2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG ignition

325 Operation
Vehicle care
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a use damp cloth.Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic* system sensor cover

Switch off the ignition (
page 36).

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.
!Do not use chrome cleaner on orna-
mental moldings. Although ornamental
moldings may have chrome appear-
ance, they could be made of anodized
aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead,
use damp cloth to clean those orna-
mental moldings.
Very dirty ornamental moldings of
which you are sure are chrome-plated,
use a chrome cleaner. If in doubt
whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Only use window cleaning solutions
that are suitable for plastic lamp lens-
es. Window cleaning solutions which
are not suitable may damage the plas-
tic lamp lenses of the headlamps.
Therefore, do not use abrasives, sol-
vents or cleaners that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a
soft, non-scratching cloth when clean-
ing the lenses. Do not attempt to wipe
dirty lenses with a dry cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage
the lens surface.


327 Operation
Vehicle care
Wiper blades
Turn on the wipers and place them in a
vertical position.
For information on how to position the wip-
ers in a vertical position, see “Replacing
wiper blades” (
page 397).

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 54).

With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 36).
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before cleaning the wiper blades.
Otherwise the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper
arms are folded forward.


335 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
ú
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.
There is a malfunction in:

The fuel injection system


The ignition system


The emission control system


Systems which effect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive
emissions values and may switch the engine
to its limp-home (emergency operation)
mode.

Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics sys-
tem. It allows the accurate identifica-
tion of system malfunctions through
the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located in the front left
area of the footwell next to the park-
ing brake pedal.
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.

Check the fuel cap (
page 269).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

346 Practical hintsWhat to do if …On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:

Text messages (
page 347)


Symbol messages (
page 359)
iSwitching on the ignition causes all in-
strument cluster lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps
and the multifunction display are in
working order before starting your jour-
ney.

365 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
±
Engine
Service
There may be a malfunction in the

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the engine checked as soon as possible
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
(page 335).
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 278).

If you have to add coolant frequently, have the
cooling system checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
this message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. Do not drive without suffi-
cient amount of coolant in the cooling
system. The engine will overheat, caus-
ing major engine damage.

402 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 36).
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 37) on the gear selec-
tor lever twice. Do not depress brake
pedal.

Detach the electric air pump.
The air hose may still be hot. Please ex-
ercise appropriate caution.

Place the electric air pump back in the
trunk.

Close the trunk lid.

Drive away immediately.
The TIREFIT sealant will distribute itself
evenly inside the tire.
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.


467 Index
Gear range
Automatic transmission 167
Canceling limit 169
Indicator 27
Limiting 167
Shifting into optimal 169
Gear selector lever 30, 162
Cleaning 330
Lock 49, 458
Position 162, 164
Global locking/unlocking see Key
Global Positioning System see GPS
Glove box 228
Good visibility 177
GPS 455
Gross Axle Weight Rating see GAWR
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating see GVWR
Gross Vehicle Weight see GVW
GVW 311, 455
GVWR 311, 455
H
Hands-free microphone 31
Hard plastic trim items, cleaning 329
Hardtop see Retractable hardtop
Hazard warning flasher 129
Head restraints 41Headlamp switch-off delay see Delayed
switch-off, exterior lamps
Headlamps
Automatic mode 124
Cleaning lenses 325
Cleaning system 177
Manual mode 124
Messages in the multifunction
display 374
Replacing bulbs 391
Switch 53, 123
Headliner, cleaning 330
Head-thorax airbag 79, 455
Heated steering wheel* 235
High beam flasher 53, 129
High beam headlamps 53, 123, 392
Indicator lamp 27
Messages in the multifunction
display 374
Replacing bulbs 391, 394
Switching on 129
High mounted brake lamp 392
High-performance brake system (SL 65
AMG only) 260
Hood 272
Messages in display 372Horn 23
HVAC see Automatic climate control
Hydroplaning 262
I
Identification labels 430
Identification number, Vehicle (VIN) 430
Ignition 36
Immobilizer 91
Indicator lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems 76
Infant and child restraint systems see Chil-
dren in the vehicle
Inflation pressure see Tires, Inflation pres-
sure
Inside door handle 107
Instrument cluster 24, 132, 456
Cleaning 329
Illumination brightness 132
Lamps 332
Language 150
Messages in the multifunction
display 24, 345
Multifunction display 135
Instrument lighting see Instrument cluster,
Illumination brightness