2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 Power

323 Operation
Vehicle care
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.Power washer
Tar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months,
depending on climate and washing deter-
gent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of embedded dirt (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.

Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).
!
Follow the instructions provided by the pow-
er washer manufacturer on maintaining a dis-
tance between the vehicle and the nozzle of the
power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to power-wash tires.
The intense jet of water can result in damage to
the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving across the
surface. Do not aim directly at electrical parts,
electrical connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts.
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
proximity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (1 m),
the vehicle could be inadvertently locked or un-
locked.
!
Affixing stickers, magnets, adhesive tape or
similar materials to painted body components
may damage the paintwork.

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.


355 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display
Right display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ESP
ESP
inoperative
See
Oper. Manual
The ESP
® has detected a malfunction
and switched off.
The ABS may not be operational.
The electro-hydraulic brake system is
still functioning normally but without
the ESP® available.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.
ESP unavailable
See
Oper. Manual
The ESP
® is deactivated because the
power supply has been interrupted.
The electro-hydraulic brake system is
still functioning normally but without
the ESP® available.

Synchronize the ESP
®. With the vehicle
stationary, turn the steering wheel com-
pletely to the left and then to the right.
If the ESP
® message does not go out:

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.
!
When sychronizing the ESP
®, make sure you
can turn the steering wheel in both directions as
far as it will go without the wheels hitting any ob-
jects, e.g. a road curb.

366 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Left display
Right display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
#
Battery/Alternator
Stop car
The battery is malfunctioning.
The electro-hydraulic brake system
requires electrical energy and
therefore has only limited opera-
tion. Considerably greater brake
pedal force is required and the stop-
ping distance is increased.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location. Adjust driv-
ing to be consistent with reduced braking re-
sponsiveness.

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
2
Brake wear
The brake pads have reached their
wear limit.

Have the brake pads replaced as soon as pos-
sible.
USA only:;Canada only:3
Reduced
brake effect
Start engine
The battery has insufficient voltage
and cannot supply sufficient power
to the electro-hydraulic brake sys-
tem.

Start the engine.
The message disappears when sufficient
voltage is available.
!
Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the intervals
specified in the Maintenance Booklet.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated.

370 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Left display
Right display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
USA only:;Canada only:3
Service brake
Visit
workshop
There are malfunctions, but the
electro-hydraulic brake system is
operating normally.

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Brakes overheated
Drive on, but with
even greater care
The brake system is overheated due
to an excessive load on the brakes.

Relieve the load on the brake system:
Drive more smoothly and think ahead to
avoid unnecessary braking.

When driving down steep grades, shift into
a lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power (
page 174).

Cautiously continue driving so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes.
USA only:;Canada only:!
Release
parking brake
You are driving with the parking
brake set.

Release the parking brake (
page 61).

415 Practical hints
Batteries
!
The factory-equipped VRLA battery is
leak-proofed. Only use a battery as replacement
that has the same security features and is of
identical size, voltage, and capacity as the
factory-equipped battery.
The battery, the battery ventilation and the later-
al plug must always be securely installed when
the vehicle is in operation.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
!
Never loosen or detach battery terminal
clamps while the engine is running or the
SmartKey is in the starter switch. Otherwise the
alternator and other electronic components
could be severely damaged.
Have the starter battery checked regularly by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for maintenance
intervals or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further information.
Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof batteries only to avoid the
risk of acid burns in the event of an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. The same applies if
battery is disconnected. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adjust your driving style according-
ly. For more information, see
“Electro-hydraulic brake system”
(page 92).

418 Practical hintsBatteries
Charge batteries in accordance with
the instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged batteries. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Reconnecting the batteries
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Install starter battery in the designated
location in the engine compartment.

Install consumer battery in the desig-
nated location in the trunk.

Attach supports and brackets.

Tighten support and bracket screws.

Connect positive lead 4 (
page 414)
of the consumer battery and positive
lead 1 (
page 414) of the starter bat-
tery and fasten covers.

Connect negative lead 2
(page 414) of the starter battery.

Connect negative lead 5
(page 414) of the consumer battery.

Reinstall the trunk floor.

Close trunk luggage cover
(page 206).
!
Always connect the batteries in the order
described below. Otherwise the vehicle’s elec-
tronics can be damaged.
!
Never invert the terminal connections!
i
The following procedures must be carried
out following any interruption of battery power
(e.g. due to reconnection):


Resynchronize the ESP
® (page 355).


Resynchronize side windows (
page 198).

419 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the starter battery is discharged, the en-
gine can be started with jumper cables and
the battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic
converter are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or
other parts that move when an engine
is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!
Jump starting may only be performed on the
battery installed in the engine compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine using a bat-
tery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several unsuc-
cessful starting attempts, have it checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by repeated
failed starting attempts may damage the
catalytic converter and may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not touch any
other metal part while the other end is still
attached to a battery.