370 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with SmartKey in starter switch turned to
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever must be in neutral
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever must be in neu-
tral positionN and the SmartKey must be in
starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle may
be towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
!To be certain to avoid a possibility of dam-
age to the transmission, however, we recom-
mend the drive shaft be disconnected at the rear
axle drive flange for any towing beyond a short
tow to a nearby garage.
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the electro-hy-
draulic brake system
there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
as that will be necessary to adequately
control the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position2.
372 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing/reinstalling towing eye bolt
Take the towing eye bolt1 from its
storage compartment (
page 353).
1Towing eye bolt
Remove cover from the access hole.
Screw towing eye bolt1 clockwise in
to its stop.
Remove the towing eye bolt when you
no longer need it. To do this, carry out
the above steps in reverse order.
Points to bear in mind
The vehicle must not be tow-started.
If the vehicle is to be towed, only tow it
with all wheels on the ground.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, only tow it with the propeller
shaft disconnected.
Before towing the vehicle, make sure
the battery is connected and charged.
Otherwise you will not be able to switch
on the ignition and move the selector
lever to neutral positionN. There will
then be no power assistance when
steering and braking.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye bolt can be used to pull the
vehicle onto a trailer or transporter for
transporting purposes.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Move the selector lever to neutral
positionN.
!Only secure the tow bar to the towing eye
bolt. The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
!Your vehicle is equipped with a front towing
eye bolt only (
page 372).
You cannot tow other vehicles with your vehicle.
!Due to the low clearance height of the SLR,
care must be taken when loading and unloading
from a transporter to avoid damaging the vehicle
body work.
To secure the vehicle, only tie it down by the
wheels or tires. Otherwise it could be damaged.
389 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with
respect to handling, storing and disposing of
service fluids. Otherwise you could
endanger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of
children.
For health reasons, you should prevent ser-
vice fluids from coming into direct contact
with your skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a
physician immediately.
CapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter9.0 US qt (8.5 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission8.5 US qt (8.0 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle2.3 US qt (2.2 l)Hypoid gear oil SAE 75 W 85
Power steeringapprox. 1.15 US qt (1.1 l)MB Power Steering Fluid
(Pentosin CHF 11S)
Brake system1.6 US qt (1.5 l)MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
400 Technical terms
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 284)
DOT
(D
epartment of Transportation)
(
page 284)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine
produced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measure of the internal oil friction (vis-
cosity) at different temperatures. The
higher the temperature the oil can tol-
erate without thinning too much, or the
lower the temperature it can tolerate
without thickening too much, the bet-
ter the viscosity characteristics of the
oil.ESP
®
(Eectronic Stability Program)
Improves vehicle handling and
directional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency Tensioning Device)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem’s threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
GAWR
(G
ross Axle Weight Rating)
(
page 284)
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector lever
or the steering wheel gearshift control
buttons.GPS
(G
lobal Positioning System)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
GVW
(G
ross Vehicle Weight)
(
page 284)
GVWR
(G
ross Vehicle Weight Rating)
(
page 285)
Head-thorax air bag
Installed in the doors, these air bags
protect occupants during side impact
collisions exceeding a preset thresh-
old. Unlike normal side air bags,
head-thorax air bags are also designed
to provide protection for the head area.
402 Technical terms
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles,
including
engine
clutch/torque converter
transmission
transfer case
drive shaft
differential
axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 285)
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic trans-
mission between sport operation (S),
comfort operation (C) and manual
operation (MAN).
PSI
(P
ounds per square inch)
(
page 285)Recommended tire inflation pressure
(
page 285)
REST
(Residual Engine Heat Utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the
engine has been turned off.
Rim
(
page 285)
RON
(R
esearch Octane Number)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Electro-hydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of park
position P without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Sidewall
(page 285)
SRS
(S
upplemental Restraint System)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and air bags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.
405 Index
A
ABS 81, 399
Indicator lamp 29, 302
Messages in the multifunction
display 316, 317
ABS/ESP
®
Warning lamp 29, 300
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 173
Accessory weight 284
Accident 54
ACL 399
Messages in the multifunction
display 323
Additional turn signals, Exterior
mirror 360Air bags 62
Children 63
Front, Driver 65
Front, Passenger 66
Head-thorax 65, 66
Knee 66
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 67
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 70
Safety guidelines 64
Air conditioning system see Automatic cli-
mate control
Air distribution 191, 192
Air pressure 284
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 195
Air vents 187
Air volume 191, 193Airbrake 31, 89
Automatic mode 91
Emergency braking 91
Manual mode 90
Message in the multifunction
display 327
Test Mode 90
Warning lamp 29, 307
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 390, 396
Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 182
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system 92
Immobilizer 92
Tow-away alarm 94
Anti-theft wheel nuts 288
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest 206
406 Index
Ashtray 208
Aspect ratio 284
AUDIO menu 126
Audio system 31, 145
Button and soft key operation 148
Cassette operation 154
CD operation 158
Location 145
Operating and display elements 146
Operating safety 145
Operation 148
Radio operation 151
Switching on/off 148
Telephone operation 162, 210
Auto-dimming, Interior rear view
mirror 182
Automatic car wash 296
Automatic central locking, Control
system 104, 139Automatic climate control 186
Adjusting air volume 193
Air conditioning refrigerant 391
Air conditioning, Cooling 196
Air distribution 191, 192
Air recirculation mode 195
Air vents 187
Air volume 191
Control panel 188
Deactivating system 190
Defrosting 185, 194
MAXCOOL 193
Residual heat utilization 197
Side air vents 31
Temperature 191
Temperature sensor 33
Automatic headlamp mode 107
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 112Automatic transmission 169
Accelerator position 173
Damage 372
Driving tips 173
Emergency operation (Limp-Home
Mode) 181
Gear ranges 174
Gear selector lever 32, 169
Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 175
Gear selector lever position 171
Gear shifting malfunctions 181
Kickdown 173
Manual shift program 179
Shift program mode selector
switch 175
Shifting procedure 170
Starting the engine 47
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting 177
Towing 372
Transmission fluid level 254
Automatic transmission fluid 254
409 Index
D
Daytime running lamp mode 108
Setting 135
Deep water see Standing water
Defogging, Windshield 194
Defrosting, Front 194
Defrosting, Rear 185
Delayed switch-off
Exterior lamps 136
Interior lighting 137
Department of Transportation see DOT
Differential
Message in the multifunction
display 338
Difficulties
While driving 54
With starting 49
Digital clock see Clock
Digital speedometer 122
Dimensions, Vehicle 387
Direction of rotation, Tires 261
Display elements, Audio system 146Displays
Digital speedometer 122
Maintenance service indicator 292
Multifunction display 117
Outside temperature 116, 122
Symbol messages 327
Text messages 316
Vehicle status messages 128, 314
Distance to empty 140
Distance to empty (range), Trip
computer 140
Door
Control panel 34
Entry lamps 112
Handle, Inside 34
Handle, Outside 38
Locking/unlocking, SmartKey 38, 98
Message in the multifunction
display 352
Opening from inside/outside 38,
101
Remote door unlock, Tele Aid 220
Unlocking in an emergency 356DOT 284
Drinking and driving 235
Driving 45, 50
Abroad 243
Hints, Electro-hydraulic brake
system 88
Hydroplaning 241
In winter 242
Instructions 45, 235
Problems 54
Safety systems 81
Systems 203
Through standing water 243
Tips, Automatic transmission 173
Driving safety systems 81
ABS 81
BAS 83
Electro-hydraulic brake system 86
Electronic traction system 85
ESP
®83
Driving systems
Cruise control 203
Dust cover 228