2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 towing

Contents
Maximum tire load ....................... 319
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 319
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 320
Tire ply material ........................... 322
Tire and loading terminology ........ 322
Rotating tires ............................... 325
Winter driving .................................... 327
Winter tires .................................. 327
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 328
Snow chains................................. 329
Maintenance ...................................... 330
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 330
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 332
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 332
Vehicle care ....................................... 333
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 333
Practical hints.................................. 341
What to do if … ................................... 342
Lamps in the instrument cluster ... 342
Air bag off indicator lamp.............. 357
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 359
Where will I find ...? ............................ 400
First aid kit .................................... 400
Vehicle tool kit, jack, and
spare wheel .................................. 400
Locking/unlocking in an emergency .. 403
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 403
Locking the vehicle ....................... 405
Lowering the load assist
manually ....................................... 406
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 407
Replacing bulbs .................................. 409
Bulbs ............................................. 409
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 411
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 414
Replacing wiper blades....................... 415
Placing wiper arms in vertical
position ......................................... 415
Removing wiper blades ................. 416
Installing wiper blades .................. 416Flat tire............................................... 417
Preparing the vehicle .................... 417
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 417
MOExtended system* ................... 425
Batteries............................................. 427
Disconnecting the batteries.......... 429
Removing the batteries................. 430
Charging and reinstalling
batteries ....................................... 430
Reconnecting the batteries........... 431
Jump starting...................................... 432
Towing the vehicle.............................. 434
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 436
Fuses.................................................. 437
Fuse boxes in engine
compartment ................................ 438
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 439
Fuse in trunk................................. 439
Emergency engine shut-down ....... 439

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

95 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The electro-hydraulic brake system is auto-
matically activated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or with KEYLESS-GO*

open the driver’s or passenger door

turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1

in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on the gear se-
lector lever once

depress the brake pedal

release the parking brake
Warning!G
The electro-hydraulic brake system requires
electrical power to operate.
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)
comes on and warning messages
(
page 377) appear in the multifunction
display while driving. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased!
If there is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be transported with
all wheels off the ground using flatbed or ap-
propriate wheel lift/dolly equipment.
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).

100 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or
Press theŒor‹button on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Grasp an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must
be within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton (
page 41).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must
be inside the vehicle.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle. Arming tow-away alarm
Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*
The tow-away alarm is automatically
armed after about 30 seconds.
Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm,
disable the tow-away alarm feature before
towing the vehicle, or when parking on a
surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The button is located on the center
console between the driver’s seat and the
passenger seat.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is
initiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 252) provided Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated, and that
necessary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iWhen you unlock your vehicle, the tow-away
protection disarms automatically. The tow-away
alarm remains disarmed until you lock the
vehicle again.

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.


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.

297 Operation
Tires and wheels
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.
Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 299).The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1 500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are
using the actual load limit for your vehicle
stated on the vehicle’s Tire and Loading
Information placard (
page 295).

299 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(
page 299) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the certification
label. The certification label can be found
on the driver’s door B-pillar, see “Technical
data” (
page 444).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 299) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is
10 percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.