2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR ECU

171 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever positions
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP.
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.

200 Controls in detailUseful featuresMap pocket in passenger footwell
Storage compartments Armrest storage compartment

Reach into the recess and lift armrest.
The armrest opens automatically.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges, in the map pocket.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the trunk. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the shelf below the
rear window.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.

221 Controls in detail
Useful features
Floormats Installing
1Eyelet
2Retainer pins

Lay down the floormat.

Press eyelets 1 onto retainers pins2
in direction of arrow. Removing

Pull the floormats off retainers pins.

Remove the floormat.
Warning!
G
When you are using floormats, make sure
there is enough clearance and that the floor-
mats are securely fastened.
Floormats must always be securely fastened
using eyelets
1
and retainer pins
2
.
Before driving off, check that the floormats
are securely in place and adjust them if nec-
essary. A loose floormat could slip and
hinder proper functioning of the pedals.
Do not place two or more floormats on top
of each other.

224 Controls in detailUseful features
To remove the dust cover, follow the
above steps in reverse order.Anti-theft device for dust cover
The anti-theft device is located on the low-
er edge of the dust cover on the left side of
the vehicle.
1Hook and loop fastener with fabric bor-
der
2Zip fastener
3Elastic band and steel cable
4Eyes
5Padlock
1
Open hook and loop fastener 1.

Open zip fastener 2.

Tighten the steel cable by pulling elas-
tic band 3.

Secure both eyes4 of the steel cable
with a padlock5.

Close zip fastener 2.

Close fabric border using hook and
loop fastener 1.
1Not included.


225 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roof and trunk lid racks
!To avoid damage to the vehicle and the
dust cover, observe the following:

Once you have secured the dust
cover with the anti-theft device, the
dust cover can be removed only by
using force. This can cause damage
to the dust cover (tearing) or to the
paintwork.


The dust cover anti-theft device will
not prevent burglary or vehicle
theft.
Warning!
G
This vehicle has not been designed to
accommodate any type of roof or trunk lid
rack. Therefore do not fit such accessories.
Otherwise the rack could fall off and cause
serious personal injury.!Do not use any type of roof or trunk lid
rack. Otherwise you will damage the
bodywork or paintwork of your SLR.

236 OperationDriving instructionsFor more information, see “Winter driving”
(page 284).
Standing water
Passenger compartmentDriving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive
Mercedes-Benz service network at your
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas
which are not listed in the index of your
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you
should request pertinent information from
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) gases may enter vehicle interior result-
ing in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the
road surface is free of ice.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth.
Never accelerate before driving into
water. The bow wave could force water
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the passenger compartment
or the engine compartment. Water in
these areas could cause damage to
electrical components or wiring of the
engine or transmission, or could result
in water being ingested by the engine
through the air intake causing severe
internal engine damage. Any such
damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as
securely as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry
objects.

359 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing/reinstalling towing eye bolt
Take the towing eye bolt1 from its
storage compartment (
page 340).1Towing eye bolt

Remove cover from the access hole.

Screw towing eye bolt1 in to its stop.

Remove the towing eye bolt when you
no longer need it. To do this, carry out
the above steps in reverse order.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2 the vehicle doors
lock if the left front wheel as well as the
right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h) or more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 135).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iThe gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP and the SmartKey
will not turn in the starter switch if the
battery is disconnected or discharged.
See notes on the battery (
page 354).
!Only secure the tow bar to the towing
eye bolt. The vehicle could otherwise
be damaged.!Your vehicle is equipped with a front
towing eye bolt only (
page 359).
You cannot tow other vehicles with
your vehicle.

360 Practical hintsTowing the vehiclePoints to bear in mind

The vehicle must not be tow-started.


If the vehicle is to be towed, only tow it
with all wheels on the ground.


If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, only tow it with the propeller
shaft disconnected.


Before towing the vehicle, make sure
the battery is connected and charged.
Otherwise you will not be able to switch
on the ignition and move the selector
lever to N. There will then be no power
assistance when steering and braking.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye bolt can be used to pull the
vehicle onto a trailer or transporter for
transporting purposes.
Move the selector lever to N.!Due to the low clearance height of the
SLR, care must be taken when loading
and unloading from a transporter to
avoid damaging the vehicle body work.
To secure the vehicle, only tie it down
by the wheels or tires. Otherwise it
could be damaged.