2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR CLASS steering wheel

117 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. 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
display, 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
display field shows the outside tempera-
ture and main odometer, while the trip
odometer and the clock appears in the
right display field. This default setting is
referred to as the standard display.
Standard display
1Main odometer
2Outside temperature (
page 132)
3Current gear selector lever
position/gear range
4Trip odometer
5Automatic transmission shift program
mode
6Clock
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, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit 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 (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.

118 Controls in detail
Control system
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel (
page 30).
1Left multifunction display in the
speedometer
2Right multifunction display in the
tachometer
Operating the control system
3Selecting the submenu or setting the
volume:
Press button
æup/to increase
çdown/to decrease
4Telephone:
Press button
íto take a call
to dial
to redial
ìto end a call
to reject an incoming call
5Menu systems:
Press button
èfor next menu
ÿfor previous menu
6Moving within a menu:
Press button
jfor next display
kfor previous display

119 Controls in detail
Control system
Depending on the selected menu, pressing
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel will alter what appears in the
multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or
submenus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being
arranged in a circular pattern.

If you press buttonè orÿ
repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.

If you press buttonk orj
repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
Settings menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For
instructions on using these submenus, see
“Settings menu” (
page 129).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
The menus are described on the following
pages.

141 Controls in detail
Control system
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 the radio.
Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL menu in the left multifunction
display.Which messages will appear in the right
multifunction display field depends on
whether your telephone is switched on or
off:

If the telephone is off, the message in
the multifunction display is:
TEL OFF.

If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the right
multifunction display is empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network,
READY is indicated in the right
multifunction display.
1Signal strength
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can
operate it using the control system.
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 mobile telephone while driving a
vehicle.
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.
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.

162 Controls in detail
Audio system
Telephone operationVarious car telephone functions and oper-
ating steps for the car telephone can be
performed and displayed via the audio
system.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating
instructions for the multifunction steering
wheel and the telephone.
Switching on the telephone
Pressh button.
If you have programmed an unlock
code for the telephone, you must enter
the code now.
Enter the code using buttons4
toM.
If necessary, correct number entered
with the
CLR key. Press key briefly to
delete the last digit entered; press key
and hold to delete the complete
number.
Press theOK key after entering correct
code.
The telephone is unlocked. If you have
entered the wrong code, you must re-
peat the entering procedure with the
correct code.
Switching off the telephone
Pressh button repeatedly until
PHONE OFF appears in the display.
The receiving symbol in the display
disappears.
Adjusting the volume
Turn control knoba during tele-
phone operation.
The volume increases or decreases de-
pending on the direction in which the
knob is turned.
Warning!G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. 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
telephone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
mobile telephone while driving a vehicle.
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.
1Observe all legal requirements.
iThe volume can be adjusted separately for
the telephone and radio.

173 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
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 park
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
iKickdown in manual shift program MAN is
not possible.
In kickdown operation, it is not possible to
change gear with the steering wheel gear shift
buttons.
Warning!G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.

174 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in shift programC
orS, you can select a gear range for the
automatic transmission to operate within.
Gear selector lever (
page 175):
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 buttons/paddles
(
page 177):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the left gearshift button or pulling the left
gearshift paddle, and reverse the gear
range limit by pressing the right gearshift
button or pulling the right gearshift paddle.The selected gear range appears in the
right multifunction display (
page 117).
iIf, when driving in shift programC and S the
maximum engine speed for the gear range has
been reached, the transmission shifts up auto-
matically, even if the gear range is restricted. In
shift program MAN the transmission will not
shift up automatically.
Effect
éThe transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
èThe transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use the
braking effect of the engine.
Effect
çThe transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s braking
power when driving:

on steep downgrades

in mountainous regions

under extreme operating
conditions
æThe transmission operates in the
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting
With the gear selector lever in drive posi-
tion D and driving in shift programC orS,
you can limit or extend the gear range.
With the MAN shift program activated, you
can use the steering wheel gearshift con-
trol to manually shift the gears.The steering wheel gearshift buttons/pad-
dles are located on the left and right side
of the steering wheel.
Steering wheel gearshift buttons
1Left shift button: limiting gear range or
downshift (in shift programMAN)
2Right shift button: extending gear
range or upshift (in shift programMAN)
Steering wheel gearshift paddles (only
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition)
1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in shift programMAN)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in shift programMAN)
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the gear selector lever when driving
in the shift programC orS.
iFor information on using the steering wheel
gearshift control in shift program MAN, see
“Manual shift program” (
page 179).
!Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park 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.
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift buttons/paddles when the gear selec-
tor lever is in positionP,N orR.