2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG tires

ContentsOperation......................................... 253
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 254
Driving instructions ............................ 255
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 255
Drinking and driving ..................... 255
Pedals .......................................... 255
Power assistance ......................... 256
Brakes .......................................... 256
Driving off..................................... 258
Parking ......................................... 259
Tires ............................................. 259
Hydroplaning ................................ 260
Tire traction .................................. 261
Tire speed rating .......................... 261
Winter driving instructions ........... 262
Standing water ............................. 263
Passenger compartment .............. 264
Driving abroad .............................. 264
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 264
Catalytic converter ....................... 265
Emission control........................... 265
Coolant temperature .................... 266At the gas station .............................. 267
Refuelling ..................................... 267
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 269
Engine compartment ......................... 270
Hood ............................................ 270
Engine oil ..................................... 272
Transmission fluid level ................ 275
Oil level in the ABC system .......... 275
Coolant ........................................ 276
Battery ......................................... 277
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 278
Tires and wheels ................................ 279
Important guidelines .................... 279
Tire care and maintenance ........... 280
Direction of rotation ..................... 282
Loading the vehicle ...................... 282
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 288
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 290
Tire labeling.................................. 295
Load identification ....................... 299
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 300Maximum tire load ....................... 301
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 302
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 302
Tire ply material ........................... 304
Tire and loading terminology ........ 305
Rotating tires ............................... 308
Winter driving .................................... 309
Winter tires .................................. 309
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 310
Snow chains................................. 310
Maintenance...................................... 312
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator....................................... 313
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 313
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 313
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 314
Vehicle care....................................... 315
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 315

Contents
Practical hints................................. 323
What to do if … .................................. 324
Lamps in the instrument cluster .. 324
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp ......... 334
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 335
Where will I find ...? ........................... 372
First aid kit ................................... 372
Vehicle tool kit, jack, and
spare wheel.................................. 372
Locking/unlocking in an emergency . 374
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 374
Locking the vehicle ...................... 376
Lowering the load assist manually 376
Replacing batteries in the
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 377
Replacing bulbs ................................. 380
Bulbs ............................................ 380
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 383
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps..... 385Replacing wiper blades....................... 386
Removing wiper blades ................. 386
Installing wiper blades .................. 387
Flat tire ............................................... 388
Preparing the vehicle .................... 388
Sealing tires with TIREFIT.............. 388
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 393
Batteries ............................................. 401
Disconnecting the batteries .......... 403
Removing the batteries ................. 404
Charging and reinstalling
batteries ....................................... 404
Reconnecting the batteries ........... 405
Jump starting ...................................... 406
Towing the vehicle .............................. 408
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 411
Fuses .................................................. 412
Main fuse box ............................... 412
Technical data.................................. 415
Parts service ...................................... 416
Warranty coverage ............................. 417
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 417
Identification labels ............................ 418
Layout of poly-V-belt drive.................. 419
SL 500 .......................................... 419
SL 55 AMG ................................... 419
SL 600, SL 65 AMG ...................... 419
Engine ................................................ 420
Rims and tires .................................... 422
Same size tires ............................. 423
Mixed size tires ............................. 425
Spare wheel .................................. 427
Electrical system ................................ 428
Main dimensions ................................ 429
Weights .............................................. 430

16 IntroductionOperating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual


the “Technical data” section in this
manual


traffic rules and regulations


motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!
G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!
G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires / wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires / wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair fa-
cility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning
G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or per-
sonal injury.

79 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


SBC (S
ensotronic B
rake C
ontrol)
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, the
ESP, and the SBC is only achieved with
winter tires (M + S tires) or snow chains
as required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP, and SBC cannot reduce
this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.

81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 324).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction
afforded. The ABS cannot prevent acci-
dents, including those resulting from exces-
sive speed in turns, following another
vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can pre-
vent accidents. The capabilities of an ABS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.
Warning!
G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning normally, but without
the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.
Warning!
G
BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.

82 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning and monitors the vehicle's traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip-
pery road surfaces. The ESP also stabilizes
the vehicle during braking maneuvers.
The ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the in-
strument cluster (
page 25) flashes when
the ESP is engaged.
The ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v flashing in the
instrument cluster. In this case proceed as
follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.iThe ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size (
page 422).

253 Operation
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
Driving instructions
At the gas station
Engine compartment
Tires and wheels
Winter driving
Maintenance
Vehicle care

255 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent, de-
pends on driving habits and operating con-
ditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended infla-
tion pressures.


Remove unnecessary loads


Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.


Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.


Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the
Maintenance Booklet and as required
by the maintenance system. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips and in hilly area.
Drinking and driving
Pedals
Warning!
G
Drinking and driving and/ or taking drugs
and driving are a very dangerous combina-
tion. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!
G
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement.