Page 8 of 417

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
Page 28 of 417
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
Page 30 of 417
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
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
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
Page 39 of 417
38 Getting startedThe “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section will provide you with further
information. The corresponding page
references are located at the end of each
segment.Unlocking
SmartKey with remote control 1‹Lock button
2ŠUnlock button for trunk lid
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic button (
page 78)5Door handle
Press unlock buttonŒ.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
anti-theft alarm system is disarmed.iThe SBC brake system is activated.
Page 41 of 417

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.
Page 53 of 417
52 Getting startedDrivingTurn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up 1 or
down 2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes.
The combination switch automatically
returns to its original position once the
steering wheel has been turned far
enough.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
such as a lane change, move combina-
tion switch to point of resistance only
and release. The turn signal flashes
three times.
Page 59 of 417

58 Getting startedParking and lockingTurning off the engine
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Press the seat belt release button
(page 46).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
After exiting the vehicle, press the lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 38).
With the hood, trunk and all doors
closed, all turn signal lamps flash three
times. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 96).
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the road curb. iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
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.
Page 92 of 417

91 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming the alarm system
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is
activated. The indicator lamp in the
central locking switch (
page 104) be-
gins to flash after arming the alarm
system.Disarming the alarm system
Unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash once to
indicate that the alarm system is
deactivated.
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
Press theŒ or‹ button on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash
three times, one of the following
elements may not be properly closed:
a door
the trunk
the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automati-
cally after approximately 40 seconds if
neither a door nor the trunk lid was
opened.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is
triggered, for example, if the vehicle is
lifted on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system (
page 215) provided
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.