2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 mirror

252 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically following an accident in
which the emergency tensioning devices
(ETDs) or air bags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 253) for instruc-
tions on initiating an emergency call man-
ually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
Connecting Call
appears in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted. When the con-
nection is established, the message
Call Connected appears in the multifunc-
tion display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the ve-
hicle (determined by the GPS satellite loca-
tion system), vehicle model, identification
number and color are generated.A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
The Response Center will attempt to deter-
mine more precisely the nature of the
emergency provided they can speak to an
occupant of the vehicle.
The Tele Aid system is available if

it has been activated and is operational
Activation requires a subscription for
monitoring services, connection and
cellular air time.

the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the Response
Center
iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only pos-
sible if the vehicle is able to receive signals from
the GPS satellite network and pass the informa-
tion on to the Response Center.
Warning!G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

258 Controls in detail
Useful features
Interior rear view mirror with integrated
remote control
1Indicator lamp
2 3 4Signal transmitter button
Needed for programming (not part of
vehicle equipment):
5Hand-held remote control of
garage door opener, gate
operator or other device
6Hand-held remote control
buttonProgramming the integrated remote
control
Step 1:
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Warning!G
Before programming the integrated remote
control to a garage door opener or gate
operator, make sure people and objects are
out of the way of the device to prevent po-
tential harm or damage. When programming
a garage door opener, the door moves up or
down. When programming a gate operator,
the gate opens or closes.
Do not use the integrated remote control
with any garage door opener that lacks
safety stop and reverse features as required
by U.S. federal safety standards (this
includes any garage door opener model
manufactured before April 1, 1982).
A garage door that cannot detect an object
– signaling the door to stop and reverse –
does not meet current U.S. federal safety
standards.
When programming a garage door opener,
park the vehicle outside the garage.
Do not run the engine while programming
the integrated remote control.
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and possible death.

335 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the
engine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
automatic climate control to air
recirculation mode (
page 196).
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water,
and a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (1 m),
the vehicle could be inadvertently locked or
unlocked.!Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise, the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 58). Otherwise, the rain sen-
sor could activate and cause the wipers to move
unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle dam-
age.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent dam-
age to the mirrors.

336 Operation
Vehicle care
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a use damp cloth.Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved
Car Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic* system sensor cover
Switch off the ignition (page 40).
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.
iAfter running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 337). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.
!Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use damp
cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
Very dirty ornamental moldings of which you are
sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome cleaner. If
in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.

395 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
.Tail Lamp
Right
Auxiliary Bulb OnThe right tail lamp is malfunction-
ing. An auxiliary bulb has been
brought into use.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Turn Signal
Left MirrorThe turn signal in the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror is malfunc-
tioning. This message will only ap-
pear if all light emitting diodes have
stopped working.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Turn Signal
Right MirrorThe turn signal in the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror is mal-
functioning. This message will only
appear if all light emitting diodes
have stopped working.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Lights Are
still OnYou have removed the SmartKey
from the starter switch and opened
the driver’s door and left the head-
lamps on or removed the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* from the vehicle
and left the headlamps on.Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
orU.
Turn Signal
Front Left
Auxiliary Bulb OnThe left front turn signal lamp is
malfunctioning. An auxiliary bulb
has been brought into use.Replace the bulb as soon as possible
(
page 409).

411 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12-volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.

Switch the lights off before changing a
bulb to prevent short circuits.

Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.

Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.

If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:

the additional turn signals in the
exterior rear view mirrors

the high mounted brake lamp

the brake lamps

the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps in the tail lamp unit

the rear fog lamps

the low beam (Xenon or Bi-Xenon*)
lamps

the front fog lamps

the front side marker lamps
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
position M (
page 131).
Open the hood (page 282).
1Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
2High beam headlamp cover
3Low beam headlamp cover (Xenon or
Bi-Xenon* lamp). Do not remove.
!Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the
vehicle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

413 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Parking and standing lamp bulbs
Press ends of headlamp cover tab
together and remove high beam
headlamp cover 2.
Pull out bulb socket 6 with the bulb.
Pull the bulb out of bulb socket 6.
Insert a new bulb in bulb socket 6.
Reinstall bulb socket 6.
Align high beam headlamp cover 2
and click it into place.Additional turn signal lamp bulbs
The additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors have LEDs.
If a malfunction occurs or LEDs fail to func-
tion, the entire turn signal unit must be re-
placed. Have the turn signal unit replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Front side marker lamp bulbs
Since replacing the side marker lamp bulbs
is a technically highly demanding process,
we recommend you have the side marker
lamp bulbs replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

455 Technical data
Main dimensions
Main dimensions
ModelSL 550SL 600SL 55 AMGSL 65 AMG
Overall vehicle length178.7 in (4 540 mm)178.7 in (4 540 mm)178.5 in (4 535 mm)178.5 in (4 535 mm)
Overall vehicle length when
opening/closing hardtop185.6 in (4 713 mm)185.6 in (4 713 mm)185.6 in (4 713 mm)185.6 in (4 713 mm)
Overall vehicle width
(exterior mirrors folded in)74.4 in (1889 mm)74.4 in (1889 mm)74.4 in (1889 mm)74.4 in (1889 mm)
Overall vehicle width
(exterior mirrors folded out)80.0 in (2 033 mm)80.0 in (2 033 mm)80.0 in (2 033 mm)80.0 in (2 033 mm)
Overall vehicle height51.0 in (1 295 mm)51.0 in (1 295 mm)51.0 in (1 295 mm)51.0 in (1 295 mm)
Overall vehicle height when
opening/closing hardtop65.9 in (1 674 mm)65.9 in (1 674 mm)65.9 in (1 674 mm)65.9 in (1 674 mm)
Wheelbase100.8 in (2 560 mm)100.8 in (2 560 mm)100.8 in (2 560 mm)100.8 in (2 560 mm)
Track, front61.4 in (1 559 mm)61.4 in (1 559 mm)61.8 in (1 569 mm)61.8 in (1 569 mm)
Track, rear60.5 in (1 537 mm)60.5 in (1 537 mm)61.2 in (1 555 mm)61.1 in (1 551 mm)
Turning circle36.1 ft (11.0 m)36.1 ft (11.0 m)36.1 ft (11.0 m)36.1 ft (11.0 m)