Our company and staff congratulate you on the purchase of your new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Your selection of our product is a demonstration of your trust in our company name. Furthermore, it exemplifies your desire to own
an automobile that will be as easy as possible to operate and provide years of service.
Should you have any questions, please contact your dealer contact for your Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren or call us at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada). Your dealer contact will co-ordinate appointments for servicing of
your vehicle and clarify any issues arising from the use of your Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Your Mercedes-Benz represents the efforts of many skilled engineers and craftsmen. To help assure your driving pleasure, and also
the safety of you and your passengers, we ask you to make a small investment of time:
P le as e r e a d t h i s m a n u a l c ar e f u ll y , t h e n r e tu r n i t to y o ur v e h i c le w h e r e i t w i l l b e h an d y f o r y o u r r e f e r e n c e .
Please follow the recommendations contained in this manual. They are designed to acquaint you with the operation of your
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Please pay attention to the warnings and cautions contained in this manual. They are designed to help improve the safety of the
vehicle operator and occupants.
We extend our best wishes for many miles of safe, pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company
Contents
Safety and Security........................... 58
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 62
Occupant Classification System ..... 67
Seat belts ....................................... 71
Children in the vehicle .................... 75
Panic alarm .......................................... 80
Activating ....................................... 80
Deactivating ................................... 80
Driving safety systems ......................... 81
ABS ................................................ 81
BAS ................................................ 83
ESP
®............................................... 83
Electro-hydraulic brake system ...... 86
Performance enhancement system ..... 89
Airbrake.......................................... 89
Anti-theft systems................................ 92
Immobilizer..................................... 92
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 92
Tow-away alarm ............................. 94
Controls in detail............................... 96
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
Opening the doors ....................... 101
Opening the trunk ........................ 102
Closing the trunk lid ..................... 103
Trunk emergency release ............. 104
Automatic locking ........................ 104
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 105
Lighting.............................................. 106
Exterior lamp switch..................... 106
Combination switch ..................... 110
Hazard warning flasher ................ 111
Interior lighting............................. 112
Courtesy lighting .......................... 113
Trunk lamp ................................... 113
Instrument cluster ............................. 114
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 114
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 115
Resetting trip odometer ............... 115
Tachometer .................................. 116
Outside temperature indicator ..... 116Control system .................................. 117
Multifunction display.................... 117
Multifunction steering wheel........ 118
Menus .......................................... 120
Standard display menu ................ 122
722 Edition menu......................... 123
AUDIO menu ................................ 126
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 128
Settings menu .............................. 129
Trip computer menu..................... 139
TEL menu ..................................... 141
Audio system ..................................... 145
Audio and telephone, operation ... 145
Operating safety .......................... 145
Location of the audio system ....... 145
Operating and display elements... 146
Button and soft key operation...... 148
Operation ..................................... 148
Radio operation ........................... 151
Cassette operation ...................... 154
CD changer operation .................. 158
Telephone operation .................... 162
Automatic transmission ..................... 169
Gear selector lever....................... 169
Shifting procedure ....................... 170
14 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in
damage to the vehicle or personal injury to
you or others. Vehicle damage caused by
failure to follow instructions is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper
procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions
in this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, an authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:
New Car Limited Warranty,
Emission System Warranty,
Emission Performance Warranty,
California, Maine, Massachusetts and
Vermont1 Emission Control System
Warranty (California, Maine, Massa-
chusetts and Vermont
1 only),
State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws).
1At time of printing, the decision regarding compli-
ance with Vermont certification regulations was
still pending. The vehicle may not be permitted to
be registered in Vermont. Check with an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for details.
19 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
Trademarks:
ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler.
HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure. page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term
definitions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display and audio dis-
play are printed in the type
shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.
20 Introduction
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:
the safety precautions in this manual
the “Technical data” section in this
manual
traffic rules and regulations
motor vehicle laws and safety
standards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair fa-
cility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or
personal injury.
29 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
1Coolant temperature gauge
with115
DCoolant temperature
warning lamp306
2Speedometer with
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only303
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only303
vABS/ESP® warning
lamp300
>Gearshift indicator
lamp307
indicator lamp
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
ItemPage
3Left multifunction display
with
Outside temperature116
Main odometer 117
4Reset button114
5Tachometer with116
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator110
?Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, USA only304
±Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, Canada
only304
-Antilock Brake System
(ABS) indicator lamp302
XLow tire pressure
telltale311
ItemPage
1Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS)
indicator lamp310
with
Current gear selector lever
position/gear range117,
171,
174
Trip odometer117
Automatic transmission
shift program mode117,
175
Clock133
=Engine oil temperature
indicator307
7Fuel gauge with
AFuel reserve warning
lamp 307
31 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper partItemPage
1Central locking switch105
2Hazard warning flasher
on/off switch111
3Central unlocking switch105
4Air temperature controls for
center and side air vents192
5Air volume controls for center
and side air vents193
6Selects the shift program
mode175
ItemPage
7Selects the Airbrake mode89
8Selects the manual shift
program mode179
9Audio system120,
145
aAutomatic climate control186
bEngine start button48
39 Getting started
Unlocking
Press the front part of the door
handle5.
The door swings outwards and
upwards automatically.
Enter the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 98).
Warning!G
Always stand to the rear of the door before
opening it, otherwise the opening action
may cause injury. Outside temperature may
affect door opening speed.
!Ensure sufficient side- and overhead
clearance prior to opening the doors, see “Main
dimensions” (
page 387).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!G
Only Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
722 Edition:
Because of the carbon fiber the footwell
could be slippery when wet. Be careful when
entering the vehicle with wet shoe soles,
you could slip on it.