2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG automat

56 Getting started
Driving
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionD orR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the transmission en-
gages at a higher revolution. This allows
the catalytic converter to reach its operat-
ing temperature earlier.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
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.
!In order to avoid damage to the
transmission:

Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.

Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orR only when the vehicle is stopped.
!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release Parking Brake appears in
the multifunction display when driving off, you
have forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 55).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
You can deactivate the automatic locking using
the control system (
page 166).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.

58 Getting started
Driving
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Switching on windshield wipers
2Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
iTo signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release.
The corresponding turn signals will flash three
times.
!Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate the windshield wipers with
windshield washer fluid (
page 60).
!If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off imme-
diately.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button and
open the driver’s door (with the driver’s
door open, the starter switch is in
position 0, same as with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch)
before attempting to remove any blockage.

Remove blockage.

Turn the windshield wipers on again.

59 Getting started
Driving
Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch in
direction of arrow 1 to the desired
position, depending on the intensity of
the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedIntermittent wiping
Only switch on intermittent wiping under
wet weather conditions or in the presence
of precipitation.
Turn the combination switch in
direction of arrow 1 to positionI.
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor.Single wipe
Press the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow2 (
page 58) to
the resistance point.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
If the windshield wipers fail to function at all with
the combination switch in positionI,

set the combination switch to the next
higher wiper speed

have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
!Do not leave windshield wipers on an inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is taken to an
automatic car wash or during windshield clean-
ing. Windshield wipers will operate in the pres-
ence of water sprayed on the windshield, and
windshield wipers may be damaged as a result.
!If you have set intermittent wiping, dirt on
the surface of the rain sensor or optical effects
may cause the windshield wipers to wipe in an
undesired fashion. This could then damage the
windshield wiper blades or scratch the wind-
shield. You should therefore switch off the wind-
shield wipers when weather conditions are dry.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when the
vehicle is at a standstill and a door is opened.
This protects persons getting into or out of the
vehicle from being sprayed.
Intermittent wiping will be continued when

all doors are closed
and

the gear selector lever is in positionDorR
or

the wiper setting is changed using the
combination switch

65 Getting started
Parking and locking
LockingExit the vehicle and close the doors and
the trunk.
Opening a door causes its window to open
slightly. It will fully close when the door is
shut.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!A side window will not work if it is blocked
with ice or if the battery needs charging. If you
cannot shut a door, do not force it or you could
damage the door or the side window.
Fix whatever is affecting the window before
trying to shut the door.
iIf you hear a warning signal, you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition, the message
Lights Are Still
On
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps.
If the message
Switch off lights or
remove key.
appears in the multifunction
display, remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch or switch off the automatic headlamp
mode.
!Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: A warning
signal and the message
Remember your key.
remind you not to leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.

74 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The passenger air bag will only be de-
ployed if:

the system, based on OCS weight
sensor readings, senses that the
passenger seat is occupied

the5/ indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (
page 78)

the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Knee bag
The knee bag is located on the driver’s side
lower instrument panel. It is designed to
operate together with the driver front air
bag in certain frontal impacts exceeding a
preset threshold. The knee bag operates
best in conjunction with a properly posi-
tioned and fastened seat belt.Head-thorax air bags
1Head-thorax air bag
The head-thorax air bags are deployed:

in side impacts exceeding a preset
deployment threshold

on the impacted side of the vehicle

independently of the front air bags
The head-thorax air bags are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the sys-
tem’s deployment threshold.
Occupant Classification System
The O
ccupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the passenger front air
bag on or off based on the classified occu-
pant weight category determined by
weight sensor readings from the
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
position that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by
leaning on armrests), the OCS may not be
able to properly approximate the
occupant’s weight category.
iThe system does not deactivate the
head-thorax air bag and the emergency tension-
ing device.

83 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When activated, emergency tensioning
devices remove slack from the seat belts in
such a way that the seat belts fit more
snugly against the body. Seat belt force
limiters reduce the force exerted by the
seat belts on occupants during a crash.
Automatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
The automatic comfort-fit feature reduces
the retracting force of the seat belts when
they are in normal use.Roll bar
The roll bar raises automatically in an acci-
dent or in a critical driving situation.You can also raise and lower the roll bar
manually using the buttons provided.
The buttons for the roll bar are on the cen-
ter console under the retractable hardtop
switch.
1Raise roll bar
2Lower roll bar
The roll bar can be moved manually when
the ignition is switched on (
page 40).
Warning!G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the emergency tension-
ing device, our safety instructions must be
followed. These are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
This vehicle is a two occupant vehicle. The
rear storage area is not intended for use by
occupants and is not equipped for properly
seating or restraining occupants. Thus this
area should never be used by any persons.
Make sure that the roll bar’s path is clear
and no persons are injured by the moving
roll bar. Raising or lowering of the roll bar
could injure someone in it’s proximity.
For your own safety, we recommend to drive
with the roll bar raised if the outside temper-
ature is below +5°F (-15°C).
!If the outside temperature falls below
+5°F (-15°C), the roll bar must be raised manu-
ally using the buttons provided to avoid damag-
ing the hydraulics.
iWhen the roll bar is raised automatically,
you will hear a ratcheting sound.

84 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Raising the roll bar
Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.
Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is raised.Lowering the roll bar
Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.
If the roll bar was raised manually:
Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is lowered.
If the roll bar was raised automatically:
Press and hold button1 until you hear
the roll bar lock into place.
Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is lowered.
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.
Make sure the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
Warning!G
If the roll bar warning lamp in the
instrument cluster does not go out after
starting the engine, flickers, or if it comes on
while driving, the roll bar system is not
operating properly and may not activate in
an accident. At the same time, the message
Raise Roll-over Bar appears in the
multifunction display. In this case, raise the
roll bar manually before continuing to drive.
For safety reasons, drive only with the roll
bar raised until the malfunction has been
repaired. Have your vehicle checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf you have raised the roll bar manually using
the button, the roll bar will automatically be low-
ered and then raised again when you close and
open the retractable hardtop.
Warning!G
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could

injure themselves on parts of the vehicle

be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold

91 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
ESP®
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning and monitors the vehicle’s traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is
spinning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By
applying brakes to the appropriate wheel
and by limiting engine output, the ESP
®
works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on
wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP
®
also stabilizes the vehicle during braking
and steering maneuvers.
The ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster (
page 26) flashes
when the ESP® is engaged.
The ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Warning!G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake
system is still functioning normally, but with-
out the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emer-
gency braking maneuver. Therefore, the
braking distance may increase.
Warning!G
BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.