2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 clean

327 Operation
Vehicle care

Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.Rear window cleaning
Clean the rear window with the hardtop
fully raised and closed.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0.) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!
Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
Warning!
G
Do not clean the rear window with the hard-
top in a position other than the fully raised
and closed position. Otherwise, the hardtop
may move unexpectedly which may result in
personal injury to you or others.

328 OperationVehicle careLight alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.Plastic and rubber parts

Use a gentle dishwashing detergent or
mild detergent for delicate fabrics as a
washing solution.

Wipe with a cloth moistened in a luke-
warm solution.
The surface may temporarily change
color. If this is the case, wait for it to
dry.Hard plastic trim items

Use Mercedes-Benz approved Interior
Care, a soft, lint-free cloth and apply
with light pressure.
Steering wheel and gear selector lever

Wipe with a damp cloth and dry
thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
!
Only use acid-free cleaning materials. Acid
may cause corrosion or damage the clear coat.
!
The vehicle should not be parked for an ex-
tended period of time immediately after it has
been cleaned, especially not after the wheel rims
have been cleaned with wheel rim cleaner.
Wheel rim cleaners can lead to increased corro-
sion of the brake disks and brake pads. There-
fore, the vehicle’s brake system should always
be warmed-up before it is parked after cleaning.
To do so, please drive your vehicle for several
minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
When applying Mercedes-Benz approved Tire
Care and Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
products, take care not to spray them on the
brake disks.
Warning!
G
Do not use cleaners containg solvents or
cockpit care sprays to clean the cockpit or
the steering wheel boss. Cleaners contain-
ing solvents will make the surface porous
and vehicle occupants could suffer serious
injuries from plastic parts coming loose in
the event of air bag deployment.
!
Do not use oil, wax or scouring agents on
these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the sur-
face.
!
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the sur-
face.

329 Operation
Vehicle care
Carpets
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Carpet
and Fabric Care for cleaning the car-
pets.
Headliner

Use a soft bristle brush or a dry-sham-
poo cleaner in case of excessive dirt.
Seat belts

Only use clear, lukewarm water and
soap.Upholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently dis-
colored. By lining the seats with a proper
intermediate cover, contact-discoloration
will be prevented.Leather upholstery

Wipe leather upholstery with a damp
cloth and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning per-
forated leather as its underside should not
become wet.
Wood trims

Dampen cloth using water and use
damp cloth to clean wood trims in your
vehicle.
!
The seat belts must not be treated with
chemical cleaning agents. Do not dry the seat
belts at temperatures above 176°F (80°C) or in
direct sunlight.
Warning!
G
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Warning!
G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent the activation
of the active head restraints. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
availability.
!
Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as these
may be abrasive.

354 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Left display
Right display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC
Currently
unavailable.
See
Oper. Manual
Distronic* is deactivated because

the Distronic* cover in the radiator
grille is dirty


the functionality is impaired by
heavy precipitation or fog

Clean the Distronic* cover in the radiator
grille (
page 325).

Restart the vehicle.
Distronic* becomes operational again with-
out the engine being restarted when


dirt on the radiator grille has fallen off
while driving (e.g. slush or snow)


the system recognizes full sensor avail-
ability due to lessening rain or because
the road is drying, for example


the message in the multifunction display
disappears
You can then operate Distronic* as usual
again.
available again
Distronic* had been deactivated and is
available again.

Activate Distronic* (
page 218).

395 Practical hints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing SmartKey batteries
If the batteries in the SmartKey or the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* are dis-
charged, the vehicle can no longer be
locked or unlocked. It is recommended to
have the batteries replaced at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.

Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* (
page 391).
1Mechanical key
2Battery compartment

Insert mechanical key 1 into opening.

Press mechanical key 1 in direction of
arrow.
The battery compartment is unlatched.

Pull battery compartment 2 out of the
housing.
Warning!
G
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive
substances. Therefore keep the batteries
out of reach of children.
If a battery is swallowed, seek medical help
immediately.
i
When inserting batteries, make sure they
are clean and free of lint.
i
When replacing batteries, always replace
both batteries.
The required replacement batteries (Lithium,
type CR 2025 or equivalent) are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.


399 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12-volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch the lights off before changing a
bulb to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:


the additional turn signals in the exteri-
or rear view mirrors


the high mounted brake lamp


the brake lamps


the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps in the tail lamp unit


the rear fog lamps


the low beam (Xenon or Bi-Xenon*)
lamps


the front fog lamps


the front side marker lamps
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion M (
page 128).

Open the hood (
page 274).
1Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
2High beam headlamp cover
3Low beam headlamp cover (Xenon or
Bi-Xenon* lamp). Do not remove.
i
Have the headlamp adjustment checked
regularly.

409 Practical hints
Flat tire

Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank3 clockwise until the jack base
meets the ground. Make sure the jack
is vertical (plumb line).

Continue to turn the crank until the tire
is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt

Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!
Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt. This
could result in damage to the bolt and wheel hub
threads.
Warning!
G
Inflate spare wheel tire only after the wheel
is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
pump (
page 410) before
lowering the ve-
hicle.

446 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 re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact 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
lubricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
Hydraulic system for retractable hardtop
0.42 US qt (0.4 l)
MB Hydraulic Fluid
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 452).
!
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles), or changing oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those called for by
the Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles) will result in engine or emis-
sion control system damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles) recom-
mendations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to
do so could result in engine or emission control
system damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.