2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG ESP

426 Practical hints
Flat tire
Warning!G
In emergency mode, your vehicle’s driving
characteristics are diminished in such situa-
tions as:

driving around curves

while braking

while accelerating rapidly
Therefore, your driving style must be adapt-
ed accordingly. Avoid abrupt steering and
driving maneuvers, as well as driving over
obstacles (road curbs, potholes, or off-road
areas). This is especially important if the ve-
hicle is heavily loaded.
The emergency driving distance that can be
achieved greatly depends on the demands
placed on the vehicle. Depending on speed,
load, driving maneuvers, road conditions,
outside temperature, etc., the distance can
be significantly shorter or, if the vehicle is
driven cautiously, somewhat longer.
Do not continue driving in emergency mode
if

you notice knocking sounds

the vehicle starts to shake

smoke develops and you smell rubber

ESP® is intervening continuously

you notice tears on the tire sidewalls
After driving in emergency mode, you must
have the rims inspected by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to check if they are
suitable for further use. The failed tire must
be replaced in any case.
iWhen replacing individual or all tires on the
vehicle, make sure only matching tires marked
with “MOExtended” are mounted in the size
specified for your vehicle (
page 449).

431 Practical hints
Batteries
Charge batteries in accordance with
the instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.
Reinstall the charged batteries. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Reconnecting the batteries
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Install starter battery in the designated
location in the engine compartment.
Install consumer battery in the desig-
nated location in the trunk.
Attach supports and brackets.
Tighten support and bracket screws.
Connect positive lead 4 (page 427)
of the consumer battery and positive
lead 1 (
page 427) of the starter bat-
tery and fasten covers.
Connect negative lead 2
(
page 427) of the starter battery.
Connect negative lead 5
(
page 427) of the consumer battery.
Reinstall the trunk floor.
Close trunk luggage cover
(
page 211).
!Always connect the batteries in the order
described below. Otherwise the vehicle’s elec-
tronics can be damaged.
!Never invert the terminal connections!
iThe following procedures must be carried
out following any interruption of battery power
(e.g. due to reconnection):

Synchronize the ESP® (page 367).

Synchronize side windows (page 203).

435 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever must be in
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever must be in
positionN and the SmartKey must be in starter
switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle
may be towed only for distances up to
30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h).
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach a tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2, or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in position2,
the vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as
well as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 122).
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position2 and activate the
combination switch for the left or right turn
signal in the usual manner – only the selected
turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
iIf the battery is disconnected or discharged

the SmartKey will not turn in the starter
switch

the gear selector lever will remain locked in
positionP.
For more information, see “Batteries”
(
page 427) and “Jump starting” (page 432).

439 Practical hints
Fuses
Fuse box in passenger compartment
The fuse box is located under the rear
passenger-side storage compartment.
1Clips
2Storage compartment floor
Open the rear passenger-side storage
compartment (
page 240).
Lift both clips 1.
Remove storage compartment floor 2
in direction of arrow.
You can now access the fuses.
To reinstall storage compartment
floor2 after checking or replacing
fuses, follow the procedure in reverse
order.
Fuse in trunk
The fuse in the trunk is located on the
right-hand side of the trunk.
Lift up the trunk floor cover.
Emergency engine shut-down
If the engine cannot be turned off as
described, you may use the following
emergency procedure.
Take the fuse chart from the vehicle
tool kit (
page 400).
Find row “Engine emergency stop” in
the fuse chart table to identify the
fuses that have to removed as well as
their locations.
Remove the respective fuses.

447 Technical data
Engine
Engine
ModelSL 550 (230.471)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.
SL 600 (230.477)1
Engine273275
Mode of operation4-stroke engine, gasoline injection4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders812
Bore3.86 in (98.00 mm)3.23 in (82.00 mm)
Stroke3.56 in (90.50 mm)3.43 in (87.00 mm)
Total piston displacement333.3cu in (5461cm3)336.4 cu in (5 513 cm3)
Compression ratio10.7:19:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349382 hp/6 000 rpm2
(285 kW/6 000 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
510 hp/5 000 rpm2
(380 kW/5 000 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349391 lb-ft/2 800 - 4 800 rpm
(530 Nm/2 800 - 4 800 rpm)612 lb-ft/1 900 - 3 500 rpm
(830 Nm/1 900 - 3 500 rpm)
Maximum engine speed6 500 rpm5 950 rpm
Firing order1-5-4-2-6-3-7-81-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt2 398 mm2 335 mm

448 Technical data
Engine
ModelSL 55 AMG (230.474)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.
SL 65 AMG (230.479)1
Engine113275
Mode of operation4-stroke engine, gasoline injection4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders812
Bore3.82 in (97.00 mm)3.25 in (82.60 mm)
Stroke3.62 in (92.00 mm)3.66 in (93.00 mm)
Total piston displacement331.8 cu in (5439 cm3)364.9 cu in (5980 cm3)
Compression ratio9:19:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349510 hp/6 100 rpm2
(380 kW/6 100 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
603 hp/4 800-5 100 rpm2
(450 kW/4 800-5 100 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349530 lb-ft/2 600 - 4 000 rpm
(720 Nm/2 600 - 4 000 rpm)738 lb-ft/2 000 - 4 000 rpm
(1 000 Nm/2 000 - 4 000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed6500 rpm5950 rpm
Firing order1-5-4-2-6-3-7-81-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt2 462 mm/1 289 mm2335 mm

449 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires

MO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires (applicable to selected tire sizes only)

MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires with limited run-flat characteristics)
original equipment tires
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iFor information on driving with MOExtended
tires, see “MOExtended system” (
page 312).
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire inflation pressure information for driving at
high speeds (
page 301) or for vehicle loads
less than the maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 301). If such information is provided, it
can be found on the placard located on the
inside of the fuel filler flap.The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Performance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for more information.

457 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with
respect to handling, storing and disposing
of service fluids. Otherwise you could
endanger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of
children.
For health reasons, you should prevent
service fluids from coming into direct
contact with your skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a
physician immediately.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filterSL 550
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmissionSL 550
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid