2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 steering wheel

137 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
To brighten illumination
Turn reset button 1 in the instrument
cluster clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn reset button 1 in the instrument
cluster counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature gauge
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display (
page 139).

If it is not displayed, press the j or
k button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears.

Press and hold reset button1
(page 136) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!
Excessive coolant temperature triggers the
coolant temperature warning lamp (
page 337)
and a warning in the multifunction display
(
page 371).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Doing so
may cause serious engine damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
i
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature may
rise close to 248°F (120°C).

139 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon
as the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button is in
position 1. The control system enables
you to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
The multifunction display consists of the
display fields in the speedometer and the
tachometer. In its default state, the left
multifunction display shows the main
odometer and the outside temperature,
while the trip odometer appears in the
right multifunction display. This default
setting is referred to as the standard
display.
1Main odometer
2Outside temperature
3Current gear selector lever position
4Trip odometer
5Automatic transmission program mode
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just
30 mph (approximately 50 km / h), your
vehicle is covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.

140 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
Depending on the selected menu, pressing
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel will alter what appears in the multi-
function display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
1
Left multifunction display in the
speedometer
2
Right multifunction display in the
tachometerOperating the control system
3
Selecting the submenu or setting the
volume:
Press buttonçdown / to decreaseæup / to increase
4
Telephone*:
Press buttonsto take a calltto end a call
5
Menu systems:
Press buttonÿfor previous menuèfor next menu
6
Moving within a menu:
Press buttonjfor next displaykfor previous display

163 Controls in detail
Control system

Move the selection marker with the
æ orç button to the
Conve-
nience
submenu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see
Activate Easy-entry
feature
in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ or ç to switch the
easy-entry/exit feature
On or
Off
.
Trip computer menu
Use the trip computer menu to call up sta-
tistical data on your vehicle. The following
information is available:
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel adjustment, do one
of the following:

Move steering column stalk
(page 45).


Press the memory button (
page 126).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Function
Page
Fuel consumption statistics after
start
164
Fuel consumption statistics
since last reset
164
Distance to empty
165
i
The last function called up will reappear the
next time you enter the trip computer menu.

165 Controls in detail
Control system
Distance to empty
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
multifunction display:
Range
.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the calculated range based on
the current fuel tank level.
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.

Switch on the telephone and COMAND.

Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL
menu in the left multifunction
display.
i
If only very little fuel is left in the tank, a ve-
hicle at the fuel pump is shown instead of the
range.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

172 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionStopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling and/or on a hill:

Set the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Working on the vehicle
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic shift
programC orS (
page 173), you can
select a gear range for the automatic
transmission to operate within:
Gear selector lever (page 174):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control*
(
page 175):
You can limit the gear range by pulling the
left gearshift paddle on the steering wheel
gearshift control, and reverse the gear
range limit by pulling the right gearshift
paddle on the steering wheel gearshift
control.
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the right multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This may
involve shifting down one or more gears.Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting*
Steering wheel gearshift control is avail-
able on vehicles with Sport Package*, on
SL 55 AMG, and on SL 65 AMG only.
The steering wheel gearshift control pro-
vides an alternative method for changing
the gears manually and limiting or extend-
ing the gear range for automatic shifting
with the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.The gearshift paddles are located to the
left and right of the steering wheel.
1Left shift paddle: downshift
2Right shift paddle: upshifti
For information on using the steering wheel
gearshift control in program mode MANUAL
(SL 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG only), see “Manual
shift program” (
page 177).
i
To avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting with the steering wheel gearshift paddle,
the transmission will not shift to a lower gear if
the engine’s max. speed would be exceeded.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking positionP
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

176 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionThe following instructions describe opera-
tion of the steering wheel gearshift control
when driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.
For instructions on operating the steering
wheel gearshift control and gear selector
lever in the program mode MANUAL, see
“Manual shift program
(SL55AMGandSL65AMG only)”
(page 177).Downshifting

Briefly pull left shift paddle1
(page 175).
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 172).Upshifting

Briefly pull right shift paddle2
(page 175).
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission
(
page 172).
Canceling gear range limit

Pull and hold right shift paddle2
(page 175) until
D reappears in the
right multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Pull and hold left shift paddle1
(page 175).
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
i
You cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift paddle when the gear selector lever is
in positionP,N orR.
The last selected program mode (CorS) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.