17 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Operating your vehicle outside the USA or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in for-
eign countries, please be aware that:
service facilities or replacement parts
may not be readily available,
unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-
alytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts,
gasoline may have a considerably low-
er octane rating, and improper fuel can
cause engine damage.Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
compliance
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren vehicle
does not comply with the state certifica-
tion regulations of select states. It is not
permitted to register the vehicle in such
states. Check with an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for details.
241 Operation
At the gas station
At the gas station
Refueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the SmartKey automatically locks/unlocks
the fuel filler flap.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by arrow.
The fuel filler flap opens.
Turn fuel cap counterclockwise and
hold on to it until possible pressure is
released.
Take off cap and set it in the recess on
the fuel filler flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.
Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or
overfill.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Whenever you are around gasoline,
avoid inhaling fumes and skin contact,
extinguish all smoking materials. Never
allow sparks, flame or smoking materials
near gasoline!
iOnly use premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON/86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create
pressure in the system which could cause a
gas discharge. This could cause the gas to
spray back out when removing the fuel
pump nozzle, which could cause personal
injury.
370 Technical dataEngineModel
SLR (199.376)
1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corre-
sponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.Engine
155
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
Bore
3.82 in (97.00 mm)
Stroke
3.60 in (92.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
331.8 cu in (5439 cm
3)
Compression ratio
8.8:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
617 hp/6500 rpm
2
(460 kW/6500 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349
575 lb-ft/3250-5000 rpm
(780 Nm/3250-5000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
7000 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
2425 mm/1244 mm
377 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle
1.9 US qt (1.8 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 75 W 85
Power steering
approximately 1.15 US qt (1.1 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approximately 3.0 oz (85 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
1.6 US qt (1.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
approximately 10.6 US qt (10.0 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Low temperature cooling system
approximately 5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
25.6 US gal (97.0 l)
3.2 US gal (12.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg. of 96 RON/86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant
oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning system
7.4 US qt (7 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 383).
379 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Warning!
G
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Whenever you are around gasoline,
avoid inhaling fumes and skin contact, extin-
guish all smoking materials. Never allow
sparks, flame or smoking materials near
gasoline!
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:
have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible
avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration
do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage
do not exceed
2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain
380 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:
The octane number (posted at the
pu m p) m us t b e 91 mi n. It is an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M)/2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:
Warm-up hesitation
Unstable idle
Knocking/pinging
Misfire
Power loss
In areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to engine operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending
additional fuel additives other than those
tested and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
387 Technical terms
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
(
page 282)
GVWR
(Gross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 282)
Head-thorax airbag
Installed in the doors, these airbags
protect occupants during side impact
collisions exceeding a preset thresh-
old. Unlike normal side airbags,
head-thorax airbags are also designed
to provide protection for the head area.Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible. This
very quickly accelerates the vehicle
and should not be used for normal ac-
celeration needs.
Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 282)
Maximum load rating
(page 282)
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(page 282)
Maximum tire inflation pressure
(page 282)MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
Two display fields in the instrument
cluster used to present information
provided by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Normal occupant weight
(
page 282)
388 Technical termsOverspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
on the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gine speed range, as it may result in se-
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing
engine
clutch/torque converter
transmission
transfer case
drive shaft
differential
axle shafts/axlesProduction options weight
(
page 282)
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between sport operation (S), com-
fort operation (C) and manual
operation (MAN).
PSI
(Pounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 283)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 283)
REST
(Residual Engine Heat Utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Rim
(page 283)RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Electrohydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of posi-
tion P without SmartKey turned and
brake pedal depressed.