ContentsSafety and Security........................... 65
Occupant safety................................... 66
Air bags .......................................... 68
Occupant Classification System ..... 72
Seat belts ....................................... 77
Roll bar ........................................... 81
Children in the vehicle .................... 83
Panic alarm .......................................... 86
Activating ....................................... 86
Deactivating ................................... 86
Driving safety systems ......................... 87
ABS ................................................ 87
BAS ................................................ 89
ESP
®............................................... 89
Electro-hydraulic brake system ...... 92
Anti-theft systems................................ 96
Immobilizer..................................... 96
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 96
Tow-away alarm ............................. 98
Controls in detail............................. 101
Locking and unlocking ....................... 102
SmartKey ..................................... 102
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 105
Opening the doors from the
inside ........................................... 111
Opening the trunk ........................ 111
Closing the trunk.......................... 113
Valet locking ................................ 117
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 117
Power closing assist for trunk lid . 118
Automatic central locking ............ 119
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ........................................... 119
Seats ................................................. 121
Moving the seats forward and
backward ..................................... 121
Lumbar support............................ 121
Multicontour backrest* ................ 122
Seat heating ................................. 123
Seat ventilation* .......................... 125
Memory function ............................... 126
Storing positions into memory ..... 127
Recalling positions from memory . 127 Lighting ............................................ 128
Exterior lamp switch .................... 128
Corner-illuminating front fog
lamps ........................................... 132
Combination switch ..................... 133
Hazard warning flasher ................ 133
Interior lighting ............................ 134
Courtesy lighting .......................... 135
Trunk lamp ................................... 135
Instrument cluster ............................. 136
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 136
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 137
Trip odometer .............................. 137
Tachometer.................................. 138
Outside temperature indicator ..... 138
Control system .................................. 139
Multifunction display.................... 139
Multifunction steering wheel........ 140
Menus .......................................... 142
Standard display menu ................ 145
AMG menu ................................... 146
AUDIO menu ................................ 149
NAV menu .................................... 151
Distronic* menu .......................... 151
Contents
Vehicle status message memory
menu ............................................ 152
Settings menu .............................. 153
Trip computer menu..................... 163
TEL menu* ................................... 165
Automatic transmission ..................... 168
Gear selector lever position ......... 170
Driving tips ................................... 171
Gear ranges ................................. 172
Automatic shift program .............. 173
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 174
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* ............... 175
Manual shift program
(SL55AMGandSL65AMG only) 177
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 179
Good visibility .................................... 180
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 180
Rear view mirrors ......................... 180
Sun visors .................................... 182
Rear window defroster ................. 183Automatic climate control .................. 184
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 187
Operating the automatic climate
control system in automatic mode 187
Setting the temperature................ 188
Adjusting air distribution............... 189
Adjusting air volume ..................... 190
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 190
Front defroster.............................. 190
Air recirculation mode .................. 191
Air conditioning............................. 193
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 194
Ventilated glove box ..................... 195
Power windows .................................. 196
Opening and closing the
windows ........................................ 196
Synchronizing power windows ...... 198
Retractable hardtop............................ 199
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ....................... 199Driving systems .................................. 209
Cruise control ............................... 209
Distronic* ..................................... 213
Distance warning function* .......... 224
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 225
Parktronic system*
(Parking assist) ............................. 228
Useful features ................................... 233
Storage compartments ................. 233
Cup holders .................................. 238
Ashtray ......................................... 239
Cigarette lighter............................ 239
Heated steering wheel* ................ 240
Load assist in the trunk ................ 241
Power outlet ................................. 242
Telephone* ................................... 243
Tele Aid......................................... 244
Garage door opener ...................... 251
36 At a glanceDoor control panel
Item
Page
1
Inside door handle
111
2
Switches for opening/clos-
ing door and rear side win-
dows
196
3
Storing seat, mirror and
steering wheel settings
(Memory function)
126
4
Seat heating switch
123
Seat ventilation* switch
125
5
Seat adjustment switch
42,
121
6
Remote trunk opening
switch
112
Remote trunk open-
ing/closing* switch
113
43 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 39).
or
Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ate infant or child restraint recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
i
The memory function (
page 126) lets you
store the settings for the seat position together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
!
When moving the seats, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats.
Otherwise you could damage the seats.
45 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel
Make sure that
you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows
you can move your legs freely
all displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visibleSteering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel adjustment stalk is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering wheel, in or out
2Adjusting steering wheel, up or down
Switch on the ignition (
page 39).
or
Open the driver’s door.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the steering wheel adjustment feature can
be operated when the driver’s door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
i
The memory function (
page 126) lets you
store the settings for the steering wheel together
with the settings for the seat position and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
48 Getting startedAdjustingInterior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 180).
Exterior rear view mirrorsThe buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button
Switch on the ignition (
page 39).
Press button1 or button2 to select
the desired exterior rear view mirror.
Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Good visibility”
(
page 180).
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
!
If an exterior rear view mirror was forcibly
pushed forward (hit from the rear) or forcibly
pushed rearward (hit from the front), reposition
it by applying firm pressure until it snaps into
place. The mirror housing is then properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror in the usual
manner.
i
At low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
i
The memory function (
page 126) lets you
store the setting for the exterior rear view mir-
rors together with the settings for the steering
wheel and the seat position.
101 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Retractable hardtop
Driving systems
Useful features
126 Controls in detailMemory functionPrior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(page 68) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213.With the memory switch you can store up
to three different settings.
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the driver’s door:
Driver’s seat and backrest position
Steering wheel position
Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position
Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror position
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the passenger door:
Passenger seat and backrest positionThe memory switch is located on the door
control panel.
M Memory button
1, 2, 3 Stored positions
Switch on the ignition (
page 39).
or
Open the respective door.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function on the
driver’s side while driving. Activating the
memory function while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.