2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 Steering wheel adjusting

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 28
Center console ..................................... 29
Upper part ...................................... 29
Lower part ...................................... 30
Overhead control panel ........................ 31
Door control panel................................ 32
Getting started................................... 33
Unlocking ............................................. 34
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 34
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 35
Starter switch positions .................. 36
Adjusting .............................................. 39
Seats .............................................. 39
Steering wheel ................................ 42
Mirrors ............................................ 44
Driving .................................................. 46
Fastening the seat belts ................. 46
Starting the engine ......................... 49
Parking brake ................................. 51
Driving off ....................................... 51
Switching on headlamps ................. 53
Turn signals .................................... 53
Windshield wipers ........................... 54
Problems while driving.................... 56
Parking and locking .............................. 58
Parking brake ................................. 59
Switching off headlamps................. 59
Turning off the engine..................... 60
Releasing seat belts........................ 61
Locking ........................................... 61

Contents
Settings menu .............................. 146
Trip computer menu..................... 157
TEL menu* ................................... 159
Automatic transmission ..................... 162
Gear selector lever position ......... 164
Driving tips ................................... 166
Gear ranges ................................. 167
Automatic shift program .............. 168
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 169
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting................. 170
Manual shift program SL 55 AMG
and SL 65 AMG ............................ 173
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 176
Good visibility .................................... 177
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 177
Rear view mirrors ......................... 177
Sun visors .................................... 178
Rear window defroster ................. 179Automatic climate control .................. 180
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 183
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 183
Setting the temperature................ 184
Adjusting air distribution............... 185
Adjusting air volume ..................... 186
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 186
Front defroster.............................. 186
Air recirculation mode .................. 187
Air conditioning............................. 189
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 190
Ventilated storage compartments. 191
Power windows .................................. 192
Opening and closing the windows. 192
Synchronizing power windows ...... 194
Retractable hardtop............................ 195
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ....................... 195Driving systems .................................. 204
Cruise control ............................... 204
Distronic* ..................................... 207
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 219
Parktronic* (Parking assist) .......... 223
Useful features ................................... 228
Storage compartments ................. 228
Cup holders .................................. 232
Ashtray ......................................... 233
Cigarette lighter............................ 234
Heated steering wheel* ................ 235
Load assist in the trunk ................ 236
Power outlet ................................. 237
Telephone* ................................... 237
Tele Aid......................................... 238
Garage door opener ...................... 247

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 46).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the start-
er switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats can be operated when the
respective door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

40 Getting startedAdjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint sys-
tem, which is properly secured with the ve-
hicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
iThe memory function (
page 121) lets
you store the settings for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.
!When moving the seats, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow3 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat cushion depth

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow4 until your legs
are supported comfortably.
Seat backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow6 until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.Head restraint height

Press the switch up or down in direc-
tion of arrow1.Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head re-
straint.

Push or pull on the lower edge of the
head restraint cushion.
For more information on seats, see “Seats”
(
page 115).
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the center of
the head restraint supports the back of the
head at eye level. This will reduce the poten-
tial for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.iWhen moving the seat fore or aft after
adjusting the head restraints, the head
restraints may readjust automatically.

42 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out

Move stalk forward or back in direction
of arrow1 until a comfortable steer-
ing wheel position is reached with your
arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down

Move stalk up or down in direction of
arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and all the displays (including malfunc-
tion and indicator lamps) on the instru-
ment cluster are clearly visible.
For more information, see “Heated steer-
ing wheel*” (
page 235).
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the steering wheel adjustment feature can
be operated when the driver’s door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iThe memory function (
page 121) lets
you store the settings for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
seat position and the exterior rear view
mirrors.

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Easy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience
sub-
menu of the control system (
page 156).With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:


close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or


insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 37) once
with the driver’s door closedWith the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch,
or


open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button in position 1 (
page 37)
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel adjustment, do one
of the following:

Move steering column stalk
(page 42).


Press one of the memory position but-
tons* or the memory button M*
(page 121).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iThe last set steering wheel position is
stored when

the ignition is switched off
(page 36)


the position is stored in memory
(page 121)

44 Getting startedAdjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror

Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 177).
Exterior rear view mirrors
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
The adjustment procedure is briefly in-
terrupted when the engine is started.Warning!
G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. All steering wheel adjustment must be
completed before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still
adjusting could cause the driver to lose con-
trol of the vehicle.
Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.