2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR brake

236 OperationDriving instructionsHydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires
(
page 287) with a minimum tread depth
of approximately
1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise ap-
propriate caution.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use
prudent driving speeds appropriate to
prevailing conditions.Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“(Y)”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of over 186 mph (300 km/h).
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control and
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.iFor information on tire speed rating for
winter tires, see “Winter tires*”
(page 287).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 274).

237 Operation
Driving instructions
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN.
Try to keep the vehicle under control by
corrective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely
affect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking
efficiency should be tested as soon as
possible after driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 287).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 288).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of control loss.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
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.

242 OperationAt the gas station
Replace fuel cap by turning it clockwise
until it audibly engages.

Close the fuel filler flap until you hear
the latch close shut.
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Coolant
2Engine oil
3Brake fluidCoolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant” (
page 250) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 377).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil level,
see “Engine oil” (
page 247).
Brake fluid
iMore information on gasoline can be
found in the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet.
Leaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause theú malfunc-
tion indicator lamp (USA only) or
the± malfunction indicator lamp
(Canada only) to illuminate.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 301).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 244).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately. Do not add brake
fluid as this will not solve the problem.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 300).


254 OperationTires and wheelsFor safety reasons, only use tires and rims
which have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on SLR vehicles.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. The operating safety of the
vehicle cannot be assured when such tires
are used.
Important guidelines

For the first 100 miles (160 km) avoid
high-speed cornering. Do not exceed a
speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).
1


Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads.
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are
mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.


The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
Have worn or damaged tires replaced in
pairs (front pair or rear pair) an make sure
the tires rotate in the direction specified
(page 257). Otherwise, the driving stabili-
ty of the vehicle will be adversely affected,
especially when driving at high speeds.
When replacing rims, only use Genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
!A wheel change should only be carried
out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Otherwise there is a danger of
damaging the vehicle by jacking it up
incorrectly.
1Please always drive carefully and obey applicable
speed limits.

258 OperationTires and wheels1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your
vehicle.Tire and Loading InformationYour vehicle is equipped with either the
Tire and Loading Information placard
(Example A) or the Vehicle Tire Information
placard (Example B).
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iData shown on placard examples are
for illustration purposes only. Load lim-
it data are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in the illus-
trations below. Refer to placard on ve-
hicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.

268 OperationTires and wheelsWarning!
G
When the tire inflation pressure monitoring
system warning light is lit, one or more of
your tires is significantly under-inflated. You
should stop in a safe location and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper tire inflation pressure as
indicated on the vehicle’s tire information
placard. Driving on a significantly under-in-
flated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Each tire, including the
spare, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended tire infla-
tion pressure as specified in the vehicle
placard and owner’s manual.
iThe recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for your vehicle can be found on
the tire placard located on the driver’s
door B-pillar. The tire inflation pres-
sures are not listed in the owner’s
manual.Warning!
G
The tire inflation pressure monitor does not
indicate a warning for wrongly selected tire
inflation pressures. Always adjust tire infla-
tion pressure according to the placard on
the driver’s door B-pillar or, if available, the
inside of the fuel filler flap.
The tire inflation pressure monitor is not
able to issue a warning due to a sudden dra-
matic loss of tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire
blowout caused by a foreign object). In this
case bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully
applying the brakes and avoiding abrupt
steering maneuvers.
iOperating radio transmission equip-
ment (e.g. wireless headsets, two-way
radios) in or near the vehicle could
cause the tire inflation pressure
monitor to malfunction.Warning!
G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.


273 Operation
Tires and wheels
Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 272) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating5 (page 272) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 277) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs.For additional information on tire load
rating, see “Load identification”
(
page 275).
Warning!
G
The tire load rating must always be at least
half of the GAWR (
page 282) of your vehi-
cle. Otherwise tire failure may be the result
which may cause an accident and/or seri-
ous personal injury to you or others.
Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as
shown on the original part.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard located
on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iTire load rating5 (
page 272) and
tire speed rating6 (page 272) are
also referred to as “service descrip-
tion”.

278 OperationTires and wheelsFor more information on tire load rating
(page 273).
For information on calculating total and
cargo load capacities (
page 260).
Maximum tire inflation pressure
1Maximum permissible tire inflation
pressure
This is the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure for the tire.Always follow the recommended tire
inflation pressure (
page 264) for proper
tire inflation.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard located
on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.
Warning!
G
Never exceed the max. tire inflation
pressure. Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly, adverse-
ly affect handling and fuel economy, and are
more likely to fail from being overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride com-
fort, wear unevenly, increase stopping dis-
tance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road de-
bris, potholes etc.