2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 inflation pressure

375 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Tire Pressure Monitor
Wheel Sensor MissingVehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
One or more wheels without
appropriate wheel sensors
mounted (e.g. spare wheel).
The respective tire is indicated by
--- instead of the tire inflation
pressure in the multifunction
display.
Have the Advanced TPMS* checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have appropriate wheel sensors installed
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Tire Pressure MonitorCurrently
UnavailableThe TPMS or Advanced TPMS* is
unable to monitor the tire pres-
sure due to a nearby radio interfer-
ence source.As soon as the causes for the malfunction
are no longer present, the TPMS or
Advanced TPMS* automatically becomes
active again after a few minutes driving.
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
You may lose control of the vehicle. Contin-
ued driving with a flat tire will cause exces-
sive heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.

397 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
HPlease correct
the tire pressure.The tire inflation pressure is too
low in one or more tires.Check and correct tire inflation pressure as required
(
page 302).
Tire Pressure
Caution
Tire DefectOne or more tires are deflating.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding abrupt
steering and braking maneuvers.
If necessary, change the wheel (page 417).
Caution
Tire defectOne or more tires are deflating.
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
The respective tire is indicated in
the multifunction display.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding abrupt
steering and braking maneuvers.
If necessary, change the wheel (page 417).
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.

398 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
HTire Pressure
Check TiresThe tire pressure in one or more
tires is already below the mini-
mum value.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding abrupt
steering and braking maneuvers.
Check and adjust tire pressure as required.
If necessary, change the wheel.
Check TiresThe tire pressure in one or more
tires is already below the mini-
mum value.
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
The respective tire is indicated in
the multifunction display.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding abrupt
steering and braking maneuvers.
Check and adjust tire pressure as required.
If necessary, change the wheel (page 417).
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.

417 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Set the parking brake (page 63).
Move the gear selector lever to
position P.
Turn off the engine (page 64).
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Vehicles with Smartkey: Remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Open the
driver’s door (this puts the starter
switch in position 0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
Warning!G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure and do
not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.

423 Practical hints
Flat tire
Insert electrical plug 3 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket (
page 244)
or the power outlet in the trunk
(
page 246).
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever once
without depressing the brake pedal.
PressI on the electric air pump
switch2.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.
Inflate the spare tire:

SL 550 to 36 psi (2.5 bar)

SL 600, SL 55 AMG, SL 55 AMG
(Performance Package*), and
SL 65 AMG to 51 psi (3.5 bar)
This takes about 5 minutes.
Air hose4 and union nut5 can be-
come hot during inflation. Exercise
proper caution to avoid burning your-
self when using the equipment.
Press0 on the electric air pump
switch2.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
or
Press KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
on the gear selector lever twice without
depressing the brake pedal.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.
If the spare tire inflation pressure is
above the recommended tire inflation
pressure for the respective collapsible
tire (
page 453), release excess spare
tire inflation pressure using the vent
screw.
!Compare the recommended tire inflation
pressure for your vehicle with the tire inflation
pressure on the yellow label located on the spare
wheel rim.
If the tire inflation pressure on the yellow label
on the spare wheel rim differs from the values
given in this Operator’s Manual, inflate the tire to
the recommended tire inflation pressure given
on the yellow label on the spare wheel rim.
!Do not operate the electric air pump longer
than 8 minutes without interruption. Otherwise it
may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again after it has
cooled off.


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).


425 Practical hints
Flat tire
Before storing the jack in the trunk,
crank back to storage position and fold
in the arm.Replacing jack support tube cover
Slide tongue of cover under the upper
edge of the tube opening.
Applying even pressure, press cover
until it snaps into place.
Be careful not to damage the locking
tabs or clamp the plastic retaining
strap.
MOExtended system*
The MOExtended system allows you to
continue driving your vehicle even if there
is a total loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
You may only use the MOExtended system
in conjunction with the Run Flat Indicator*
(Canada vehicles) (
page 303), TPMS
(U.S. vehicles) (
page 305), or Advanced
TPMS* (Canada vehicles) (
page 308).
Warning!G
When turning the wheel wrench to tighten
the wheel bolts, make sure you position
hands on the wrench in such a way that you
avoid injury to yourself, such as scraping
your hands against the wheel. Make sure
turning the wheel wrench will not scratch or
damage the wheel rim.
iFor information on storing the spare wheel
back into the trunk, see “Storing the spare wheel
after use” (
page 402).
!The maximum distance in emergency
mode depends on the vehicle’s load. It is
30 miles (50 km) if the vehicle is partially
loaded and 18 miles (30 km) if the vehicle is
fully loaded.
The point at which the maximum driving distance
begins in emergency mode is when the warning
message appears in the multifunction display
indicating that there is a loss of tire inflation
pressure.
Do not exceed the maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).

449 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires

MO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires (applicable to selected tire sizes only)

MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires with limited run-flat characteristics)
original equipment tires
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iFor information on driving with MOExtended
tires, see “MOExtended system” (
page 312).
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire inflation pressure information for driving at
high speeds (
page 301) or for vehicle loads
less than the maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 301). If such information is provided, it
can be found on the placard located on the
inside of the fuel filler flap.The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Performance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for more information.