2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR center console

70 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is located in lower part of the center
console.
1Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp1 will be illuminated, except with
the SmartKey removed or in starter switch
position0.iDeployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the passenger front air bag also
should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 67)
may have determined:

that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag

that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag
Warning!G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
are lit at the same time, there is a malfunc-
tion in the Occupant Classification System.
The passenger front air bag and the passen-
ger knee air bag will be deactivated in this
case.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.

Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp located in the
center console illuminates. If an adult oc-
cupant is properly sitting on the passenger
seat and the system senses the occupant
as being an adult, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp will illuminate and
go out after approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the passenger seat as being empty,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp will illuminate and not go out. For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 312).
Seat belts
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened when ever the vehicle is in motion.
For information on fastening seat belts,
see “Fastening the seat belts” (
page 45).

Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
Warning!G
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp should not illuminate, the system is
not functioning. You must contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center before seating
any child on the passenger seat.
Warning!G
Never place anything between seat
cushion and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it
reduces the effectiveness of the Occupant
Classification System. The bottom of the
child seat must make full contact with the
passenger seat cushion. An incorrectly
mounted child seat could cause injuries to
the child in case of an accident, instead of
increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
iFor information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 75).

86 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1ESP
® switch
Press ESP® switch1.
The ABS/ESP
® warning lampv in
the instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP
® is deactivated.
Switching on the ESP®
Press ESP® switch1.
The ABS/ESP
® warning lampv in
the instrument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP
® switched on.
Electro-hydraulic brake system
The electro-hydraulic brake system com-
bines a hydraulic brake circuit with elec-
tronically controlled brake servo
assistance. You have increased braking
safety and improved braking comfort.
Warning!G
When the ABS/ESP® warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers reduces.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
Never ignore a brake malfunction indicated
in the speedometer display, for example by
the ; (USA only) or 3 (Canada only)
indicator lamp. Refer to the “Practical hints”
section (
page 303). Also read and ob-
serve the messages in the instrument
cluster multifunction display (
page 329).

90 Safety and Security
Performance enhancement system
The Airbrake switch is on the upper part of
the center console.
Airbrake modes
1Manual
2Automatic
3Test
4Airbrake switch
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
The system runs a self-test to ensure
correct operation of the Airbrake.Test mode
The test mode allows you to check that the
Airbrake is functioning correctly.
This mode can only be activated when the
vehicle is at standstill.
Slide Airbrake switch4 to
position3.
The Airbrake swivels upwards to an
angle of 60°.
Release the Airbrake switch.
The Airbrake returns to its initial
position.Manual mode
In this mode, the Airbrake is set to an angle
of 30° (Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
722 Edition: 35°). The driver downforce
mode enhances stability while reducing
agility.
Slide the Airbrake switch4 to
position1.
The Airbrake swivels upwards to an an-
gle of 30° (Mercedes-Benz SLR
McLaren 722 Edition: 35°) and stays in
this position.
iIn manual mode, the Airbrake automatic
function is activated during hard braking, see
“Automatic mode” (
page 91).
!Before deactivating manual mode, check
the Airbrake for any objects which may have be-
come lodged, e.g. branches or leaves, and
remove them.
Otherwise the Airbrake can no longer function
correctly.

94 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
Arming tow-away alarm
Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm is automatically
armed after about 30 seconds.Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm,
switch off the tow-away alarm feature
before towing the vehicle, or when parking
on a surface subject to movement, such as
a ferry or auto train.
The button is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Tow-away alarm off button
2Indicator lamp
Switch off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.
Press button 1.
Indicator lamp2 in button1 comes
on briefly.
Exit and lock your vehicle with the
SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed
until you lock your vehicle again.
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
Press buttonŒ or‹ on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is triggered,
for example, if the vehicle is lifted on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than 30 seconds,
a call to the Response Center is initiated auto-
matically by the Tele Aid system (
page 221)
provided Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary cellular
service and GPS coverage are available.
iWhen you unlock your vehicle, the tow-away
protection disarms automatically. The tow-away
alarm remains disarmed until you lock the
vehicle again.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm while
the ignition is switched on.

102 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Pull on door handle1.
The door swings outwards and up-
wards automatically.Opening the trunk
Opening the trunk from the outside
A minimum height clearance of
5.5 ft (1.65 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
1Trunk lock
2Handle The vehicle must be unlocked.
Pull on handle2 and lift the trunk lid.
The trunk can also be opened using
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or from its
inside in an emergency, see “Trunk emer-
gency release” (
page 104).
Opening the trunk from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of
5.5 ft (1.65 m) is required to open the
trunk lid.
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
!Ensure sufficient side- and overhead clear-
ance prior to opening the doors, see “Main di-
mensions” (
page 387).
iIf the vehicle has previously been locked
with the SmartKey, opening a door from the
inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:

Press buttonŒ or‹ on the
SmartKey.

Insert the SmartKey in the starter switch.
!Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.

105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the vehicle from in-
side using the central locking switches.
This can be useful, for example, if you want
to unlock the passenger door from the in-
side or want to lock the vehicle before
starting to drive.
The central locking switch does not lock or
unlock the fuel filler flap.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.The switches are located on the upper part
of the center console.
Central locking switches
1Locking
2UnlockingLocking
Press central locking switch1.
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Unlocking
Press central locking switch2.
The vehicle unlocks.
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.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally locked
using the SmartKey, it will not unlock using the
central locking switch.
If the vehicle was previously locked with the
central locking switch

while in the global remote control mode, the
complete vehicle is unlocked when a door is
opened from the inside

while in the selective remote control mode,
only the door opened from the inside is
unlocked

111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch.
The hazard warning flasher switches on
automatically when an air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is
located on the upper part of the center
console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals are flashing.Switching off hazard warning flasherPress hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
iWith the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective turn signals will
operate when the ignition is switched on.
iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard warning
flasher switch1 once to switch it off.