2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG warning light

242 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel nets in trunk
There are three nets available in the trunk
to secure loads:

a pocket net on each side of the right
and left trunk side walls

a trunk floor net
Pull the trunk floor net from the trunk
back wall towards the front over the
luggage.
Hang the hooks of the net on the eyes
on the trunk floor.Luggage compartment in the rear
1Strap
2Holder
3Latch
4Release button
Warning!G
Secure all pieces of luggage in the rear with
the luggage straps. Unsecured pieces of
luggage can otherwise cause injury during a
braking maneuver and can increase the risk
of injury in an accident.
Never allow anyone to ride in the rear.
The luggage straps can only secure light lug-
gage items. Carry heavy pieces of luggage in
the trunk.
The rear compartment area is not designed
or intended to accommodate occupants.
Severe personal injury or death may be the
result in an accident.

244 Controls in detail
Useful features
Ashtray
1Cover plate
2Sliding knob
Opening ashtray
Briefly touch cover plate1.
The ashtray opens automatically.
Closing ashtray
Press cover plate1 down until it
latches.Removing the ashtray insert
Secure vehicle from movement by set-
ting the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionN.
Now you have more room to take out
the insert.
Press sliding knob2 to the right.
The insert will eject a short distance.
Replacing the ashtray insert
Press the insert into the frame until it
snaps into place.
Cigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Warning!G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Set the parking brake to secure vehicle
from movement. Move gear selector lever to
positionN. With gear selector lever in
positionN, turn off the engine.
Warning!G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
Make sure that any children traveling with
you do not injure themselves or start a fire
with the hot cigarette lighter.
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.

245 Controls in detail
Useful features
1Cigarette lighter
Push in cigarette lighter1.
The lighter will pop out automatically
when hot.
Load assist in the trunk
To facilitate trunk loading after opening the
trunk lid, use the load assist feature to
raise the retracted hardtop from its stor-
age position in the trunk.!The lighter socket can accommodate
12V DC electrical accessories (up to a maximum
of 85 W) designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type. Keep in mind, how-
ever, that connecting accessories to the lighter
socket (for example extensive connecting and
disconnecting, or using plugs that do not fit prop-
erly) can damage the lighter socket. With the
socket damaged, the lighter may no longer be
able to be placed in the heating (pushed-in) posi-
tion, or the lighter may pop out too early with the
lighter not hot enough.
To help avoid damaging the cigarette lighter
socket, we recommend connecting 12V DC elec-
trical accessories designed for use with the stan-
dard “cigarette lighter” plug type to the
12V power outlet (
page 246) in your vehicle
whenever possible.
Warning!G
To prevent injuries, make sure that there is
no possibility of body parts getting caught in
moving parts. If potential danger exists,
press the switch again. This will immediately
stop the movement of the hardtop.

246 Controls in detail
Useful features
1Retracted hardtop
2Luggage cover
3Load assist button
Hardtop 1 can only be raised or lowered
when

luggage cover 2 is closed

the trunk lid is completely openedRaising the hardtop
Press button3.
Hardtop 1 rises a short distance.
Button3 comes on brightly. You can
now open luggage cover 2.
Lowering the hardtop
Close luggage cover 2.
Press button3.
Hardtop 1 lowers. Button3 is dimly
lit.
Power outlet
A power outlet is located on the right side
of the trunk.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Flip up cover and insert electrical plug
(cigarette lighter type).
!Only close the trunk if the hardtop is com-
pletely lowered. Otherwise you could damage
the hardtop.
If you begin to close the trunk lid before the hard-
top is completely lowered, button3 will flash
and a warning will sound.
iThe power outlet can be used to accommo-
date electrical consumers (e.g. air pump,
auxiliary lamps) up to a maximum of 180 W.

275 Operation
Driving instructions
Road salts and chemicals can adversely
affect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking
efficiency should be tested as soon as
possible after driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 327).
Standing water
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an Ice-Warning Device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or water
of unknown depth. Before driving through water,
determine its depth. Never accelerate before
driving into water. The bow wave could force wa-
ter into the engine and auxiliary equipment, thus
damaging them.
If you must drive through standing water, drive
slowly to prevent water from entering the pas-
senger compartment or the engine compart-
ment. Water in these areas could cause damage
to electrical components or wiring of the engine
or transmission, or could result in water being in-
gested by the engine through the air intake,
causing severe internal engine damage. Any
such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

293 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths of less
than
1/8in (3 mm).
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately
1/16in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:

Summer tires 1/8in (3 mm)

Winter tires 1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
read Wear Indicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tiresWarning!G
Although the applicable federal motor safety
laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recom-
mend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches 1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply re-
duced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible. Pro-
tect tires from contact with oil, grease and gaso-
line.
!Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in
damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.

338 Operation
Vehicle care
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.Rear window cleaning
Clean the rear window with the hardtop
fully raised and closed.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0.) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
Warning!G
Do not clean the rear window with the hard-
top in a position other than the fully raised
and closed position. Otherwise, the hardtop
may move unexpectedly which may result in
personal injury to you or others.
!Only use acid-free cleaning materials. Acid
may cause corrosion or damage the clear coat.


339 Operation
Vehicle care
Plastic and rubber parts
Use a gentle dishwashing detergent or
mild detergent for delicate fabrics as a
washing solution.
Wipe with a cloth moistened in a luke-
warm solution.
The surface may temporarily change
color. If this is the case, wait for it to
dry.Hard plastic trim items
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Interior
Care, a soft, lint-free cloth and apply
with light pressure.
Steering wheel and gear selector lever
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry
thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Carpets
Use Mercedes-Benz approved
Carpet and Fabric Care for cleaning
the carpets.
!The vehicle should not be parked for an
extended period of time immediately after it has
been cleaned, especially not after the wheel rims
have been cleaned with wheel rim cleaner.
Wheel rim cleaners can lead to increased corro-
sion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Non-approved wheel cleaners may also damage
the wheel paint if the car is not driven after
cleaning. Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it is parked
after cleaning. To do so, please drive your vehicle
for several minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
When applying Mercedes-Benz approved Tire
Care and Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
products, take care not to spray them on the
brake disks. Warning!G
Do not use cleaners containing solvents or
cockpit care sprays to clean the cockpit or
the steering wheel. Cleaners containing sol-
vents will make the surface porous and vehi-
cle occupants could suffer serious injuries
from plastic parts coming loose in the event
of air bag deployment.
!Do not use oil, wax or scouring agents on
these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the
surface.
!Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the
surface.