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
247 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking the engine oil level
When you check the oil level, the vehicle
must
be parked on level ground
be at normal operating temperature
(min. 80°C)
Wait for at least 30 seconds with en-
gine still at idle.
Measure engine oil level with engine
still at idle.The dipstick and the cap are located on the
passenger side in the engine compart-
ment.
1Dipstick
2Filler cap
Pull out dipstick1 and wipe it off.
Reinsert the dipstick fully into the
guide.
Pull out the dipstick again after three
seconds.
DipstickThe engine oil level must be between the
lower (min) and upper (max) marks.
Top up the engine oil if necessary.iThe difference in level between the up-
per and lower marks represents a
volume of about 1.1 US qt (1.0 l).
289 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
If you have any questions about proper
care of your SLR, please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.Depending on body color the characteris-
tic carbon structure of the body surface
may become visible due to high ambient
temperatures and humidity. This phenom-
enon is related to the technology and con-
cept of the vehicle’s body.
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the under-
body and cause lasting damage.
Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:
near the ocean
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)
during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.iMercedes-Benz recommends that you
use Mercedes-Benz care products.
These have been specially developed
to suit Mercedes-Benz vehicles and are
state of the art. Mercedes-Benz care
products are available from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
301 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solutions
<
The red Airbrake warning
lamp comes on while driving
and you hear a warning
sound.
The Airbrake or the central locking system
is malfunctioning.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immeditaly.
>
The red gearshift indicator
lamp comes on while you are
driving.
You are driving with the manual shift pro-
gram. The engine is in the overrevving
range.
Shift to the next higher gear. Otherwise the
fuel supply will be interrupted to prevent the
engine from overrevving.
A
The yellow reserve fuel warn-
ing lamp lights up while you
are driving.
The fuel level has fallen into the reserve
range.
Refuel at the nearest gas station
(page 240).
=
The engine oil temperature
symbol comes on in the
tachometer while you are
driving.
The engine oil has not yet reached its
operating temperature.
Warm up the engine and do not drive at full
power until the operating temperature has
been reached.
The symbol will go out as soon as the engine
oil has reached its operating temperature.
375 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle
1.9 US qt (1.8 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 75 W 85
Power steering
approximately 1.15 US qt (1.1 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approximately 3.0 oz (85 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
1.6 US qt (1.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
376 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Cooling system
approximately 10.6 US qt (10.0 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Low temperature cooling system
approximately 5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
25.6 US gal (97.0 l)
3.2 US gal (12.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg. of 96 RON/86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant
oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning system
7.4 US qt (7 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 381).
380 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:
corrosion protection
freeze protection
boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Service Booklet for re-
placement interval.Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Service Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately
- 22°F [-30°C]). If you use a solution that is
more than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze
(freeze protection to approximately
- 49°F [-45°C]), the engine temperature
will increase due to the lower heat transfer
capability of the solution. Therefore, do not
use more than this amount of anticorro-
sion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze should
be used to bring it up to the proper level
(have cooling system checked for signs of
leakage). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
386 Technical termsCAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping depending on vehi-
cle settings and/or ambient condi-
tions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
Cold tire inflation pressure
(
page 278)
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 278)
DOT
(Department o
f Transportation)
(
page 279)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measure of the internal oil friction (vis-
cosity) at different temperatures. The
higher the temperature the oil can tol-
erate without thinning too much, or the
lower the temperature it can tolerate
without thickening too much, the bet-
ter the viscosity characteristics of the
oil.ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency Tensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 279)
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector le-
ver.