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
Contents
Automatic transmission ..................... 167
One-touch gearshifting................. 168
Gear ranges ................................. 170
Gear selector lever positions ....... 171
Shift program mode selector
switch .......................................... 173
Driving tips ................................... 173
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 174
Manual gearshift program ............ 175
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 177
Good visibility .................................... 178
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 178
Rear view mirrors ......................... 179
Sun visors .................................... 180
Rear window defroster ................. 181
Automatic climate control ................. 182
Adjusting the temperature ........... 185
Adjusting air volume .................... 186
Adjusting air distribution .............. 187
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ....... 187
Defrosting the windshield ............ 188
Air recirculation mode.................. 188
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 190Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 191
Air conditioning............................. 192
Power windows .................................. 193
Opening and closing the windows. 193
Synchronizing power windows ...... 196
Driving systems .................................. 197
Cruise control ............................... 197
Useful features ................................... 200
Map pocket in passenger
footwell ......................................... 200
Storage compartments ................. 200
Parcel net in trunk ........................ 201
Ashtray and cigarette lighter......... 202
12-V socket .................................. 203
Telephone ..................................... 203
Tele Aid ......................................... 207
Garage door opener ...................... 215
Floormats...................................... 221
Dust cover .................................... 222
Roof and trunk lid racks ................ 225
Operation.......................................... 226
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) .......... 228
Driving instructions ............................ 229
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 229
Drinking and driving...................... 229
Pedals ........................................... 229
Power assistance .......................... 230
Brakes .......................................... 230
Driving off ..................................... 232
Parking ......................................... 232
Tires.............................................. 233
Hydroplaning ................................ 234
Tire traction .................................. 234
Tire speed rating ........................... 234
Winter driving instructions ............ 235
Standing water ............................. 236
Passenger compartment............... 236
Driving abroad .............................. 236
Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 237
Catalytic converter ....................... 237
Emission control ........................... 238
Coolant temperature .................... 239
32 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment
43
2
Remote trunk lid switch
99
3
Tow-away alarm switch
91
4
ESP control switch
83
5
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
75
6
Gear selector lever for auto-
matic transmission
171
7
Parking brake
49
56
33 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Left reading lamp on/off
111
2
Temperature sensor for auto-
matic climate control
182
3
Right reading lamp on/off
111
4
Interior lighting control
111
5
Hands-free microphone for
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) and telephone
(see separate operating
instructions)
203
6
Interior rear view mirror
43,
179
7
Garage door opener
215
8
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
207
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.
43 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk forward or back in the
direction of arrow1 until a comfort-
able steering wheel position is reached
with your arms slightly bent at the
elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down
Press the lever up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow 2. Make sure that you
can move your legs freely and that you
can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the rear-view mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 179).
Exterior rear view mirrors
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
44 Getting startedAdjustingThe buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
Press button1 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button2
for passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror.
Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 179).
iAt low ambient temperatures, the
exterior rear view mirrors will be
heated automatically.
89 Safety and Security
Performance enhancement system
Automatic mode
This mode should be used for normal driv-
ing conditions.
Slide the Airbrake switch4 to
position2.
With the ignition on the Airbrake
swings upwards to an angle of 5° and
then returns to its initial position.
When the vehicle exceeds a speed of
60 mph (95 km/h), the Airbrake
swings up to an angle of 10°. Rapid braking
If you need to brake in an emergency from
a speed of more than 60 mph (95 km/h),
the Airbrake automatically swings upwards
to an angle of 62°.
This allows you to achieve the best possi-
ble braking performance in an emergency.
Warning!
G
Hard braking activates the Airbrake which
may block the view through the interior rear
view mirror. In this case, monitor the traffic
behind you through the exterior rear view
mirrors.