2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG instrument panel

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19At a glance.......................................... 21
Exterior view ......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 30
Center console ..................................... 31
Upper part ...................................... 31
Lower part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Storage compartments ......................... 34
Door control panel................................ 36Getting started................................... 37
Unlocking ............................................. 38
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 38
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 39
Starter switch positions .................. 40
Adjusting .............................................. 43
Seats .............................................. 43
Steering wheel ................................ 46
Mirrors ............................................ 49
Driving .................................................. 50
Fastening the seat belts ................. 50
Starting the engine ......................... 53
Parking brake ................................. 55
Driving off ....................................... 56
Switching on headlamps ................. 57
Turn signals .................................... 57
Windshield wipers ........................... 58
Problems while driving.................... 60
Parking and locking .............................. 62
Parking brake ................................. 63
Switching off headlamps................. 63
Turning off the engine..................... 64
Releasing seat belts........................ 64
Locking ........................................... 65

21 At a glance
Exterior view
Cockpit
Instrument cluster
Multifunction steering wheel
Center console
Overhead control panel
Storage compartments
Door control panel

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Exterior lamp switch57, 131
2Headlamp cleaning button185
3Cruise control lever

Cruise control

Distronic*
214
218
4Shift paddle*: downshift180
5Instrument cluster26, 140
6Multifunction steering
wheel30, 144
7Shift paddle*: upshift180
8Lever for Voice Control
System*, see separate
operating instructions
ItemPage
9Front Parktronic* warning
indicator235
aDigital clock
bInterior storage compart-
ments (locking/unlocking)240
cOverhead control panel33
dGlove box238
eCenter console31, 32
fStarter switch40
gHorn
hSteering wheel adjustment
stalk46
ItemPage
jCombination switch

High beam

Turn signals

Windshield wipers
57
57
58
kParking brake pedal55, 63
lParking brake release
handle55
mHood lock release282
nDoor control panel36
oPower window switch201

72 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bag
In case of other types of impacts and impacts be-
low air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will
not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a properly
fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt
is also needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your pas-
senger that you replace deployed air bags and
repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure
that the vehicle will continue to provide supple-
mental crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G

Damaged seat belts or seat belts that
were highly stressed in an accident
must be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Only use
seat belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate
material, which may require special han-
dling and regard for the environment.
Check with your local government’s
disposal guidelines. California residents,
see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/Hazard-
ousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.

Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that has deployed must be re-
placed.

Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.

Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.

No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag
cover, door frame trims, or door trim
panels, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages,
purses, umbrellas, etc.).

Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

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.

81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this
section, as that could result in serious
injuries in case of an accident.

Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag,
driver-side knee bag, passenger front air
bag, head-thorax air bags) and ETD (seat
belt emergency tensioning device). The
system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air
bags, driver-side knee bag and ETD) and
side (head-thorax air bags and ETD) im-
pacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.

Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would
increase the chance of head and neck
injuries. The shoulder belt would also
apply too much force to the ribs or abdo-
men, which could severely injure inter-
nal organs such as your liver or spleen.

Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the lap belt is positioned across
your abdomen, it could cause serious in-
juries in a crash.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another
person or other objects.

Seat belts should not be worn twisted.
In a crash, you would not have the full
width of the seat belt to manage impact
forces. The twisted seat belt against
your body could cause injuries.

Pregnant women should also always use
a lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible
pressure on the abdomen.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

131 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 57)
and “Turn signals” (
page 57).
Exterior lamp switch
Exterior lamp switch
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
1‚Standing lamps, left
(turn left two stops)
2ˆStanding lamps, right
(turn left one stop)
3MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 133)
4UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 133)
5CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6BLow beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps.
7‡Front fog lamps
8†Rear fog lamp
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 park-
ing 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.

474 Index
High-performance brake system
(AMG vehicles only) 270
Hood 282
Messages in the multifunction
display 390
Opening 282
Horn 25
HVAC see Automatic climate control
Hydroplaning 272
I
Identification labels 444
Identification number, Vehicle (VIN) 445
Ignition 40
Immobilizer 98
Indicator lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems see
Children in the vehicle
Inflation pressure see Tire inflation
pressure
Inside door handle 113Instrument cluster 26, 140
Illumination brightness 140
Lamps 342
Language 160
Messages in the multifunction
display 26, 359
Multifunction display 143
Instrument lighting see Instrument cluster,
Illumination brightness
Instrument panel see Instrument cluster
Instruments and controls see Cockpit
Interior lighting 138
Delayed switch-off 165
Interior rear view mirror 49
Antiglare position 185
Auto-dimming 185
J
Jack 401
Jacking up the vehicle 418
Jump starting 432K
Key, Mechanical 403
Valet locking 120
Key, SmartKey
Batteries 407
Battery check lamp 104
Checking the batteries 113
Factory setting 106
Global locking 106, 107
Global unlocking 106, 107
Locking/unlocking 38, 65, 104
Loss of 113
Messages in the multifunction
display 390
Opening, Trunk 115
Opening/closing retractable
hardtop 206
Remote control 104
Replacing batteries 407
Reprogramming 107
Restoring to factory settings 107
Selective setting 107
Starter switch positions 40
Starting the engine 53
Turning off the engine 64
Unlocking, Trunk lid 114