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
56 Getting startedParking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake lever
Pull parking brake lever1 up as many
notches as possible.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
Take the SmartKey and lock the vehicle
when leaving.
86 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsThe SBC brake servo assistance switches
off automatically
approximately two minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey
approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside Note on driving with SBC
Following extended periods of only mi-
nor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This im-
proves the grip of the brake pads and
prevents possible brake noise.
After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle. This
produces heat which serves to dry the
brake disks.
On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes fast-
er.
Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may im-
pair the safety of your vehicle.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
214 Controls in detailUseful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-881-6611 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk recessed handle for a minimum
of 20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
Connecting call
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.
The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer Assis-
tance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by
pressing button ì on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the audio system is muted and the se-
lected mode (radio or CD) pauses. The
cellular phone (if installed) switches
off. If you must use this phone, the ve-
hicle must be parked. Disconnect the
coiled cord and place the call. The dis-
play in the instrument cluster is avail-
able for use.
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage
Connecting call
will appear in
the multifunction display to indicate re-
ceipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Re-
sponse Center specialist will attempt
to establish voice contact with the ve-
hicle occupants.
If the trunk recessed handle was pulled
for more than 20 seconds before door
unlock authorization was received by
the Response Center, you must wait
15 minutes before pulling the trunk re-
cessed handle again.
231 Operation
Driving instructions
After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes firmly
before parking your vehicle. This produces
heat which serves to dry the brake disks.
If the parking brake is released and the red
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, there is a malfunction in the
SBC brake system (
page 298) or the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected immedi-
ately.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park the vehicle, so the air stream will cool
down the brakes faster.
iThe brake system is designed to decel-
er ate you r S LR f rom hi gh sp ee ds a t the
best possible rate. Depending on the
applied brake force, speed, and ambi-
ent conditions, the brake system may
produce a squeak-type noise when you
apply the brakes at a moderate rate. If
you experience this noise, you should
occasionally test the effectiveness of
the brakes by applying above-normal
braking pressure at high speeds. This
will also enhance the grip of the brake
pads.Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
!Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 81).
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
Be certain to read and observe the warning
notices on brake pad replacement
(page 85).!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.
349 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
The vehicle is equipped with the TIREFIT
kit.Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to P.
Turn off the engine (
page 58).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Open the driver’s door.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit
Small tire punctures, particularly those in
the tread, can be sealed with TIREFIT.
TIREFIT can be used in ambient tempera-
tures down to -4°F (-20°C).
Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.
Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the elec-
tric air pump out of the trunk.
!A wheel change should only be carried
out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Otherwise there is a danger of
damaging the vehicle by jacking it up
incorrectly.
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Warning!
G
Keep TIREFIT away from sparks, open flame
or heat source.
Do not smoke.
Warning!
G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approximately 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire
damage caused by driving with extremely
low tire inflation pressure, or on a flat tire, or
a damaged wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact your nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center for assistance or call Roadside
Assistance. !After using TIREFIT, the tire inflation
pressure sensor may have to be re-
placed.
352 Practical hintsFlat tire
After attaining a tire inflation pressure
of 26 psi (1.8 bar), press0 on electric
air pump switch8.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.
Turn the SmartKey in the ignition to
position0 (
page 40).
Detach the electric air pump.
The air hose may still be hot. Please ex-
ercise appropriate caution.
Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.
Close the trunk lid.
Drive away immediately.
The TIREFIT sealant will distribute itself
evenly inside the tire.
After driving vehicle for an initial
ten minutes, check tire inflation pres-
sure using the pressure gauge on the
air pump.
Warning!
G
If a tire inflation pressure of 26 psi (1.8 bar)
is not attained, tire is too severely damaged
for TIREFIT to provide a reliable tire repair.
In this case, TIREFIT cannot properly seal
the tire.
Do not drive the vehicle.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
or call Roadside Assistance.
Warning!
G
Do not exceed vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km/h). A TIREFIT repair is not
designed to operate at higher speeds.
The sticker must be attached on the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
Vehicle handling characteristics may
change. Adapt your driving accordingly.
Warning!
G
If tire inflation pressure has fallen below
20 psi (1.3 bar) do not continue to drive the
vehicle.
Park your vehicle safely away from the road-
way and contact the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or Roadside
Assistance.
If tire inflation pressure is at least
20 psi (1.3 bar), inflate tire to correct pres-
sure (see placards on driver’s door B-pillar
or on fuel filler flap), and drive vehicle to
nearest tire repair facility to have tire re-
paired or replaced.
Recommended duration of use:
300 miles (500 km) at 50 mph (80 km/h)
with the recommended tire inflation
pressure.