2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 comand system

31 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper partItemPage
1Central locking switch122
Alarm system indicator
lamp99
2Hazard warning flasher
on/off switch137
3Central unlocking switch123
4Passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp78
5Center and side air vent
adjustment194
6COMAND system, see sepa-
rate operating instructions
7Right cup holder243
8KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button41
9Automatic climate control
panel190
aAshtray
Cigarette lighter244
244
bLeft cup holder243

154 Controls in detail
Control system
Selecting radio station
Turn on COMAND and select radio. Re-
fer to the separate operating instruc-
tions.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the right multifunction display.
1Waveband setting
2Station frequency
Press button k or j repeatedly
until the desired station is found.Selecting satellite radio station
The satellite radio is treated as a radio
application.
Select satellite radio with the corre-
sponding key on the COMAND control
panel (SAT).
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the right multifunction display.
1SAT mode
2Channel name or number
Press button k or j repeatedly
until the desired channel is found.iYou can only store new stations using the
designated feature on the radio. Refer to the
separate operating instructions.
iAdditional optional satellite radio equipment
and a subscription to satellite radio service pro-
vider are required for satellite radio operation.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for details and availability for your vehicle.
For more information, refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.

155 Controls in detail
Control system
Operating the CD player
Selecting CD track
Turn on COMAND and select CD. Refer
to the separate COMAND operating
instructions.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until the settings for the CD currently
being played appear in the right multi-
function display.
1Current CD (with additional number
from 1 to 6 when running from CD
changer)
2Current track
Press button k or j repeatedly
until the desired track is selected.Selecting MP3-CD track
Turn on COMAND and select MP3-CD.
Refer to the separate COMAND
operating instructions.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until the settings for the MP3-CD
currently being played appear in the
right multifunction display.
1Current track
Press button k or j repeatedly
until the desired track is selected.
NAV menu
The
NAV menu contains the functions
needed to operate your navigation system.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the message
NAV in the
left multifunction display.
The message shown in the multifunction
display depends on the status of the
navigation system:

With COMAND switched off, the
message
NAV OFF appears in the
multifunction display.

With COMAND switched on but route
guidance not activated, the direction of
travel and, if applicable, the name of
the street currently traveled on appear
in the multifunction display.

With COMAND switched on and route
guidance activated, the direction of
travel and maneuver instructions
appear in the multifunction display.
iTo select a CD from the magazine of the
CD changer, press a number on the COMAND
system key pad located in the upper center
console.

156 Controls in detail
Control system
Please refer to the COMAND manual for
instructions on how to activate the route
guidance system.
Distronic* menu
Use the
DISTRONIC menu (page 222) to
display the current settings for your Dis-
tronic system. The information shown in
the multifunction display depends on
whether the Distronic system is activated
or deactivated.
Please refer to the “Driving systems” sec-
tion of this manual (
page 218) for in-
structions on how to activate Distronic.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
to select the
DISTRONIC menu in the
multifunction display.
Vehicle status message memory menu
Use the vehicle status message memory
menu to scan malfunction and warning
messages that may be stored in the sys-
tem. Such messages appear in the multi-
function display and are based on
conditions or system status the vehicle’s
system has recorded.
The vehicle status message memory menu
only appears, if messages have been
stored.
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until the vehicle status message mem-
ory menu appears in the multifunction
display.
If the vehicle status message memory
menu does not appear, no messages
have been stored.
Warning!G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 359).

162 Controls in detail
Control system
Press button æ or ç enable or
disable this feature.
When you set this feature to
On, the time
displayed in the multifunction display is
automatically synchronized with the time
of the COMAND system.Setting the time (hour)
This function is only available if the func-
tion
Time Synchron. With Head Unit
(
page 161) has been set to Off. The time
is then not set automatically by the
COMAND and must be set manually if
required.
Move the selection marker with
theæ or ç button to the
Time
submenu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until the message
Set Time Hour
appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the hour
setting.
Press button æ or ç to set the
hour. Setting the time (minutes)
This function is only available if the func-
tion
Time Synchron. With Head Unit
(
page 161) has been set to Off. The time
is then not set automatically by the
COMAND and must be set manually if
required.
Move the selection marker with
theæ or ç button to the
Time
submenu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until the message
Set Time Minute(s)
appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the minute
setting.
Press button æ or ç to set the
minutes.
iFor information on setting the time, refer to
the separate COMAND operating instructions.

169 Controls in detail
Control system
Distance to empty
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
multifunction display:
Range.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the calculated range based on
the current fuel tank level.
TEL* menu
You can use the functions in the
TEL menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND.
Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until the
TELmenu appears in the left multi-
function display.iIf only very little fuel is left in the tank, a
vehicle at the fuel pump is shown instead of the
range.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a
vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just
30 mph (approximately 50 km/h), your
vehicle is covering a distance of
44 feet (approximately 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system,
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

248 Controls in detail
Useful features
When the mobile phone is inserted in the
cradle, you can operate the telephone
using the following devices:

mobile phone keypad

Voice Control System* (see separate
operating instructions)

COMAND (see separate operating
instructions)

buttonss andt on the multi-
function steering wheel (
page 144)Please note that these functions are only
available with Mercedes-Benz approved
mobile phones. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on features available for your mobile
phone of choice.
The cradle is located in the front center
armrest.
Open the telephone compartment
(
page 239).
Inserting mobile phone in mobile phone
cradle
Once the mobile phone has been inserted
in the mobile phone cradle, you have to
use the hands-free device to respond
during phone calls.
Warning!G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
mobile telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit
Management and Data System)
1 if road,
weather, and traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
iVarious mobile phone cradles can be
installed in the center armrest, see separate
installation instructions for the mobile phone
cradle. These mobile phone cradles can be
obtained from an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
The functions and services available to you while
using the mobile phone depend on your service
provider and the type of mobile phone you are
using. See also separate operating manual for
instructions on how to use your mobile phone.
!Do not try to remove the mobile phone along
with the cradle. You could otherwise damage the
mobile phone cradle.

249 Controls in detail
Useful features
If applicable, remove the cover for the
external antenna connection from the
back of the mobile phone and store it in
a s a f e p l a c e . B e s u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e
mobile phone’s operating instructions
as well.
Example illustration
1Insert the mobile phone
2Connector contact
3Mobile phone cradle
Slide the lower end of the mobile phone
into connector contact 2 on
cradle3.
Push the top of the mobile phone in di-
rection of arrow 1, until the lug on the
mobile phone release button engages.
The mobile phone is connected to the
network via the external antenna.
The mobile phone is linked to the
hands-free device and the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
The battery is charged depending on its
charge status and the position of the
SmartKey in the starter switch. The
charge procedure will be indicated in
the mobile phone’s display.
You can place or receive phone calls. You
can control other functions of the mobile
phone via the control system
(
page 169), the Voice Control System*
(see separate operating instructions), or
COMAND (see separate operating
instructions). Removing mobile phone from mobile
phone cradle
Example illustration
1Release catch for mobile phone
2Mobile phone cradle
iWhen you take the SmartKey out of the
starter switch, the mobile phone remains
switched on for approximately 10 minutes. If you
place or receive a call during this time, the
mobile phone switches off 10 minutes after the
call has been completed.
iWhen using a flip-style mobile phone, open
flip top before removing from the cradle while a
call is connected. Otherwise, the call will be dis-
connected.