2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 ECU

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 67
Occupant safety................................... 68
Air bags .......................................... 70
Occupant Classification System ..... 74
Seat belts ....................................... 79
Roll bar ........................................... 83
Children in the vehicle .................... 84
Panic alarm .......................................... 88
Activating ....................................... 88
Deactivating ................................... 88
Driving safety systems ......................... 89
ABS ................................................ 89
BAS ................................................ 91
ESP
®............................................... 91
Electro-hydraulic brake system ...... 94
Anti-theft systems................................ 98
Immobilizer..................................... 98
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 98
Tow-away alarm ........................... 100
Controls in detail............................. 103
Locking and unlocking ....................... 104
SmartKey ..................................... 104
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 108
Checking the batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 113
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 113
Opening the doors from
the inside ..................................... 113
Opening the trunk ........................ 114
Closing the trunk.......................... 116
Valet locking ................................ 120
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 121
Power closing assist for trunk lid . 121
Automatic central locking ............ 122
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 122Seats ................................................. 124
Moving the seats forward and
backward ..................................... 124
Lumbar support ........................... 124
Multicontour backrest*................ 125
Seat heating................................. 126
Seat ventilation* .......................... 128
Memory function ............................... 129
Storing positions into memory ..... 130
Recalling positions from memory. 130
Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* ................................... 136
Hazard warning flasher ................ 137
Interior lighting ............................ 138
Courtesy lighting .......................... 139
Trunk lamp ................................... 139

14 Introduction
Where to find it
This Operator’s Manual is designed to pro-
vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. Each section
has its own reference color:
At a glance
Here you will find an overview of all the
controls that can be operated from the
driver’s seat.
Getting started
Here you will find all the information you
need for your first drive. You should read
this section first if this is your first
Mercedes-Benz vehicle or if you are rent-
ing or borrowing this vehicle.
Safety and Security
Here you will find descriptions of the safety
and security features in your vehicle.
Controls in detail
Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed on your ve-
hicle. This section expands on the “Getting
started” section and also describes techni-
cal innovations. If you are already familiar
with the basic functions of your vehicle,
this section will be of particular interest to
you.
Operation
Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi-
cle.
Practical hints
This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.
Technical data
All important technical data for your
vehicle can be found in this section.
Indexes
The table of contents and the index are
designed to help you find information
quickly and easily.
The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:

this Operator’s Manual

the Maintenance Booklet
Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your
vehicle.

44 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located in
the door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt
Warning!G
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.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the start-
er switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats can be operated when the
respective door is open. Therefore, 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 person-
al injury.
Warning!G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ately sized infant restraint, toddler restraint,
or booster seat recommended for the size
and weight of the child For additional infor-
mation, see “Children in the vehicle”
(
page 84).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

50 Getting started
Driving
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedal’s range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure the pedals still have
sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
the pedals. You could then no longer brake
or accelerate. This could lead to accidents
or injury.Warning!G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passenger is
properly restrained.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases
your risk of injuries and their likely severity
in an accident. You and your passenger
should always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(
page 68).
Warning!G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ate infant restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, see “Children in the vehicle”
(
page 84).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

51 Getting started
Driving
1Seat belt housing
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release button
With a smooth motion, pull the seat
belt from seat belt housing1.
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
To release the seat belt, press release
button4 and guide latch plate back to
seat belt housing1.
Warning!G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at
a time.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the seat belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The seat back-
rest and seat belt provide the best restraint
when the wearer is in a position that is as
upright as possible and the seat belt is prop-
erly positioned on the body.
Warning!G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices in the “Safety and Security” section
(
page 79).

52 Getting started
Driving
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a position
that is as upright as possible.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant restraints, toddler restraints or
children in booster seats, always follow
the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.

Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly
positioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
Warning!G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment
mechanism. This could damage the
seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness 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 adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Panic alarm
Driving safety systems
Anti-theft systems

68 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts (page 79)

Child restraints (page 85)
Additional protection potential provided by

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 70)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency Tensioning Device
(ETD) for seat belts (
page 82)

Roll bar (page 83)Air bag system components with

Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp (
page 78)

Passenger seat with Occupant
C
lassification System (OCS)
(
page 74)
Although independent systems, their
protective functions work in conjunction
with each other.The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of malfunctions.
The
1indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition is
switched on and goes out no later than a
few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the
1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the
1indicator lamp:

fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 84).