2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL65AMG check oil

285 Operation
Engine compartment
If necessary, add engine oil.
For information on adding engine oil, see
(
page 286).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 457) and
(
page 460).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is not in position2, the
following message will appear:
Turn ignition on
to measure
engine oil level
.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).If you see the message:
Observe
Waiting Time
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before repeating
the check procedure.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, wait 30 minutes before re-
peating the check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine Oil Level
Not With
Engine Running
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture yet, you must wait 30 minutes be-
fore checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
Engine Oil Level
Reduce Oil Level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 388).
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and
emission control system not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

286 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (SL 550 only)
When checking the oil level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground

the vehicle must have been stationary
for at least 5 minutes with the engine
turned off
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Open the hood (page 282).
Pull out oil dipstick 1.
Wipe oil dipstick 1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick 1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick 1 again after ap-
proximately 3 seconds to obtain accu-
rate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween lower mark 3 (min.) and upper
mark 2 (max.) of the oil dipstick.
If necessary, add engine
oil (
page 286).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 457) and
(
page 460).
For information on messages in the multi-
function display concerning engine oil, see
the “Practical hints” section (
page 388).Adding engine oil
iIn vehicles without an oil dipstick, the engine
oil level is measured via the control
system (
page 284).
iThe filling quantity between the upper and
lower marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!Only use approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance System.
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters, refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specification
other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System, or changing of 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.

287 Operation
Engine compartment
Example illustration SL 550
1Filler cap
Example illustration SL 55 AMG
1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 457) and
(
page 460).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.
Oil level in the ABC system
The oil level in the ABC system does not
need to be checked. If there is visible oil
loss or if malfunction messages appear in
the display, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center check the ABC
system.!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and
emission control system not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

332 Operation
Maintenance
Calling up the maintenance service
indicator display
You can call up the maintenance service in-
dicator display at any time to check when
the next maintenance service is due.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Press button è or ÿ on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the standard display appears in
the multifunction display (
page 149).
Press button k or j on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator display
with the maintenance service symbol
9 or ½ appears in the left multi-
function display and the maintenance
service deadline appears in the right
multifunction display.Resetting the maintenance service
indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center, you can
have the maintenance service indicator
reset. The automotive maintenance facility
carrying out the maintenance service will
find the information for resetting the
maintenance service indicator in the main-
tenance-relevant information for your vehi-
cle. Such information is available from an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or
directly from Mercedes-Benz.
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 146).
iIf the battery supplying the vehicle’s electri-
cal consumers is disconnected, the days of dis-
connection will not be included in the count
shown by the maintenance service indicator. To
arrive at the true maintenance service deadline,
you will need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service indicator
message or maintenance service indicator dis-
play.
Do not confuse the maintenance service indica-
tor with the engine oil level indicator N.
!If the maintenance service indicator was in-
advertently reset, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance service has
been performed. Resetting the system without
performing proper maintenance service as
called for by the maintenance service indicator
will result in engine damage and/or other vehicle
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

333 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
Regular and proper care will help to main-
tain the value of your vehicle. The best way
to protect your vehicle from harmful envi-
ronmental influences is to wash it and use
protective treatments regularly.
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the vehicle
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:

Air pollution

Road salt

Tar

Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:

Grease and oil

Fuel

Coolant

Brake fluid

Bird droppings

Insects

Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:

near the ocean

in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)

during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the
factory with a wax-base rustproofing in the
body cavities which will last for the lifetime
of the vehicle. Post-production treatment
is neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others
applied later.
Warning!G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.

387 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the message Add 1 qt engine oil
at next refueling
(Canada: 1 liter)
appears while the engine is running and at
operating temperature, the engine oil level
has dropped to approximately the
minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning is at first
intermittent and then remains on if the oil
level drops further.Visually check for oil leaks. If there are no
obvious oil leaks, drive to the nearest
service station to refill the engine oil
should be topped to the required level.
For information on approved engine oils,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
NUSA only:
Add 1 qt
engine oil
at next
refueling.
Canada only:
Add 1 liter
engine oil
at next
refueling.
Vehicles with engine oil measuring
system only:
The engine oil level is too low.Add engine oil (page 286) and check the
engine oil level (
page 284).
!Engine oil level warnings should not be ig-
nored. Extended driving with the symbol
displayed could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

388 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
NEngine Oil Level
Stop car,
switch engine off.There is no oil in the engine. There
is a danger of engine damage.Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so.
Turn off the engine.
Add engine oil (page 286) and check the
engine oil level (
page 284).
Engine Oil Level
Reduce Oil LevelVehicles with engine oil measuring
system only:
You have added too much engine
oil. There is a risk of damaging the
engine or the catalytic converter.Have excess oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with respect
to its disposal.
Engine Oil Level
Cannot
measure
eng. oil level.Vehicles with engine oil measuring
system only:
The measuring system is malfunc-
tioning.Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine Oil Level
Check LevelVehicles with oil dipstick only:
The engine oil has dropped to a crit-
ical level.Check the engine oil level (page 284) and
add oil as required (
page 286).
If you must add engine oil frequently, have the
engine checked for possible leaks.

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.