2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL65AMG Owner's Manual

384 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the
instrument cluster (
page 27).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

385 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
BTop Up
Coolant
See Oper. ManualThe coolant level is too low.Add coolant (page 288).
Comply with all warnings while doing so.
If you have to add coolant frequently, have the
cooling system checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
•The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the
instrument cluster (
page 27).
If the coolant temperature is below 120°C,
you may continue driving to the nearest
specialist workshop.
Avoid placing heavy loads on the engine
(e.g. by driving uphill) as well as stop-and-go
traffic.
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
Warning!G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You could be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant level
warning. Extended driving with this message and
symbol displayed may cause serious engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. Do not drive
without sufficient amount of coolant in the cool-
ing system. The engine will overheat, causing
major engine damage.

386 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
2You are attempting to drive with
one or more doors open.Close the doors.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
You are pressing the lock button on
the door handle and at least one
door is open.
±Service
RequiredCertain electronic systems are
unable to relay information to the
control system. The following
systems may have failed:

Coolant temperature gauge

Tachometer
Have the electronic systems checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
(
page 346).
_ Entry Position
Do Not DriveThe steering wheel has not yet
moved into its stored driving posi-
tion.Wait until the steering wheel has moved to its
driving position.
The message disappears.

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.

389 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
AFuel Cap
OpenA loss of pressure has been detect-
ed in the fuel system. The fuel cap
may not be closed properly or the
fuel system may be leaky.Check the fuel cap (page 279).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
KRetract. Roof Oper.
Please Wait
See Oper. Manual
The on-board voltage is too low.Start the engine.
The hardtop drive system was shut
down for safety reasons after multi-
ple, consecutive attempts to raise
or lower the hardtop.After about 10 minutes you can open or close the
retractable hardtop.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Repeat the opening or closing procedure.
Retractable Roof
LoweringThe retractable hardtop is not com-
pletely opened or closed. The roof
hydraulics will start to lose pres-
sure.Make sure the retractable hardtop is com-
pletely opened or closed (
page 204).
Retractable Roof
Operation
Only At StandstillYou have attempted to open the re-
tractable hardtop while driving.Stop the vehicle in a safe location and try to
open the hardtop again.

390 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
KRetractable Roof
Not Opened/Closed
CompletelyThe retractable hardtop is not
locked properly.Stop the vehicle in a safe location. Observe
the traffic situation around you.
Push or pull on the retractable hardtop switch
until the indicator lamp in the switch goes out
and the retractable hardtop is completely
open or closed (
page 204).
OYou are driving with the hood open.Risk of accident!
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so.
Close the hood (page 283).
IRemove
KeyYou have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Replace
KeyThe SmartKey is no longer
functional.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
FChange
Key BatteriesThe batteries in the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* are discharged.Replace the batteries (page 407).

391 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
FKey
Not DetectedThe SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not recognized while the engine is
running because:

The SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is not in the vehi-
cle.

There is strong radio-frequency
interference.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so.
Search for the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started again af-
ter the engine is stopped.
Operate the vehicle with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch.
Key
Not DetectedThe SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not recognized when attempting to
start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* on
the gear selector lever because:

The SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is not in the vehi-
cle.

The battery in the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* is not insert-
ed properly or completely dis-
charged.
Change the position of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.
Make sure the batteries in the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* are properly inserted
(
page 407) and are not discharged
(
page 113).
Start the engine with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch if
necessary.