2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL65AMG door lock

46 Getting started
Adjusting
Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head re-
straint.
Push or pull on the lower edge of the
head restraint cushion.
For more information on seats, see “Seats”
(
page 124).
Steering wheel
Make sure that

you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows

you can move your legs freely

all displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
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
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the steering wheel adjustment feature can
be operated when the driver’s 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 personal injury.
iThe memory function (page 129) lets you
store the settings for the steering wheel together
with the settings for the driver’s seat position
and the exterior rear view mirrors.

48 Getting started
Adjusting
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or

insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 41) once
with the driver’s door closedWith the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button in position 1 (
page 41)
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iThe last set steering wheel position is stored
when

the ignition is switched off (page 40)

the position is stored in memory
(
page 129)
iIf the current position for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
The adjustment procedure is briefly interrupted
when the engine is started.
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. All steering wheel adjustment must be
completed before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still
adjusting could cause the driver to lose con-
trol of the vehicle.


54 Getting started
Driving
Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
1USA only
2Canada only
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.
Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button once.
The engine starts if the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is in the vehicle.For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 64).
Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey: Turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure.
If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Warning!G
As long as the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is in your vehicle, the vehicle can be started.
Therefore, never leave children unattended
in the vehicle, as they could otherwise
accidentally start the engine.
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.

56 Getting started
Driving
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionD orR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the transmission en-
gages at a higher revolution. This allows
the catalytic converter to reach its operat-
ing temperature earlier.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
!In order to avoid damage to the
transmission:

Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.

Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orR only when the vehicle is stopped.
!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release Parking Brake appears in
the multifunction display when driving off, you
have forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 55).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
You can deactivate the automatic locking using
the control system (
page 166).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.

58 Getting started
Driving
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Switching on windshield wipers
2Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
iTo signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release.
The corresponding turn signals will flash three
times.
!Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate the windshield wipers with
windshield washer fluid (
page 60).
!If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off imme-
diately.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button and
open the driver’s door (with the driver’s
door open, the starter switch is in
position 0, same as with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch)
before attempting to remove any blockage.

Remove blockage.

Turn the windshield wipers on again.

64 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off the engine
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Apply the parking brake (page 63).
Turning off with the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 40).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton (
page 41) to turn off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the
starter switch is now in position1. With
the driver’s door opened, the starter
switch is set to position0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter switch
(
page 40).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(
page 51).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
positionP.
iWith the SmartKey removed and the driver’s
door open, a warning sounds if the vehicle’s
exterior lamps are not switched off.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have tried to
turn off the engine while the gear selector lever
was not inP.
In addition, the message
Gear Selector
Lever To P
appears in the multifunction
display.
Place the gear selector lever in positionP.
!M a k e s u r e t h e s e a t b e l t r e t r a c t s f u l l y s o t h a t
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim
panel. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

65 Getting started
Parking and locking
LockingExit the vehicle and close the doors and
the trunk.
Opening a door causes its window to open
slightly. It will fully close when the door is
shut.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
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. 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.
!A side window will not work if it is blocked
with ice or if the battery needs charging. If you
cannot shut a door, do not force it or you could
damage the door or the side window.
Fix whatever is affecting the window before
trying to shut the door.
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
parking 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.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: A warning
signal and the message
Remember your key.
remind you not to leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.

66 Getting started
Parking and locking
Locking with the SmartKey
Press the lock button‹on the
SmartKey (
page 38).
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.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 104).Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button
Press lock button1 on an outside
door handle.
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.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 108).