2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG instrument cluster

256 Controls in detail
Useful features
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are
active, an Emergency call is still possible.
In this case, the Emergency call will take
priority and override all other active calls.Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk recessed handle for a minimum
of 20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
Call Connected appears
in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective button
flashes until the call is concluded. Calls can only
be terminated by a Response Center or
Customer Assistance Center representative
except Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by pressing
button t on the multifunction steering wheel
or the respective button for ending a telephone
call on the COMAND headunit.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash or
the system does not reset, contact the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Customer
Service at 1-800-387-0100 in Canada.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the
COMAND system audio is muted and the
selected mode (radio or CD) pauses.
The optional cellular phone (if installed) switches
off. If you must use this phone, the vehicle must
be parked. Disconnect the coiled cord and place
the call. The COMAND navigation system (if
engaged) will continue to run. The display in the
instrument cluster is available for use and
spoken commands are only available by pressing
the RPT button on the COMAND unit. A pop-up
window will appear in the COMAND display to
indicate that a Tele Aid call is in progress.

269 Operation
Driving instructions
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only
subjected to moderate loads, you should
occasionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS) (page 91).
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the
reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be too low or the electro-hydraulic brake
system may be malfunctioning if the brake
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on and an acoustic warning sounds
although the parking brake is released
(
page 345).
Observe additional messages in the
multifunction display that may appear, see
(
page 377) through (page 382).
Have the brake system inspected immedi-
ately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine must be shut off (SmartKey in starter
switch position 0 or 1or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position 0 or 1) when the
parking brake is being tested on a brake test
dynamometer.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
Warning!G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
Be certain to read and observe the warning
notices on brake pad replacement
(
page 96).
!When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking power.
This helps prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.

270 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than to park im-
mediately, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
High-performance brake system
(AMG vehicles only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the

vehicle speed

brake force applied

ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or disks strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under
which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
Warning!G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
!When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an extended
period with the ESP
® switched off. Doing so may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.

342 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamps in the instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
vThe yellow ABS/ESP® warning
lamp comes on when the engine
is running.The ESP® has been switched off.
Risk of accident!
When the ESP
® is switched off it will not sta-
bilize the vehicle if the system recognizes
that the vehicle starts to skid or that a wheel
is spinning.
Switch the ESP® back on (page 94).
Exceptions: (
page 93)
If leaving the ESP® switched off, adapt
your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If the ESP
® cannot be switched on:
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
The ESP® is not operational due to a malfunc-
tion.
Risk of accident! Observe additional messages in the
multifunction display.
Continue driving with added caution.
Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.

351 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
CThe yellow roll bar warning lamp
comes on or flickers when the
engine is running.The roll bar system is malfunctioning.For safety reasons, always have the roll
bar raised when driving with the retract-
able hardtop open.
Attempt to raise the roll bar manually
(
page 83).
Have the roll bar checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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 oper-
ating 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
(
page 83).
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.

359 Practical hints
What to do if …
Vehicle status messages in the multi-
function display
Warning and malfunction messages
appear in the in the multifunction display
located in the instrument cluster.
Certain warning and malfunction mes-
sages are accompanied by an audible
signal.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.
Selecting the vehicle status message
memory menu in the control system
(
page 156) displays both cleared and
uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the mul-
tifunction display in red color.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 26) or
button j, k, ÿ, or è on the
multifunction steering wheel.
Other messages of high priority and mes-
sages of less immediate priority can be
cleared from the multifunction display us-
ing the reset button or button j, k,
ÿ, or è on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel. They are then stored in the vehi-
cle status message memory (
page 156).
Remember that clearing a message will not
correct the condition that caused the mes-
sage to appear.
Warning!G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated,
addressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property
damage or personal injury.

360 Practical hints
What to do if …
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may
appear in the multifunction display.
For your convenience the messages are
divided into two sections:

Text messages (page 361)

Symbol messages (page 376)
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative. Contact your nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as speed or outside temperature,
warning/indicator lamps,
malfunction/warning messages or the fail-
ure of any systems. Driving characteristics
may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with
added caution. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iSwitching on the ignition causes all instru-
ment cluster lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator lamps
unless activated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps and the
multifunction display are in working order before
starting your journey.

368 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left display Right display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
Front Passeng.
AirbagEnabled
See Oper. ManualThe passenger front air bag is
activated while driving even
though a child, small individual,
or object below the system’s
weight threshold is on the pas-
senger seat, or the passenger
seat is empty. Objects on the
seat or forces acting on the seat
may make the system sense
supplemental weight.Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and
check the passenger seat for the following:
Switch off the ignition (page 40).
Apply the parking brake (page 63).
Remove child and child restraint from passenger seat.
Make sure that no objects which are applying supple-
mental weight onto the seat are present. The system
may recognize such supplemental weight and sense that
an occupant on the passenger seat is of a greater weight
than actually present.
Keep the seat unoccupied, close the passenger door
and switch on the ignition (
page 40).
Monitor the 5/indicator lamp (
page 78) and the
multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 143)
for the following:
(Continued on next page)