2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 Clock

403 Practical hints
Locking/unlocking in an emergency
Locking/unlocking in an emergency
Unlocking the vehicle
If you cannot unlock the vehicle using the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, unlock the
driver’s door and the trunk using the
mechanical key.
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key
Move locking tab 1 direction of arrow
and slide the mechanical key 2 out of
the housing.Unlocking the driver’s door
Insert mechanical key 2 into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn mechanical key 2 counterclock-
wise to position 1.
The driver’s door is unlocked. You can
now open the driver’s door.
iUnlocking the vehicle with the mechanical
key and opening the driver’s door or the trunk
will trigger the anti-theft alarm system
(
page 98).
To cancel the alarm, insert the SmartKey or the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter
switch.
1Unlocking
2Mechanical key

404 Practical hints
Locking/unlocking in an emergency
Unlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 6.2 ft
(1.89 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Insert mechanical key 3 into the trunk
lid lock until it stops.
Turn mechanical key 3 counterclock-
wise to position 1.
The trunk is unlocked
Pull handle 2 and lift lid.
Turn mechanical key 3 back and
remove it from the trunk lid lock.
Unlocking the glove box
Lockable storage areas in the passenger
compartment include:

the glove box

the storage compartment under the
armrest

the rear storage compartments
If these cannot be unlocked by means of
the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*, use the mechanical key to
unlock the glove box.
Slide mechanical key 2 out of
SmartKey housing (
page 403).
Insert mechanical key 2 into the glove
box lock and turn it counterclockwise
to position1.
You can now open the glove box.
1Unlocking
2Handle
3Mechanical key
iTo unlock the remaining storage compart-
ments, the cause for the malfunction of the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
must be determined and corrected, see
(
page 105) and (page 109).
1Separately unlocking the glove box
2Mechanical key

405 Practical hints
Locking/unlocking in an emergency
Locking the vehicle
If you cannot lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey, lock it with the mechanical key
as follows:
Close the passenger door and the
trunk.
Press the central locking switch in the
center console (
page 122).
Check whether the locking knob on the
passenger door has moved down.
If necessary push it down manually.
Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 403).
Check whether the trunk is locked.
If necessary, lock the trunk with the
mechanical key (
page 120).
Except for the driver’s door, the vehicle
should now be locked.
Insert mechanical key 2 into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn mechanical key 2 clockwise to
position 1.
The driver’s door is locked.
iUnlocking the glove box with the mechanical
key will trigger the anti-theft alarm system. To
cancel the alarm, do one of the following:

Press button Œ or ‹on the
SmartKey.

Insert the SmartKey in the starter switch.

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 41).

Grasp an outside door handle (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO* only).
1Locking
2Mechanical key
iThis procedure does not arm the anti-theft
alarm system, nor does it lock the fuel filler flap
and the storage compartments.
The storage compartments can be locked
separately (
page 240).

412 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
4High beam bulbs
5Locking mechanism
6Parking and standing lampsFront turn signal bulb
Turn bulb socket 1 (page 411)
counterclockwise and pull it out.
Push the bulb into socket 1, turn
socket 1 counterclockwise and
remove it.
Insert the new bulb in bulb socket 1,
push and turn bulb socket 1 clock-
wise.
Reinsert bulb socket 1 in lamp hous-
ing and turn bulb socket 1 clockwise.High beam/high beam flasher bulbs
Press ends of headlamp cover tab
together and remove high beam head-
lamp cover 2 (
page 411).
Pull the electrical connector off.
Turn locking mechanism 5 counter-
clockwise and take out the bulb.
Insert the new bulb so that the base
locates in the recess on the holder.
Turn locking mechanism 5 clockwise.
Plug the connector onto the bulb.
Align high beam headlamp cover 2
and click it into place.Warning!G
Do not remove the cover for the Xenon or
Bi-Xenon* headlamp. Because of high
voltage in Xenon and Bi-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.

414 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a rear
lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
position M (
page 131).
Open the trunk (page 114).
Tail lamp unit
1Backup lamp
2Driver’s side: Rear fog lamp
Passenger’s side: Substitute lamp
3Turn signal lamp
Fold the trim to the side and remove it.
Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull it out.
Gently push the bulb into the socket,
turn it counterclockwise and remove it.
Insert the new bulb and reinstall the
bulb socket.
The bulb socket should audibly click
into place.
Reinstall the trim.License plate lamp
1Screws
Loosen both screws 1.
Remove the license plate lamp.
Replace the bulb.
Reinstall the license plate lamp.
Retighten screws 1.

418 Practical hints
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described
(
page 417).
Turn spare wheel bracket counter-
clockwise to loosen.
Take the spare wheel out of the trunk
(
page 401).
Removing tensioning straps
(vehicles with 19" spare wheel only)
A 19" spare wheel has two tensioning
straps on it that must both be removed be-
fore mounting the spare wheel.1Buckle
2Clip
Press on both clips 2 simultaneously
to release buckle 1.Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizeable
objects.
When changing wheel on a level
surface:
Place one wheel chock or other
sizeable object in front of and
another wheel chock or sizeable
object behind the wheel that is
diagonally opposite to the wheel
being changed.
Always try lifting the vehicle using the
jack on a level surface. However,
should circumstances require you to do
so on a hill, place a wheel chock or
other sizeable object and the other
wheel chock or sizeable object as
follows:
Place wheel chocks or other size-
able objects on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the axle not
being worked on.
iThe tensioning straps are shown in red for
illustration purposes. The tensioning straps on
the spare wheel of your vehicle are black.iKeep the tensioning straps in a safe place.
You will need them to store the spare wheel in
the trunk after use (
page 402).

421 Practical hints
Flat tire
Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank3 clockwise until the jack base
meets the ground. Make sure the jack
is vertical (plumb line).
Continue to turn the crank until the tire
is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt. This
could result in damage to the bolt and wheel hub
threads.
Warning!G
Inflate spare wheel tire only after the wheel
is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the
electric pump (
page 422) before lowering
the vehicle.

424 Practical hints
Flat tire
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.
Lowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until the full weight of the
vehicle is resting on the ground.
Pull the jack out of the jack support
tube.1 - 5 Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly,
following the diagonal sequence
illustrated (1 to 5), until all bolts
are tight. Observe a tightening torque
of 96 lb-ft (130 Nm).
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.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iThe flat tire may be transported in the trunk
when the retractable hardtop is raised. If avail-
able, use a protective sheet on the spare wheel.
Vehicles with TPMS or Advanced TPMS*:
Do not activate the tire inflation pressure moni-
tor until a full size wheel/tire with functioning
sensor has been placed back into service on the
vehicle.
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
96 lb-ft (130 Nm).