2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 engine

445 Technical data
Identification labels
4Storage compartment lid
5Trim
6VIN
Open storage compartment lid 4.
Remove storage compartment trim 5.
The VIN 6 is located on the metal
strap above the floor carpet.7Engine number (engraved on engine)
8VIN
9Emission control information label,
includes both federal and California
certification exhaust emission stan-
dards
iWhen ordering parts, please specify vehicle
identification and engine number.

447 Technical data
Engine
Engine
ModelSL 550 (230.471)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.
SL 600 (230.477)1
Engine273275
Mode of operation4-stroke engine, gasoline injection4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders812
Bore3.86 in (98.00 mm)3.23 in (82.00 mm)
Stroke3.56 in (90.50 mm)3.43 in (87.00 mm)
Total piston displacement333.3cu in (5461cm3)336.4 cu in (5 513 cm3)
Compression ratio10.7:19:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349382 hp/6 000 rpm2
(285 kW/6 000 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
510 hp/5 000 rpm2
(380 kW/5 000 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349391 lb-ft/2 800 - 4 800 rpm
(530 Nm/2 800 - 4 800 rpm)612 lb-ft/1 900 - 3 500 rpm
(830 Nm/1 900 - 3 500 rpm)
Maximum engine speed6 500 rpm5 950 rpm
Firing order1-5-4-2-6-3-7-81-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt2 398 mm2 335 mm

448 Technical data
Engine
ModelSL 55 AMG (230.474)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.
SL 65 AMG (230.479)1
Engine113275
Mode of operation4-stroke engine, gasoline injection4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders812
Bore3.82 in (97.00 mm)3.25 in (82.60 mm)
Stroke3.62 in (92.00 mm)3.66 in (93.00 mm)
Total piston displacement331.8 cu in (5439 cm3)364.9 cu in (5980 cm3)
Compression ratio9:19:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349510 hp/6 100 rpm2
(380 kW/6 100 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
603 hp/4 800-5 100 rpm2
(450 kW/4 800-5 100 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349530 lb-ft/2 600 - 4 000 rpm
(720 Nm/2 600 - 4 000 rpm)738 lb-ft/2 000 - 4 000 rpm
(1 000 Nm/2 000 - 4 000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed6500 rpm5950 rpm
Firing order1-5-4-2-6-3-7-81-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt2 462 mm/1 289 mm2335 mm

457 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with
respect to handling, storing and disposing
of service fluids. Otherwise you could
endanger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of
children.
For health reasons, you should prevent
service fluids from coming into direct
contact with your skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a
physician immediately.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filterSL 550
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmissionSL 550
SL 600
SL 55 AMG
SL 65 AMG9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid

460 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System. For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet (USA
only), or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Engine oil additives
Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special
PAG lubricating oil are used in the air con-
ditioner system.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System or changing oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those called for
by the Maintenance System will result in engine
or emission control system damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so will result in engine or emission control sys-
tem damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending
oil additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating oil. Otherwise damage to the system
will occur.
Warning!G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere. Under extremely strenuous
operating conditions, this moisture content
can lead to the formation of bubbles in the
system, thus reducing the system’s
efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement
interval.

461 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasolineFuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the
inhalation of fuel vapors are damaging to
your health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gasoline must
be used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not
available and low octane fuel is used, follow
these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3 000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two occupants and no luggage.

Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

462 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation

Unstable idle

Knocking/pinging

Misfire

Power lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to the
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet (USA only) or contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for a listing of
approved product(s). Follow directions on
product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
!Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel
additives other than those tested and approved
by us for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

463 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which
provides:

corrosion protection

freeze protection

boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-35°F (-37°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least
50% anticorrosion/antifreeze (equivalent
to freeze protection to approximately
-35°F [-37°C]). If you use a solution that is
more than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze
(freeze protection to approximately
-49°F [-45°C]), the engine temperature
will increase due to the lower heat transfer
capability of the solution. Therefore,
do not use more than this amount of
anticorrosion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage). Please make sure the
mixture is in accordance with label instruc-
tions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
! Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.