2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 wheel

254 Controls in detail
Useful features
The message Connecting Call will ap-
pear in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may
apply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance
Manual for more information.The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.Information button ¡
The Information button¡ is located
below the center armrest cover.
1Information button¡
Open the telephone* compartment
(
page 239).
Press and hold button 1 (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting Call will appear
in the multifunction display and the
audio system is muted.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illuminated in
red for approximately 10 seconds during the
system self-check after switching on the ignition
(together with the SOS button and the Informa-
tion button¡).
See system self-check (
page 251) if the indi-
cator lamp does not come on in red or stays on
longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside Assistance
button• is flashing continuously and there
was no voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate a Roadside Assistance call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available). The
message
Call Failed appears in the multi-
function display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be terminated us-
ing the tbutton on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel or the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the COMAND headunit.


255 Controls in detail
Useful features
When the connection is established, the
message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. Information regarding the operation
of your vehicle, the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center or Mercedes-Benz
USA products and services is available to
you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only).iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red for ap-
proximately 10 seconds during the system
self-check after switching on the ignition (togeth-
er with the SOS button and the Roadside Assis-
tance button•).
See system self-check (
page 251) if the indi-
cator lamp does not come on in red or stays on
longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ is flashing continuously and no
voice connection to the Response Center was
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not available). The
message
Call Failed appears in the multi-
function display.
Information calls can be terminated using the
tbutton on the multifunction steering wheel
or the respective button for ending a telephone
call on the COMAND headunit.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flashing
after pressing one of the buttons or remain illu-
minated (in red) at any time, the Tele Aid system
has detected a malfunction or the service is cur-
rently not active, and may not initiate a call. Visit
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center and have
the system checked or contact the
Response Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the
USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon as
possible.

256 Controls in detail
Useful features
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are
active, an Emergency call is still possible.
In this case, the Emergency call will take
priority and override all other active calls.Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk recessed handle for a minimum
of 20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
Call Connected appears
in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective button
flashes until the call is concluded. Calls can only
be terminated by a Response Center or
Customer Assistance Center representative
except Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by pressing
button t on the multifunction steering wheel
or the respective button for ending a telephone
call on the COMAND headunit.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash or
the system does not reset, contact the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Customer
Service at 1-800-387-0100 in Canada.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the
COMAND system audio is muted and the
selected mode (radio or CD) pauses.
The optional cellular phone (if installed) switches
off. If you must use this phone, the vehicle must
be parked. Disconnect the coiled cord and place
the call. The COMAND navigation system (if
engaged) will continue to run. The display in the
instrument cluster is available for use and
spoken commands are only available by pressing
the RPT button on the COMAND unit. A pop-up
window will appear in the COMAND display to
indicate that a Tele Aid call is in progress.

265 Operation
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)
Driving instructions
At the gas station
Engine compartment
Tires and wheels
Winter driving
Maintenance
Vehicle care

268 Operation
Driving instructions
Power assistanceBrakes
Warning!G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 345) and
warning messages (
page 359) in the in-
strument cluster come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes are
only applied to the front wheels. Stopping
distance is increased! If there is a malfunc-
tion in the electro-hydraulic brake system,
we recommend that the vehicle be trans-
ported with all wheels off the ground using
flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(
page 434).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from
vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.

270 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than to park im-
mediately, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
High-performance brake system
(AMG vehicles only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the

vehicle speed

brake force applied

ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or disks strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under
which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
Warning!G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
!When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an extended
period with the ESP
® switched off. Doing so may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.

271 Operation
Driving instructions
ParkingTires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button.

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.

272 Operation
Driving instructions
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to extreme operating
conditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads,
high ambient temperatures).
For more information, see “Tires and
wheels” (
page 291).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
Warning!G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recommend that you
do not allow your tires to wear down to
that level. As tread depth approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion properties on a
wet road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
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 or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.