2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 page 47

318 OperationWinter drivingSnow chainsSnow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.
Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:


Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations
(page 435).


Use snow chains in pairs and on rear
wheels only. Follow the manufacturer’s
mounting instructions.


Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.


Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.


Do not use snow chains on the spare
wheel (
page 440).


Do not use snow chains on wheels with
MOExtended tires* (
page 439).
!
When driving with snow chains, always se-
lect setting 1 of the level control system
(
page 225). Other settings may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
!
Some tire sizes do not leave adequate clear-
ance for snow chains. To help avoid serious dam-
age to your vehicle or tires, use of snow chains is
not permissible with


285/35 R18 97W


285/35 R18 97Y


285/35 ZR18 97Y


285/30 ZR19 98Y XL (Extra Load)
!
If snow chains are mounted to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the body or axle
components. The tires or the vehicle could be
damaged as a result.
i
When driving with snow chains, you may
wish to deactivate the ESP
® (page 91) before
setting the vehicle in motion. This will improve
the vehicle’s traction.

320 OperationMaintenance1Reset button
Press reset button1 on the instru-
ment cluster.
The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 145).Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the right multifunction
display:
Service A exceeded by XXXX miles (km)
Service A exceeded by XXX daysIn addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance ser-
vice.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator display
You can call up the maintenance service in-
dicator display at any time to check when
the next maintenance service is due.
Switch on the ignition (
page 39).

Press button è or ÿ on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the standard display appears in
the multifunction display (
page 145).

Press button k or j on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator display
with the maintenance service symbol
9 or
½
appears in the left mul-
tifunction display and the maintenance
service deadline appears in the right
multifunction display.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 142).

324 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the en-
gine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control link-
age bushings and joints should be lubricat-
ed. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys should
be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.

Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.

Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.

Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.

Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.

To protect the filter system, switch the
automatic climate control to air
recirculation mode (
page 191).
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close prox-
imity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (1 m), the ve-
hicle could be inadvertently locked or unlocked.
!
Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!
Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise, the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 57). Otherwise, the rain sen-
sor could activate and cause the wipers to move
unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle dam-
age.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent dam-
age to the mirrors.

325 Operation
Vehicle care
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a use damp cloth.Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic* system sensor cover

Switch off the ignition (
page 39).

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 326). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may vi-
brate.
!
Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use damp
cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
Very dirty ornamental moldings of which you are
sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome cleaner. If
in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.


326 OperationVehicle care
Restart the engine after cleaning
sensor cover1.
Cleaning the Parktronic system*
sensors
1Parktronic system* sensors in front
bumper

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
soft, non-scratching cloth to clean
sensors1 on the bumpers.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades

Make sure the hood is fully closed.

Switch on the ignition (
page 39).

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 57).

With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 39).
!
To prevent scratches or damage, never ap-
ply strong force and only use a soft, non-scratch-
ing cloth when cleaning Distronic system sensor
cover1. Do not attempt to wipe dirty sensor
with a dry cloth or sponge.
!
Do not apply strong pressure to the sensor
covers. Applying strong pressure may damage
the sensor covers.
Follow the instructions provided by the power
washer manufacturer on maintaining a distance
between the vehicle and the nozzle of the power
washer.
!
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratching cloth
when cleaning the sensors. Do not attempt to
wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth or sponge.
!
The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.


332 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in the instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ABS/ESP
® warning
lamp comes on while driving.
The ESP
® has been switched off.
Risk of accident!
When the ESP
® is switched off it will not sta-
bilize the vehicle if the system recognizes
that the vehicle starts to skid or that a wheel
is spinning.

Switch the ESP
® back on (
page 92).
Exceptions: (
page 91).

If leaving the ESP
® switched off, adapt
your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If the ESP
® cannot be switched on:

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
The ESP
® is not operational due to a malfunc-
tion.
Risk of accident!

Observe additional messages in the
multifunction display.

Continue driving with added caution.

Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.

333 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ABS/ESP
® warning
lamp flashes while driving.
The ESP
®, ABS, or traction control has come
into operation because of detected traction
loss in at least one tire.
The cruise control and the Distronic* system
are deactivated.

When driving off, apply as little throt-
tle as possible.

While driving, ease up on the acceler-
ator.

Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.

Do not deactivate the ESP
®.
Exceptions: (
page 91).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.

334 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS and the ESP
® are also
switched off (see messages in display).
The electro-hydraulic brake system is still
functioning normally but without ABS avail-
able.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as Parktronic*, Distronic*,
or the automatic transmission may also be
malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.

Read and observe messages in the
display (
page 347).
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts and the ABS was switched off.
The battery may not be sufficiently charged.

Switch off electrical consumers that
are currently not needed, e.g. seat
heating.

If necessary, have the generator and
battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again.