2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 battery

Contents
Power windows .................................. 201
Opening and closing the
windows ....................................... 201
Synchronizing power windows ..... 203
Retractable hardtop ........................... 204
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop ...................... 204
Driving systems ................................. 214
Cruise control............................... 214
Distronic*..................................... 218
Distance warning function*.......... 229
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 230
Parktronic system*
(Parking assist)............................. 233
Useful features .................................. 238
Storage compartments................. 238
Cup holders .................................. 243
Ashtray ......................................... 244
Cigarette lighter ........................... 244
Load assist in the trunk ................ 245
Power outlet ................................. 246
Floormat* ..................................... 247
Telephone*................................... 247
Tele Aid ........................................ 250
Garage door opener ..................... 257
Operation......................................... 265
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 266
Driving instructions............................ 267
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 267
Drinking and driving ..................... 267
Pedals .......................................... 267
Power assistance ......................... 268
Brakes .......................................... 268
Driving off .................................... 270
Parking ......................................... 271
Tires ............................................. 271
Hydroplaning ................................ 272
Tire traction.................................. 273
Tire speed rating .......................... 273
Winter driving instructions ........... 274
Standing water ............................. 275
Passenger compartment .............. 276
Driving abroad.............................. 276
Control and operation of
radio transmitters ........................ 276
Catalytic converter ....................... 277
Emission control .......................... 277
Coolant temperature .................... 278At the gas station .............................. 279
Refueling ...................................... 279
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 280
Engine compartment ......................... 282
Hood ............................................ 282
Engine oil ..................................... 283
Transmission fluid level................ 287
Oil level in the ABC system .......... 287
Coolant ........................................ 288
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system........... 289
Battery ......................................... 290
Tires and wheels................................ 291
Important guidelines .................... 291
Tire care and maintenance........... 292
Direction of rotation..................... 294
Loading the vehicle ...................... 294
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 300
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 302
MOExtended system* .................. 312
Tire labeling ................................. 313
Load identification ....................... 317
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 317

39 Getting started
Unlocking
Enter the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Opening a door causes its window to open
slightly. It will fully close when the door is
shut.
For more information, see “SmartKey”
(
page 104).
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
With the KEYLESS-GO function, you can
lock and unlock the vehicle without using
the remote control buttons on the
SmartKey and start the engine without in-
serting the SmartKey in the starter switch.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
Grasp an outside door handle.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.

The electro-hydraulic brake system
is activated.
!A side window will not work if it is blocked
with ice or if the battery needs charging. If you
cannot shut a door, do not force it or you could
damage the door or the side window.
Fix whatever is affecting the window before
trying to shut the door.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* 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.
iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO must be outside the vehicle, no
further than approximately 3 feet (1 meter) away
from the door.
iIf the vehicle has been parked for more than
72 hours, you must pull an outside door handle
in order to activate the KEYLESS-GO function.


40 Getting started
Unlocking
Enter the vehicle.
Opening a door causes its window to open
slightly. It will fully close when the door is
shut.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 108).
Starter switch positions
SmartKey
Starter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster
remains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in the instrument cluster”
(
page 342).
3Starting position
!A side window will not work if it is blocked
with ice or if the battery needs charging. If you
cannot shut a door, do not force it or you could
damage the door or the side window.
Fix whatever is affecting the window before
trying to shut the door.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps
(except high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.


41 Getting started
Unlocking
For more information, see “SmartKey”
(
page 104).
For information on starting the engine
using the SmartKey, see “Starting with the
SmartKey” (
page 53).SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
I f t h e S m a r t K e y w i t h K E Y L E S S - G O i s i n s i d e
the vehicle, pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever corresponds to turning the SmartKey
to the various starter switch positions.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
1USA only
2Canada only
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.Position 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have the status0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Position 1
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
position P.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the starter battery may not be
sufficiently charged.

Check the starter battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 427).

Get a jump start (page 432).
To prevent accelerated battery discharge or a
completely discharged battery, always remove
the SmartKey from the starter switch when the
engine is not in operation.
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button

once again, the ignition (position2) is
switched on

twice, the power supply is again switched off

55 Getting started
Driving
Repeat the starting procedure
(
page 53). Remember that extended
starting attempts can drain the battery.
Get a jump start (page 432).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
Parking brake
1Release handle
Release the parking brake by pulling on
release handle1.
The brake warning lamp;(USA
only) or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
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. Children could release
the parking brake, which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

65 Getting started
Parking and locking
LockingExit the vehicle and close the doors and
the trunk.
Opening a door causes its window to open
slightly. It will fully close when the door is
shut.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
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.
!A side window will not work if it is blocked
with ice or if the battery needs charging. If you
cannot shut a door, do not force it or you could
damage the door or the side window.
Fix whatever is affecting the window before
trying to shut the door.
iIf you hear a warning signal, you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition, the message
Lights Are Still
On
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps.
If the message
Switch off lights or
remove key.
appears in the multifunction
display, remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch or switch off the automatic headlamp
mode.
!Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: A warning
signal and the message
Remember your key.
remind you not to leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.

98 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
with you and lock the vehicle. The engine
can be started by anyone with a valid
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
that is left inside the vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Press the start/stop button on the gear
selector lever once.
The engine is turned off.
Open the driver’s door.Deactivating
With the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (
page 40).
With KEYLESS-GO*
Switch on the ignition (page 41).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door

the trunk lid

the hood

a storage compartment in the rear

the glove box

the storage compartment under the
armrest
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the
vehicle’s battery is charged), the system is not
operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).

104 Controls in detail
In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
For more information on locking and un-
locking, see the “Getting started” section
(
page 38).
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors

the trunk lid

the glove box

the storage compartment under the
armrest

the storage compartment in the rear

the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control
1‹Lock button
2Š Opening button for trunk
(
page 114)
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 88)