2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL65AMG tow

213 Controls in detail
Retractable hardtop
Fold retainer springs of tensioning
clasps downward and clip them into
holders on both sides (
page 211).
Close tensioning clasps on both sides
by pressing them upward.
Pull handle of luggage cover towards
the rear.
Clip eyelets onto side trim panels.
Close the zipper completely
(
page 211).
Fold back the zipper’s cloth cover
across the entire length of the luggage
cover.Sunshade for panorama roof*
The sunshade protects you from excessive
sunlight coming in through the panorama
roof.
1Stop buttons
2HandleOpening
Squeeze stop buttons1 and guide the
sunshade towards the rear.
Closing
Using handle2, slide the sunshade
towards the front of the vehicle.Warning!G
Do not operate the sunshade while driving.
Adjusting the sunshade while driving could
cause the driver to lose control of the vehi-
cle.

226 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting the following distance in
Distronic
You can set the specified following dis-
tance for Distronic by varying the time set-
ting between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds. Using
this time setting and the current speed of
your vehicle, Distronic calculates and sets
the required following distance to the
preceding vehicle. The set distance will
appear in the right multifunction display
(
page 222).
The distance setting thumbwheel for the
time setting is located on the lower section
of the center console.1Thumbwheel for setting following
distanceIncreasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Turn thumbwheel1 towards ¯.
Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a shorter following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Turn thumbwheel1 towards ®.
!Moving the gear selector lever to positionN
while driving cancels the Distronic. However, the
gear selector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast when
the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads).
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does not
deactivate the Distronic. After brief acceleration
(e.g. for passing), the Distronic will resume the
last speed set.
Warning!G
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver’s preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving recom-
mendations for safe following distance.

242 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel nets in trunk
There are three nets available in the trunk
to secure loads:

a pocket net on each side of the right
and left trunk side walls

a trunk floor net
Pull the trunk floor net from the trunk
back wall towards the front over the
luggage.
Hang the hooks of the net on the eyes
on the trunk floor.Luggage compartment in the rear
1Strap
2Holder
3Latch
4Release button
Warning!G
Secure all pieces of luggage in the rear with
the luggage straps. Unsecured pieces of
luggage can otherwise cause injury during a
braking maneuver and can increase the risk
of injury in an accident.
Never allow anyone to ride in the rear.
The luggage straps can only secure light lug-
gage items. Carry heavy pieces of luggage in
the trunk.
The rear compartment area is not designed
or intended to accommodate occupants.
Severe personal injury or death may be the
result in an accident.

254 Controls in detail
Useful features
The message Connecting Call will ap-
pear in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may
apply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance
Manual for more information.The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.Information button ¡
The Information button¡ is located
below the center armrest cover.
1Information button¡
Open the telephone* compartment
(
page 239).
Press and hold button 1 (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting Call will appear
in the multifunction display and the
audio system is muted.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illuminated in
red for approximately 10 seconds during the
system self-check after switching on the ignition
(together with the SOS button and the Informa-
tion button¡).
See system self-check (
page 251) if the indi-
cator lamp does not come on in red or stays on
longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside Assistance
button• is flashing continuously and there
was no voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate a Roadside Assistance call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available). The
message
Call Failed appears in the multi-
function display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be terminated us-
ing the tbutton on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel or the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the COMAND headunit.


257 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered
incident report.
Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s Tele
Aid system. Once the vehicle is locat-
ed, the Response Center will contact
the local law enforcement and you. The
vehicle’s location will only be provided
to law enforcement.
Garage door opener
The integrated remote control is capable of
operating up to three separately controlled
devices. It provides a convenient way to
replace up to three hand-held remote
controls used to operate devices such as
garage door openers, gate openers, or
other devices compatible with HomeLink
®
or some other systems.
Before the integrated remote control can
be used, it must be programmed to the
garage door opener, gate operator or other
device you wish to operate. See the
following instructions for programming
information.
iThe remote door unlock feature is available
if the relevant cellular phone network is avail-
able.
The SOS button will flash and the message
Call
Connected
will appear in the multifunction dis-
play to indicate receipt of the door unlock com-
mand.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Response Center
specialist will attempt to establish voice contact
with the vehicle occupants.
If the trunk recessed handle was pulled for more
than 20 seconds before door unlock authoriza-
tion was received by the Response Center, you
must wait 15 minutes before pulling the trunk re-
cessed handle again.
iIf the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away alarm
stays on for more than 30 seconds, a call to the
Response Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system provided Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated, and that
necessary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available. See anti-theft alarm system
(
page 98) and tow away alarm (page 100).

268 Operation
Driving instructions
Power assistanceBrakes
Warning!G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 345) and
warning messages (
page 359) in the in-
strument cluster come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes are
only applied to the front wheels. Stopping
distance is increased! If there is a malfunc-
tion in the electro-hydraulic brake system,
we recommend that the vehicle be trans-
ported with all wheels off the ground using
flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, see “Towing the vehicle”
(
page 434).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from
vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.

271 Operation
Driving instructions
ParkingTires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button.

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.

279 Operation
At the gas station
At the gas station
Refueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear.Locking/unlocking the vehicle with the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* automatically locks/un-
locks the fuel filler flap.
1Fuel filler flap
2Fuel filler cap
3HolderTurn off the engine
Vehicles with SmartKey: Remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Open the
driver’s door (this puts the starter
switch in position 0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from starter
switch).
Open fuel filler flap 1 by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow.
The fuel filler flap springs open.
Turn fuel cap 2 counterclockwise and
hold on to it until possible pressure is
released.
Take off fuel cap 2 and place it into
holder 3 located on the inside of the
fuel filler flap.
Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top off or
overfill.
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 your
health.iIn case that the central locking system
does not release the fuel filler flap, or the
opening mechanism is clamping, notify Roadside
Assistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.