2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG warning

184 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or
Briefly pull left shift paddle1
(
page 181).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
MANUAL program mode is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 182) repeatedly
until
CorS appears in the right
multifunction display.
or
Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The MANUAL program mode is not
stored.Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less re-
sponsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission is most
likely operating in limp-home (emergency
operation) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be activated.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move the gear selector lever to drive
positionD (for second gear) or
positionR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iWhen you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.

186 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Mounting
2Vanity mirror cover
3Vanity mirror lamp
4Holder for gas cards
Glare through the windshield
Make sure the sun visor is properly
engaged in mounting 1.
Swing the respective sun visor down.
When you do not experience glare any-
more, swing the sun visor up.
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the wind screen is in-
stalled.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic con-
ditions and could cause an accident.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Warning!G
Do not use the driver’s-side vanity mirror
while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while vehicle is in motion. Reflected
glare can endanger you and others.

187 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Glare through a door window
Swing respective sun visor down.
Disengage the sun visor from
mounting1.
Pivot the sun visor to the side.
Vanity mirror
Swing respective sun visor down.
Flip up vanity mirror cover2 to access
the vanity mirror.
Vanity mirror lamp 3 comes on.
After using the vanity mirror, flip down
vanity mirror cover 2.
Swing the sun visor up.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter approximately 6 to 17 minutes of oper-
ation depending on the outside
temperature.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Activating
Press button F on the automatic cli-
mate control panel (
page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button F (page 190) once
more.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iWhen the sun visor is disengaged from
mounting1, vanity mirror lamp3 switches
off.
!To avoid damage to vanity mirror cover 2,
make sure it is closed before pivoting the sun
visor to the side.
Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.
!The rear window defroster cannot be
switched on when the retractable hardtop is
open. The indicator lamp will start flashing if the
hardtop is open.

Close the retractable hardtop.
The rear window defroster can then be switched
on.
!If the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp starts flashing, too
many electrical consumers are operating simul-
taneously and there is insufficient voltage in the
battery. The system responds automatically by
switching the rear window defroster off.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the
rear window defroster automatically switches
back on automatically.

190 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the automatic climate control
system in either the automatic or manual
mode. The system cools or heats the
interior depending on the selected interior
temperature and the current outside
temperature.Item
1Air distribution, left
2Front defroster
3Air recirculation
4Rear window defroster
5Air distribution, right
6Temperature control, right
7Automatic climate control on/off
(entire system)
8Residual heat/ventilation
9Air volume control
aAC cooling on/off
bTemperature control, left
Warning!G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution control (
page 190) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of unpro-
tected skin.

191 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/Cmode is deactivated
(
page 198).Deactivating the automatic climate
control system
Deactivating
Press button ´ (page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Warning!G
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before
its scheduled replacement interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air volume to
the interior and the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others. Have a clogged filter replaced as
soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the in-
terior before driving off. The automatic climate
control will then adjust the interior temperature
to the set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
When the retractable hardtop is closed, do not
obstruct air flow by placing objects on the air
flow-through exhaust slots below the rear win-
dow.Warning!G
When the automatic climate control system
is switched off, the outside air supply and
circulation are also switched off. Only
choose this setting for a short time when the
retractable hardtop is closed. Otherwise the
windows could fog up, impairing visibility
and endangering you and others.

196 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Activating
Press button P (page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches to the
following functions automatically:

cooling on to dehumidify

maximum blower speed and
heating power

air flows onto the windshield
and the front side windows

the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press button P (page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are in effect
again.Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 58).
If the automatic air distribution and air vol-
ume are switched off:
Turn air distribution controls1 and 5
(
page 190) to position h ork.
or
Press control buttons 1, 5 and 9
(
page 190).
The control buttons are engaged.
TheU symbol on the control
buttons come on. Air distribution and
air volume are adjusted automatically.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
Warning!G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 198) is activated, or
press buttonP.

197 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Activating
Briefly press button,
(
page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Briefly press button,
(
page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26°C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air.Air recirculation mode with conve-
nience closing or opening feature
Activating
Press and hold button,.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air recirculation mode is
activated. The windows will close.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically

at high outside temperatures

if the concentration of carbon monoxide
(CO) and/or nitrogen oxide (NO
x) in the out-
side air increases, for example in a tunnel
The indicator lamp on button, is not lit when
the air recirculation mode is automatically
switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after approxi-
mately 30 minutes.
iThe manually selected air recirculation
mode is deactivated automatically

after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5°C)

after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off

after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)
Warning!G
Never operate the windows if there is the
possibility of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the windows
can be immediately halted by releasing
the, button or by pressing and pulling
the respective window switch.

198 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating
Press and hold button,.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The air recirculation mode is deac-
tivated. The windows will return to their
previous position.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning (cooling) function is
operational when the engine is running and
cools the vehicle interior down to the
selected temperature. In addition, the
cooling function dehumidifies the air in
the vehicle interior, thus preventing the
windows from fogging up.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the cooling
function of the automatic climate control
system. The air in the vehicle will then no
longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press button 2 (page 190).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The cooling function switches off
after a short delay.
iA window will only return to its previous
position if it has not moved to another position
using the respective window switch after it was
closed with button,.
iCondensation may drip out from underneath
the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication
of a malfunction.
Warning!G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and
others.