2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 page 185

23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Trunk
Opening the trunk114
Closing the trunk116
Spare wheel400
Vehicle tool kit400
2Rear lamps410
3Rear window defroster187
4Fuel filler flap279
Refueling279
Gasoline461
5Doors
Locking and unlocking104
Opening and closing113
Locking/unlocking in an
emergency403
ItemPage
6Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting49
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors185
7Towing434
Installing towing eye bolt436
8Tires and wheels291
Checking tire inflation
pressure302
General information291
Flat tire417
Vehicle tool kit400
9Hood
Opening282
Engine oil283
Coolant288,
463
ItemPage
aHeadlamp cleaning
system185,
289
bFront lamps410
cWindshield wipers58
Wiper blades, replacing415
Wiper blades, cleaning337
dWindshield
Wiping with windshield
washer fluid60
Cleaning337
eRetractable hardtop
Opening/closing204
Wind screen209
Luggage cover210
Sunshade for panorama
roof*213

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Exterior lamp switch57, 131
2Headlamp cleaning button185
3Cruise control lever

Cruise control

Distronic*
214
218
4Shift paddle*: downshift180
5Instrument cluster26, 140
6Multifunction steering
wheel30, 144
7Shift paddle*: upshift180
8Lever for Voice Control
System*, see separate
operating instructions
ItemPage
9Front Parktronic* warning
indicator235
aDigital clock
bInterior storage compart-
ments (locking/unlocking)240
cOverhead control panel33
dGlove box238
eCenter console31, 32
fStarter switch40
gHorn
hSteering wheel adjustment
stalk46
ItemPage
jCombination switch

High beam

Turn signals

Windshield wipers
57
57
58
kParking brake pedal55, 63
lParking brake release
handle55
mHood lock release282
nDoor control panel36
oPower window switch201

33 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
ItemPage
1Left reading lamp on/off138
2Temperature sensor for
automatic climate control188
3Right reading lamp on/off138
4Interior lighting control138
5Interior rear view mirror49, 185
6Reading lamp138
7Garage door opener257
8Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button250
9Microphone for Tele Aid
and telephone*250,
247

49 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 185).
Exterior rear view mirrorsThe buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Press button1 or button2 to select
the desired exterior rear view mirror.
Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Good visibility”
(
page 185).
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror.
The mirror surface is convex (outwardly
curved surface for a wider field of view). Ob-
jects in mirror are closer than they appear.
Check your interior rear view mirror or
glance over your shoulder before changing
lanes.
!If an exterior rear view mirror was forcibly
pushed forward (hit from the rear) or forcibly
pushed rearward (hit from the front), reposition
it by applying firm pressure until it snaps into
place. The mirror housing is then properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror in the usual
manner.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
iThe memory function (page 129) lets you
store the setting for the exterior rear view
mirrors together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the driver’s seat position.

185 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
For information on windshield wipers, see
“Windshield wipers” (
page 58).
Headlamp cleaning system
The headlamp cleaning button is located
on the left side of the dashboard.
1Headlamp cleaning button
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Press button1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 289).
Rear view mirrors
For information on setting the rear view
mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 49).
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on
and

incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view mir-
ror.
The interior rear view mirror will not react if

reverse gear is engaged

the interior lighting is switched on
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and

operated the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition, the counter
resets.