all re-
corded status messages, the first re-
corded message appears again.
iThe vehicle status message memory
will be cleared when you then turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to posi-
tion 1 or 2, or when you press the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once
or twice without depressing the brake
pedal. You will then only see high prior-
ity messages in the multifunction dis-
play (
page 335).

157 Controls in detail
Control system
Convenience submenu
Access the
Convenience
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Convenience
sub-
menu to change the settings for a number
of convenience features. The following
functions are available:
Activating easy-entry/exit feature
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 113).

Move the selection marker with the
æ orç button to the
Conve-
nience
submenu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the multi-
function display:
Activate Easy-entry
feature
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ or ç to change the
easy-entry/exit setting.
Function
Page
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature
157
Setting key-dependency
158
Setting parking position for
exterior rear view mirror
158
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the easy-en-
try/exit feature is activated.
To cancel seat/steering wheel movement,
do one of the following:

Press seat adjustment switch
(page 40).


Move steering column stalk
(page 42).


Press the memory button (
page 120).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

161 Controls in detail
Control system
Call up range (distance to empty)
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
Range
.
In the right display you will see the cal-
culated range based on the current fuel
tank level.
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.

Switch on the telephone and COMAND.

Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL
menu in the left display.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
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.
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.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) appear in the right multifunction
display.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!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.

166 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionOne-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by
the shift program. This action simulta-
neously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 167).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the right multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.

169 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 57).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could move the
gear selector lever from positionP, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.