2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR CLASS height

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
SeatsThe seat adjustment switch is located on
the door sill.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat angleWarning!
G
All seat, steering wheel, and rear view mirror
adjustments, as well as fastening of seat
belts, must be done before the vehicle is put
into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck.
That could cause serious or fatal injuries.
The seat back and seat belts provide the
best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly
upright position and belts are properly posi-
tioned on the body. Your seat must be ad-
justed so that you can correctly fasten your
seat belt (
page 45).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the vehicle, the seats can
be operated. Therefore, do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

42 Getting startedAdjustingSeat fore and aft adjustment 
Slide the switch forwards or backwards
in the direction of arrow 1.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far rearward
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Seat height

Slide the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow 2.
Seat angle

Slide the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow 3.
Steering wheelThe stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
!When moving the seat, make sure that
there are no items in the footwell or
behind the seat. Otherwise you could
damage the seat.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the vehicle, the steering
wheel can be adjusted. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate BabySmart
TM compatible in-
fant or child restraint system, which is prop-
erly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the seat
is occupied.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular seat belts. Position the
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be neces-
sary to achieve proper belt positioning for
children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
m o v e i t f r o m t h e v e h i c l e o r s e c u r e i t w i t h t h e
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised
children in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

99 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Restoring to factory setting
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5
(page 96) flashes twice.Checking the batteries

Press button ‹ or Œ.
Battery check lamp5 (
page 96)
comes on briefly to indicate that the
SmartKey batteries are in order.Unlocking and opening the trunk lid
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of
5.5 ft (1.65 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.

Press and hold buttonŠ until the
trunk unlocks and opens slightly.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then either
the batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey (
page 99) and replace
them if necessary (
page 344).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the vehicle (
page 342).


Have the vehicle battery and the
battery connections checked. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!If battery check lamp5 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.

Replace the batteries (
page 344).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within
signal range of the vehicle, pressing
the‹ orŒ button will lock or
unlock the vehicle accordingly.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed. The turn signals will
flash three times to confirm locking.

101 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk
Opening the trunk from the outside
A minimum height clearance of
5.5 ft (1.65 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
1Trunk lock
2Handle The vehicle must be unlocked.

Pull on handle2 and lift the trunk lid.
The trunk can also be opened using
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or from its
inside in an emergency, see “Trunk lid
emergency release” (
page 102).
Opening the trunk from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of
5.5 ft (1.65 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.1Remote trunk lid release switch

Press remote trunk lid release
switch1 until the trunk lid unlocks.

Lift the trunk lid.
The trunk can also be opened using
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or from its
inside in an emergency, see “Trunk lid
emergency release” (
page 102).
!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.
!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.

269 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed ratingGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only.
Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 269) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm. Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (
page 269) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 269) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer's option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 271).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.

278 OperationTires and wheelsTire ply material
1Plies in sidewall
2Plies under tread
This marking tells you about the type of
cord and number of plies in the sidewall
and under the tread.
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.

360 Practical hintsTowing the vehiclePoints to bear in mind

The vehicle must not be tow-started.


If the vehicle is to be towed, only tow it
with all wheels on the ground.


If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, only tow it with the propeller
shaft disconnected.


Before towing the vehicle, make sure
the battery is connected and charged.
Otherwise you will not be able to switch
on the ignition and move the selector
lever to N. There will then be no power
assistance when steering and braking.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye bolt can be used to pull the
vehicle onto a trailer or transporter for
transporting purposes.
Move the selector lever to N.!Due to the low clearance height of the
SLR, care must be taken when loading
and unloading from a transporter to
avoid damaging the vehicle body work.
To secure the vehicle, only tie it down
by the wheels or tires. Otherwise it
could be damaged.