397 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs
Bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp ad-
justment.
Warning!
G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:
touch or move it when hot
drop the bulb
scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
i
If the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of high humid-
ity, driving the vehicle a distance with the lights
on should clear up the fogging.
i
Auxiliary bulbs will be brought into use when
the following lamps malfunction:
Turn signal lamps
Brake lamps
Parking lamps
Tail lamps
Observe the messages in the multifunction dis-
play (page 347).
398 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsFront lamps Rear lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn signal
LED
2
Turn signal lamp
1156 NA
3
Low beam
1
1Vehicles with Xenon or Bi-Xenon* headlamps:
Low beam and high beam use the same D2S-35W
lamp. Do not replace the Xenon and Bi-Xenon*
bulbs yourself. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
D2S-35 W
4
Xenon headlamp:
High beam, high beam
flasher
H7 (55 W)
Bi-Xenon headlamp*:
High beam flasher
H7 (55 W)
Parking and standing
lamp
W 5 W
5
Front fog lamp, Cor-
ner-illuminating front
fog lamp
H11 (55 W)
6
Side marker lamp
W 5 W
Lamp
Type
7
Rear fog lamp
(driver’s side only)
P 21 W
8
High mounted brake
lamp
LED
9
Backup lamp
P 21 W
a
Tail, parking and
standing lamp, side
marker lamp
LED
b
Brake lamp
LED
c
License plate lamp
C 5 W
d
Turn signal lamp
PY 21 W
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.
405 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to P.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Turn off the engine (
page 62).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button on the gear
selector lever once (
page 62).
Open the driver’s door (this puts
the starter switch in position 0,
same as with the SmartKey re-
moved from the starter switch). The
driver’s door then can be closed
again.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
i
Open door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure and do
not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
407 Practical hints
Flat tire
Take the vehicle tool kit and the jack
out of the storage compartment under
the trunk floor (
page 388).
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The jack support tubes are located behind
the front wheel housings and in front of the
rear wheel housings.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack tubes built into
both sides of the vehicle. To help avoid per-
sonal injury, use the jack only to lift the ve-
hicle during a wheel change. Never get
beneath the vehicle while it is supported by
the jack. Keep hands and feet away from the
area under the lifted vehicle. Always firmly
set parking brake and block wheels before
raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully inserted in the jack tube. Always lower
the vehicle onto sufficient capacity jack-
stands before working under the vehicle.
Warning!
G
When turning the wheel wrench to loosen
the wheel bolts, make sure you position
hands on the wrench in such a way that you
avoid injury to yourself, such as scraping
your hands against the wheel. Make sure
turning the wheel wrench will not scratch or
damage the wheel rim.
411 Practical hints
Flat tire
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever once
without depressing the brake pedal.
PressI on the electric air pump
switch2.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.
Inflate the spare tire:
SL 550 to 36 psi (2.5 bar)
SL 600, SL 55 AMG, SL 55 AMG
(Performance Package*), and
SL 65 AMG to 51 psi (3.5 bar)
This takes about 5 minutes.
Air hose4 and union nut5 can be-
come hot during inflation. Exercise
proper caution to avoid burning your-
self when using the equipment.
Press0 on the electric air pump
switch2.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
or
Press KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
on the gear selector lever twice without
depressing the brake pedal.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.
If the spare tire inflation pressure is
above the recommended tire inflation
pressure for the respective collapsible
tire (
page 440), release excess spare
tire inflation pressure using the vent
screw.
Detach the electric air pump.
Stow the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.
!
Compare the recommended tire inflation
pressure for your vehicle with the tire inflation
pressure on the yellow label located on the spare
wheel rim.
If the tire inflation pressure on the yellow label
on the spare wheel rim differs from the values
given in this Operator’s Manual, inflate the tire to
the recommended tire inflation pressure given
on the yellow label on the spare wheel rim.
!
Do not operate the electric air pump longer
than 8 minutes without interruption. Otherwise it
may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again after it has
cooled off.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
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).
416 Practical hintsBatteries
Disconnecting the batteries
Apply the parking brake (
page 61).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to position P (
page 168).
Close the retractable hardtop
(page 199).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (
page 62).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Open
the driver’s door.
Open the trunk.
Read and observe safety instructions
and precautions (
page 281).
Open the luggage cover in the trunk
(page 206).
Remove the trunk floor.
The battery for electrical consumers is
located in the right hand area of the
trunk (
page 388).
Use the 10 mm open-end wrench from
the vehicle tool kit to disconnect the
negative lead from negative
terminal5 of the consumer battery
(page 414).
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect
the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
!
Always disconnect the batteries in the order
described below, even if you only want to charge
the starter battery, for example. Otherwise the
vehicle’s electronics can be damaged.