2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG warning

95 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The electro-hydraulic brake system is auto-
matically activated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or with KEYLESS-GO*

open the driver’s or passenger door

turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1

in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on the gear se-
lector lever once

depress the brake pedal

release the parking brake
Warning!G
The electro-hydraulic brake system requires
electrical power to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 345)
comes on and warning messages
(
page 377) appear in the multifunction
display while driving. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased!
If there is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be transported with
all wheels off the ground using flatbed or ap-
propriate wheel lift/dolly equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(
page 434).

96 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The electro-hydraulic brake system
switches off automatically

approximately 2 minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey

approximately 2 minutes after you
pressed the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button to turn off the engine or power
supply and opened the driver’s door
(with driver’s door open, the starter
switch is set to position 0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)

approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside
iIf the electro-hydraulic brake system is acti-
vated as the brake pedal is first depressed, you
may feel a reduced pedal resistance and longer
pedal travel than normal. When releasing the
pedal, you may also feel the brake pedal pulsate
and you may hear a sound which is caused by the
activation of the electro-hydraulic brake system
pump. This is normal and not an indication of a
malfunction. Pedal travel returns to normal when
you release the brake pedal and the sound soon
ceases.
If you experience the above while driving and the
red brake warning lamp (
page 345) illumi-
nates and/or warning messages appear in the
multifunction display (
page 377), the brake
system is malfunctioning. Follow the instructions
of the warning message(s) and have the brake
system checked immediately.
Warning!G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the electro-hydraulic brake system
carried out by qualified technicians only.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for further information.
The electro-hydraulic brake system must be
deactivated prior to working on the system.
High pressure is intermittently built up in the
system as part of its automatic self-test.
In addition, the system is automatically acti-
vated when the vehicle is unlocked by re-
mote control, when the driver or passenger
door is opened, when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is turned to position1 or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button is pressed
once, when the brake pedal is depressed or
when the parking brake is released. Failure
to deactivate the system prior to mainte-
nance will cause brake pistons to extend
and brake fluid to leak, which may result in
injuries (contusions and acid burns). Extend-
ed brake pistons may also cause injury.

97 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Notes on driving with the
electro-hydraulic brake system

Following extended periods of only
minor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This
improves the grip of the brake pads.
After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle.
This produces heat which serves to
dry the brake disks and help prevent
corrosion.

On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.

After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes
faster.

Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads
not approved by Mercedes-Benz may
impair the safety of your vehicle.
Warning!G
Be very careful not to endanger other road
users when you apply the brakes.

99 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
The alarm system will also be triggered
when

someone attempts to raise the vehicle

unlocking and opening the driver’s
door, the trunk, or the glove box with
the mechanical key

someone opens a door from the inside

someone opens the trunk lid with the
emergency release buttonArming the alarm system
The alarm system indicator lamp is located
in the locking switch in the upper part of
the center console.
1Alarm system indicator lamp
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
and an acoustic warning sounds three
times to indicate that the alarm system
is armed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 starts
flashing.Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash once and an
acoustic warning sounds once to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 goes
out.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 252) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times and no acoustic warning sounds three
times, a door or the trunk lid may not be properly
closed.
Close the respective element and lock the
vehicle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
again after approximately 40 seconds if no door
was opened.

105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey 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.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid ex-
posing the SmartKey to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iYou can also open and close the power win-
dows (
page 201) and the retractable hardtop
using the SmartKey (
page 206).
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle
with the SmartKey, then the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the SmartKey is mal-
functioning or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey
(
page 113) and replace them if necessary
(
page 407).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the
driver’s door (
page 403) and the trunk
(
page 404).

Have the vehicle batteries and their
connections checked (
page 427).

Use the mechanical key to lock or unlock the
doors (
page 405).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, contact
Roadside Assistance or an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

106 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory settingGlobal unlocking
Press button Œ.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
and rearm the alarm system within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking if:

neither door nor trunk is opened

the SmartKey is not inserted in the
starter switch

the central locking switch is not
activatedGlobal locking
Press button ‹.
With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic warning sounds three
times.

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
iWhen unlocking or locking the vehicle with
the SmartKey, an acoustic signal sounds. The
signal is activated at the factory. If you wish to
deactivate the feature or adjust its signal
volume, contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

107 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey so that press-
ing buttonŒ only unlocks the driver’s
door, interior lockable storage compart-
ments and the fuel filler flap.
Press and hold buttonsŒand‹
simultaneously for about 5 seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
The SmartKey will then function as
follows:Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap
Press button Πonce.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once.

The locking knob in the driver’s
door moves up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.
Global unlocking
Press button Πtwice.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.Global locking
Press button ‹.
With all doors and the trunk closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic warning sounds three
times.

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Restoring to factory setting
Press and hold buttons Œ and ‹
simultaneously for about 5 seconds
until battery check lamp5
(
page 104) flashes twice.

108 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with KEYLESS-GO come
with two SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO,
each with remote controls and a remov-
able mechanical key.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked every time you grasp a door
handle.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is valid,
your vehicle unlocks

the doors

the trunk lid

the glove box

the storage compartment under the
armrest

the storage compartments in the rear

the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
1‹Lock button
2Š Opening button for trunk
(
page 114)
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ŒUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 88)
For information on using the SmartKey
buttons, see “SmartKey” (
page 104).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO 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.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO to
high levels of electromagnetic radiation.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.