Contents
Introduction....................................... 12
Product information ............................. 13
Operator’s Manual ............................... 14
Service and warranty information .. 14
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 15
Maintenance .................................. 16
Roadside Assistance ...................... 16
Change of address or ownership.... 16
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 17
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
compliance .................................... 17
Where to find it .................................... 18
Symbols ............................................... 19
Operating safety .................................. 20
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 20
Problems with your vehicle .................. 21
Reporting safety defects...................... 22
Reporting safety defects ................ 22
Vehicle data recording......................... 23
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 23
At a glance.......................................... 24
Cockpit ................................................. 26
Instrument cluster ................................ 28
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 30
Center console ..................................... 31
Upper part ...................................... 31
Lower part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Control panel on the door sill ............... 34
Getting started................................... 36
Unlocking ............................................. 38
Starter switch positions .................. 40
Adjusting .............................................. 41
Seats .............................................. 41
Steering wheel ................................ 42
Mirrors ............................................ 43
Driving .................................................. 45
Fastening the seat belts ................. 45
Starting the engine ......................... 48
Switching on the headlamps........... 51
Turn signals .................................... 52
Windshield wipers ........................... 52
Problems while driving.................... 54
Parking and locking .............................. 56
Parking brake ................................. 56
Switching off headlamps................. 57
Turning off the engine ..................... 58
ContentsSafety and Security........................... 60
Occupant safety................................... 62
Airbags ........................................... 63
Seat belts ....................................... 69
Children in the vehicle .................... 72
Panic alarm .......................................... 78
Activating ....................................... 78
Deactivating ................................... 78
Driving safety systems ......................... 79
ABS ................................................ 79
BAS ................................................ 81
ESP ................................................. 81
SBC brake system .......................... 84
Performance enhancement system ..... 87
Airbrake.......................................... 87
Anti-theft systems................................ 90
Immobilizer..................................... 90
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 90
Tow-away alarm ............................. 91
Controls in detail............................... 94
Locking and unlocking ......................... 96
SmartKey ....................................... 96
Opening the doors ....................... 100
Opening the trunk ........................ 101
Closing the trunk lid ..................... 102
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 102
Automatic locking ........................ 103
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 103
Lighting.............................................. 105
Exterior lamp switch..................... 105
Combination switch ..................... 109
Hazard warning flasher ................ 110
Interior lighting............................. 111
Trunk lamp ................................... 112
Courtesy lighting .......................... 112
Instrument cluster ............................. 113
Instrument cluster illumination .... 113
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 114
Resetting the trip odometer ......... 115
Tachometer .................................. 115
Outside temperature indicator ..... 115Control system .................................. 117
Multifunction display.................... 117
Multifunction steering wheel........ 118
Menus .......................................... 120
Standard display menu ................ 122
AUDIO menu ................................ 122
Vehicle status message memory . 124
Settings menu .............................. 125
Trip computer menu..................... 136
TEL menu ..................................... 138
Audio system ..................................... 143
Audio and telephone, operation ... 143
Operating safety .......................... 143
Location of the audio system ....... 143
Operating and display elements... 144
Button and soft key operation...... 146
Operation ..................................... 146
Radio operation ........................... 149
Cassette operation ...................... 152
CD changer operation .................. 156
Telephone operation .................... 160
52 Getting startedDrivingTurn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up 1 or
down 2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes.
The combination switch automatically
returns to its original position once the
steering wheel has been turned far
enough.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
such as a lane change, move combina-
tion switch to point of resistance only
and release. The turn signal flashes
three times.
67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Airbags and ETDs (Emergency Tension-
ing Devices) are designed to function on
a one-time-only basis. An airbag or ETD
that was activated must be replaced.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front airbag cov-
er, knee airbag covers or door trim pan-
els, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between airbags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
D o n o t m a k e a n y m o d i f i c a t i o n t h a t c o u l d
change the effectiveness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide
adequate protection.
Airbag system components will be hot
after an airbag has inflated. Do not
touch.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air-
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the airbag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Given the considerable deployment
speed and the textile structure of the
airbags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment.
117 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to
call up information about your vehicle
change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
The multifunction display consists of the
display fields in the speedometer and the
tachometer. In its default state, the left
display field shows the trip and main
odometer, while the present outside tem-
perature appears in the right display field.
This default setting is referred to as the
standard display.Standard display1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current gear selector lever posi-
tion/gear range
4Outside temperature
5Automatic transmission shift program
mode
6Clock
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
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.
167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
For information on driving with an auto-
matic transmission, see the “Getting
started” section (
page 48).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its gear shift program.
Gearshift patternThe automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:
the gear selector lever position D with
gear ranges 4, 3, 2 and 1 (
page 170)
the selected shift program mode
(C/MAN/S)(
page 173)
the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 173)
the vehicle speed
The current gear selector lever position
(
P/R/N/D
), the gear range (
1/2/3/4
) and
the shift program (
C/M/S) are shown in the
right multifunction display (
page 117).
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached (
page 301).
Shift into park position P or reverse
gearR 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.
174 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionStopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling or on an uphill gradient:
Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.
Set the parking brake.Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Working on the vehicle
Steering wheel gearshift control
You can change the gears manually on the
steering wheel or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 168).
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located on the left and right side of the
steering wheel.
1Left button: downshift
2Right button: upshift
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.
175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next low-
er gear.
The current gear selector position ap-
pears in the right multifunction display
(page 117).
The gear range (
page 170) is limited
when you are not driving in the manual
gearshift program modeM (
page 175).
Upshifting
Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
The current gear selector position ap-
pears in the right multifunction display
(page 117).
The gear range (
page 170) is extended
when you are not driving in the manual
gearshift program modeM (
page 175).
Manual gearshift program
In the manual gearshift programM you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 174) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 168).
Activating manual gearshift program
Turn program mode selector switch1
(page 173) to the MAN setting.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. The letter
M
appears in the right multifunction dis-
play and the lamp in program mode se-
lector switch3 (
page 176) comes
on. Automatic shifting is switched off.
The gear range is not limited.
iYou can change gears using the steer-
ing wheel gearshift buttons indepen-
dent of the currently selected gearshift
program (C/MAN/S).
You cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.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.