2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 service interval

12 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for ser-
vice. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number:
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program brochure in your vehicle literature
portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer Ser-
vice (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It is in
your own interest that we can contact you
should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In-
formation Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.

278 OperationEngine compartmentChecking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (SL 550 only)
When checking the oil level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the vehicle must have been stationary
for at least 5 minutes with the engine
turned off
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark

Open the hood (
page 274).

Pull out oil dipstick 1.

Wipe oil dipstick 1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick 1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick 1 again after ap-
proximately 3 seconds to obtain accu-
rate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween lower mark 3 (min.) and upper
mark 2 (max.) of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine
oil (
page 278).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 444) and
(
page 446).
For information on messages in the multi-
function display concerning engine oil, see
the “Practical hints” section (
page 375).Adding engine oil
i
In vehicles without an oil dipstick, the engine
oil level is measured via the control
system (
page 276).
i
The filling quantity between the upper and
lower marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!
Only use approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles). For a
listing of approved engine oils and oil filters, re-
fer to the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet in your vehicle literature portfolio, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specification
other than those expressly required for the Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of 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.

281 Operation
Engine compartment
Battery
Your vehicle is equipped with two batter-
ies:

The starter battery (located in the en-
gine compartment)


The battery for electrical consumers
(located in the trunk)
These batteries should always be suffi-
ciently charged in order to achieve their
rated service life. Refer to Maintenance
Booklet for battery maintenance intervals.
If you use your vehicle mostly for
short-distance trips, you will need to have
the battery charge checked more frequent-
ly.
When replacing batteries, always use bat-
teries approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If you do not intend to operate your vehicle
for an extended period of time, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center about
steps you need to observe.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.
Warning!
G
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking
are prohibited when handling
batteries. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Do not
allow it to come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective cloth-
ing, especially gloves, apron and
faceguard.
Wear eye protection.
Rinse any acid spills immediate-
ly with clear water. Contact a
physician if necessary.
Keep children away.
Follow the instructions in this
Operator’s Manual.

319 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Maintenance Booklet at the times
called for by the maintenance service indi-
cator.
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
and the maintenance service indicator at
the designated times/mileage may result
in vehicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Maintenance service indicator
message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage will notify you when your next mainte-
nance service is due.
Starting approximately 1 month before
your next maintenance service is due, one
of the following messages will appear in
the right multifunction display while you
are driving or when you switch on the igni-
tion (example service A):
Service A in XXXXX miles (km)
Service A in XXX days
Service A Due now
The type of maintenance service due is in-
dicated in the left multifunction display:
9Basic service (A)½
Extended service (B)Clearing the maintenance service indi-
cator message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage is automatically cleared after approx-
imately 30 seconds


after you have switched on the ignition


after you have reached the mainte-
nance service threshold while driving
You can also clear the maintenance ser-
vice indicator message yourself.
i
Vehicles equipped with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) only:
The Maintenance System tracks distance driven
and the time elapsed since the last maintenance
service, calculates other maintenance service
work required, and calls for the next mainte-
nance service accordingly.
i
Vehicles equipped with FSS (Flexible Ser-
vice System) only (Canada vehicles):
The interval between maintenance services de-
pends on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the avoid-
ance of short-distance trips will lengthen the in-
terval between services.

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.

449 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
In areas where carbon deposits may be en-
countered due to lack of availability of gas-
olines 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 di-
rections on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

corrosion protection


freeze protection


boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The re-
placement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration or bring it back up to the proper
level.
!
Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.