2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR ESP

179 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
For information on the windshield wipers,
see (
page 54) and adjusting the mirrors,
see (page 44).
Headlamp cleaning system
The switch is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1To clean the headlamps
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).

Press switch 1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 252).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 44).
Auto-dimming mirror
The reflection brightness of the interior
rear view mirror will respond automatically
to glare when


the ignition is switched on
and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gearR is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow 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.

181 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the
defroster as soon as the rear window is
clear. The defroster is automatically
deactivated after approximately
6 to 17 minutes of operation depending on
the outside temperature.
Activating
Press buttonF on the climate
control panel (
page 184).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press buttonF again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iIf sunlight enters through a side
window, close mirror cover1
(if open), disengage sun visor from
mounting3 and pivot to the side.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and others.
!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is
insufficient voltage in the battery. The
system responds automatically by
deactivating the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
automatically turns itself back on.

185 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
Adjusting the temperature
Use temperature controls6 andb to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing
Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the right.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
to unprotected skin in the immediate area of
the air vents. Always keep sufficient dis-
tance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 187) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of unpro-
tected skin.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

186 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDecreasing
Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the left.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Adjusting the temperature for the
center and side air vents
When outside temperatures are low, you
can manually raise the air temperature for
the center and side air vents. The
controls2 are located between the cen-
ter air vents (
page 182).
Turning on warm air

Press the left button (red).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Warm air will enter from the
center and side air vents.Turning off warm air

Press the left button (red).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The air from the outlets will return
to the temperature set in the system.
Turning on cooler air

Press the right button (blue).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Cooler air will enter from the
center and side air vents.
Turning off cooler air

Press the right button (blue).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The air from the outlets will return
to the temperature set in the system.
Adjusting air volume
Use air volume control knob9
(page 184) for both automatic and man-
ual air volume adjustment.
Adjusting manually

Press the control knob.
The U light on the control knob
goes out. You can now select one of
nine air volume settings.
Adjusting automatically

Press the control knob.
The U light on the control knob
comes on. The airflow is adjusted auto-
matically.

193 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
Opening and closing the windows
The door windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches for the windows
are located on the door sill on the driver’s
side (
page 34). The switch for the pas-
senger side is located on the door sill on
the passenger side.
1Left window
2Right window

Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
The closing of the windows can be immedi-
ately halted by releasing the switch or, if
switch was pulled past the resistance point
and released, by either pressing or pulling
the respective switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you pulled the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the window,
the automatic reversal function will stop the
window and open it slightly.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pulling and
holding the switch, or by pressing and hold-
ing button‹ on the SmartKey, or by
pressing and holding the ,button on the
climate control panel, the automatic rever-
sal function will not operate.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from 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 can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

194 Controls in detailPower windowsOpening the windows
Press switch1 or2 to the resistance
point.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.Closing the windows

Pull switch1 or2 to the resistance
point.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.Fully opening the windows
(Express-open)

Press switch1 or2 past the resis-
tance point and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Fully closing the windows
(Express-close)

Pull switch1 or2 past the
resistance point and release.
The corresponding window closes
completely.
iWith the SmartKey in starter switch po-
sition 0 or removed from the starter
switch, the front power windows can
be operated:

until you open the driver’s or pas-
senger door


for at least 5 minutes
Warning!
G
If you pull and hold the switch up when
closing the window, and upward movement
of the window is blocked by some obstruc-
tion including but not limited to arms, hands,
fingers, etc., the automatic reversal will not
operate.
Warning!
G
Driver’s door only:
If within 5 seconds you again pull the switch
past the resistance point and release, the
automatic reversal will not function.

195 Controls in detail
Power windows
Stopping the windows
Press or pull respective switch again.
Synchronizing power windows
The power windows must be resynchro-
nized each time

after the battery has been
disconnected.


if the power windows cannot be fully
opened (Express-open) or closed
(Express-close).

Switch on the ignition (
page 40).

Pull the power window switches until
the windows are closed.
Hold the switches for approximately
1 second.
The power windows are synchronized.
Summer opening feature
If the weather is warm, you can ventilate
the vehicle before driving off by opening
the side windows. 
Aim transmitter eye of the SmartKey at
the rear quarter window.
The SmartKey must be in close proxim-
ity to the rear quarter window.

Press and hold button Πuntil the
windows have reached the desired po-
sition.

Release button Πto interrupt pro-
cedure.
!If the upward movement of the window
is blocked during the closing
procedure, the window will stop and
open slightly.
Remove the obstruction, pull the
switch again past the resistance point
and release.
If the window still does not close when
there is no obstruction, then pull and
hold the switch again. The window will
then close without the obstruction sen-
sor function.

197 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed
For information on the BAS, ABS and ESP
®
driving systems, (
page 79).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 30).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.