
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 

ContentsAt the gas station...............................  240
Refueling ......................................  240
Check regularly and before 
a long trip .....................................  241
Engine compartment..........................  243
Hood ............................................  243
Engine oil......................................  246
Transmission fluid level ................  248
Coolant.........................................  249
Trunk .................................................  250
Batteries.......................................  250
Windshield washer system and 
headlamp cleaning system ...........  251
Tires and wheels ................................  253
Important guidelines ....................  253
Tire care and maintenance ...........  254
Direction of rotation .....................  256
Loading the vehicle ......................  256
Recommended tire inflation 
pressure .......................................  262
Checking tire inflation pressure ...  264
Tire labeling ..................................  268
Load identification........................  272
DOT, Tire Identification Number 
(TIN) .............................................  273Maximum tire load .......................  274
Maximum tire inflation pressure ..  275
Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............  276
Tire ply material ...........................  278
Tire and loading terminology ........  278
Rotating tires ...............................  281
Anti-theft wheel nuts ....................  282
Winter driving ....................................  284
Winter tires* ................................  284
Snow chains .................................  285
Maintenance ......................................  286
Clearing the maintenance 
service indicator...........................  286
Maintenance service term 
exceeded .....................................  287
Calling up the service due date ....  287
Resetting the maintenance 
service indicator...........................  288
Vehicle care .......................................  289
Cleaning and care of the vehicle ..  289
Vehicle washing ...........................  290
Practical hints.................................  294
What to do if ... ..................................  296
Lamps in instrument cluster ........  296
Lamp in center console................  303
Vehicle status messages in the 
multifunction display....................  304
Symbol messages ........................  309
Where will I find ...? ...........................  340
First aid kit ...................................  340
TIREFIT kit, electric air pump, 
towing eye bolt and vehicle 
literature portfolio ........................  340
Locking/unlocking in an emergency .  342
Unlocking the vehicle...................  342
Replacing SmartKey batteries ...........  344
SmartKey .....................................  345
Replacing bulbs .................................  346
Front lamps..................................  347
Rear lamps ...................................  347
Replacing the wiper blades................  348
Removing wiper blades ................  348
Installing wiper blades .................  348 

At a glanceCockpit
Instrument cluster
Multifunction steering wheel
Center console
Overhead control panel
Control panel on the door sill 

27 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Hood lock release
243
2
Cruise control lever
197
3
Instrument cluster
28,
113
4
Multifunction steering wheel
30,
118
5
Overhead control panel
33
6
Center console
31, 32
7
Starter switch
40
8
Horn
Item
Page
9
Steering wheel adjustment 
stalk
42
a
Headlamp washer button
178
b
Exterior lamp switch
51,
105
c
Combination switch
Turn signals
Windshield wipers
High beam
52
53
 109 

28 At a glanceInstrument cluster

29 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Coolant temperature gauge 
withDCoolant temperature 
warning lamp
300
2
Speedometer with;Brake warning lamp, 
USA only
298
3Brake warning lamp, 
Canada only
298
vABS/ESP warning 
lamp
296
>Gearshift indicator 
lamp
301
LLeft turn signal indica-
tor lampKTurn signal indicator 
lamp, right
Item
Page
3
Left multifunction display 
with
Trip odometer
117
Main odometer 
117
4
Reset button
113
5
Tachometer with
115
AHigh beam headlamp 
indicator
109
?Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, USA only
299
±Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, Canada 
only
299
-Antilock Brake System 
(ABS) indicator lamp
297
Item
Page
1Supplemental restraint 
system indicator lamp
302
6
Right multifunction display
Current gear selector lever 
position/gear range
117,
170,
171
Outside temperature
115
Automatic transmission 
shift program mode
117,
173
Clock
129
=Engine oil temperature 
symbol
301
7
Fuel gauge withAFuel reserve warning 
lamp 
301 

40 Getting startedUnlockingStarter switch positionsStarter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers 
2Ignition (power supply for all consum-
ers) and drive position. All lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator 
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps 
unless activated) in the instrument 
cluster come on. If a lamp in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on when the 
ignition is switched on, have it checked 
and replaced if necessary. If a lamp in 
the instrument cluster remains on after 
starting the engine or comes on while 
driving, see “Lamps in instrument clus-
ter” (
page 296).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the 
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it 
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave 
children unattended in the vehicle, or with 
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause 
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the 
indicator and warning lamps (except 
high beam headlamp indicator lamp 
and turn signal indicator lamps if acti-
vated) in the instrument cluster come 
on. This indicates that the respective 
systems are operational. They should 
go out when the engine is running.
!If the SmartKey is left in the starter 
switch position0 for an extended peri-
od of time, it can no longer be turned in 
the starter switch. 
Remove the SmartKey from the 
starter switch and reinsert.
If the SmartKey can still not be turned 
in the starter switch, the starter battery 
may not be sufficiently charged. 
Have the starter battery checked 
and charged if necessary 
(page 355). Contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
To prevent accelerated battery 
discharge and a possible dead battery, 
always remove the SmartKey from the 
starter switch when the engine is not in 
operation.