2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR maintenance

289 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
In order to maintain the performance and
safety of your SLR, we strongly recom-
mend that you have your vehicle serviced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center,
every 12 months, even if the vehicle has
covered less than 10 000 miles
(15 000 km) in that time.
The maintenance service indicator will
notify you when your next maintenance
service is due within the next 12 months or
10 000 miles (15 000 km), whichever
comes sooner.
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
and maintenance service indicator at the
designated times/mileage will result in
vehicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Before your next maintenance service is
due, one of the following messages will ap-
pear in the right multifunction display while
you are driving or when you switch on the
ignition:
Service in .. days
Service in .. miles

When the maintenance service is due, the
following message appears in the multi-
function display:
Carry out Service
Clearing the maintenance service indicator message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage is automatically cleared after 30 sec-
onds when you switch on the ignition. You
can also clear it yourself.
1Reset button
Press reset button 1.
The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 117).

290 OperationMaintenanceMaintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the right multifunction display:Service exceeded by .. days
Service exceeded by .. milesAny authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.
Calling up the service due date
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).

Press buttonè orÿ on the
multifunction steering wheel repeated-
ly until the standard display appears in
the multifunction display (
page 117).

Press button k or j on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator service
symbol 9 appears in the left multi-
function display and the service dead-
line appears in the right multifunction
display.
iIf the vehicle is not be used for a longer
period of time, do not disconnect the
consumer battery. Instead, maintain
the condition of the battery by using
the battery charger approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on the SLR and
supplied with the car (
page 358).
This charger automatically controls the
charge rate, and can be left connected
to the car for long periods without dam-
age to the battery.
If the battery supplying the vehicle’s
electrical consumers is disconnected,
the days of disconnection will not be in-
cluded in the count shown by the ser-
vice indicator. To arrive at the true
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the service indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance
service indicator with the engine oil
level indicator:.

291 Operation
Maintenance
Resetting the maintenance service indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, you can
have the maintenance service indicator
reset. The automotive maintenance facility
carrying out the maintenance service will
find the information for resetting the
maintenance service indicator in the
maintenance-relevant information for your
vehicle. Such information is available from
either your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz.
iIf the maintenance service indicator
was inadvertently reset, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance
service has been performed. Resetting
the system without performing the
proper service as called for by the
maintenance service indicator will
result in engine damage and/or other
vehicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

318 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
Right display
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
2
Brake wear
Visit
workshop
The brake pads have reached
their wear limit.

Have the brake pads replaced immediately.
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet.Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the electrohydraulic brake system car-
ried out by qualified technicians only. Con-
tact your Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information. The electrohydraulic brake sys-
tem must be deactivated prior to working on
the system. High pressure is intermittently
built up in the system as part of its automat-
ic self-test. In addition, the system is auto-
matically activated when the vehicle is
unlocked by remote control, when the driver
or passenger door is opened, when the
SmartKey in the starter switch is turned to
position1, when the brake pedal is de-
pressed or when the parking brake is re-
leased.
Failure to deactivate the system prior to
maintenance will cause brake pistons to ex-
tend and brake fluid to leak, which may re-
sult in injuries (contusions and acid burns),
see “Electrohydraulic brake system”
(page 84).

356 Practical hintsBatteries Your vehicle is equipped with two batter-
ies:

The starter battery (located in the
trunk)


The battery for electrical consumers
(located in the trunk)
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 251).
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
!You must not jump start the vehicle,
otherwise the vehicle electrical sys-
tems could be damaged.
Only use the battery charge unit tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz for
use on the SLR to charge the battery or
maintain the battery charge. Using oth-
er battery chargers may cause damage
to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Information on charging the batteries
(page 358).
Have the batteries checked regularly
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for maintenance intervals or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
further information.
If it is necessary to replace the batter-
ies, notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

378 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System. For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
er system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those express-
ly required for the Maintenance Sys-
tem, or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
will result in engine damage not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System rec-
ommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

381 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

corrosion protection


freeze protection


boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for replacement interval.Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration or bring it back up to the proper
level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately
- 22°F [-30°C]). If you use a solution that is
more than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze
(freeze protection to approximately
- 49°F [-45°C]), the engine temperature
will increase due to the lower heat transfer
capability of the solution. Therefore, do not
use more than this amount of anticorro-
sion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze should
be used to bring it up to the proper level
(have cooling system checked for signs of
leakage). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

392 IndexAutomatic climate control 182
Adjusting air volume 186
Air conditioning refrigerant 378
Air conditioning, Cooling 192
Air distribution 187
Air recirculation mode 188
Air vents 183
Control panel 184
Deactivating system 191
Defrosting 181, 188
MAXCOOL 187
Residual heat utilization 190
Side air vents 31
Temperature 185
Temperature sensor 33
Automatic headlamp mode 106
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 111Automatic transmission 167
Accelerator position 173
Damage 362
Driving tips 173
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 178
Gear ranges 170
Gear selector lever 32, 167
Gear selector lever position 167, 171
Gear shifting malfunctions 178
Kickdown 173
Manual gearshift program 176
Manual shifting 168
One-touch gearshifting 168
Shift program mode selector
switch 173
Starting the engine 49
Steering wheel gearshift control 174
Towing 362
Transmission fluid level 249
Automatic transmission fluid 249B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 75, 385
Compatible child seats 385
Self-test 75
Backup lamp 349
Messages in the multifunction
display 332
Bar 281
BAS 81, 385
Batteries, SmartKey
Checking battery condition 99
Replacing 346
Batteries, Vehicle 251
Charging 358
Consumer battery 356
Jump starting 356
Maintenance 356
Messages in the multifunction
display 315
Starter battery 251
Batteries, vehicle
Consumer battery 251
Battery charger 358
Bead 281
Bi-Xenon headlamps 385