2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR engine

252 OperationEngine compartment
Press the front part of the hood.
The hood opens and will automatically
be held in position by gas-filled spring
struts.Closing

Pull the hood upwards in the center,
against the resistance of the gas-filled
spring struts.

Hold the front center part of the hood
with both hands and push it back-
wards. After pushing the hood back-
wards about half-way, you will feel the
hood passing a crest and the resulting
force pulling the hood away from you.
At that point, let go of the hood and let
it fall onto the latches.
The hood should now be locked and
entirely closed.

Check that the hood is properly closed.
If the hood is not properly engaged,
repeat the closing procedure.
!
Make sure there is sufficient clearance be-
fore opening the hood. A minimum overhead
clearance of 6.6 ft (2.0 m) is required.
Warning!
G
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hand or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure the hood is securely engaged be-
fore driving. Do not continue driving if the
hood can no longer engage after an accident
for example. The hood could otherwise
come loose while the vehicle is in motion
and injure you and/or others.
!
Make sure the rollers at the rear of the hood
are engaged and the guide pins line up with the
guide holes. Otherwise the hood may be
damaged.


253 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Oil consumption of the SLR is slightly
higher than other vehicles. Please check
the engine oil level frequently.Checking the engine oil level
When checking the oil level,


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the engine must be at normal operating
temperature (min. 80°C)

Wait for at least 30 seconds with
engine still at idle.

Measure engine oil level with engine
still at idle.The oil dipstick and the cap are located on
the passenger side in the engine
compartment.
1Oil dipstick
2Filler cap

Pull out oil dipstick1 and wipe it off.

Reinsert the oil dipstick fully into the
guide.

Pull out the oil dipstick again after
3 seconds.
!
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies.
Using special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


254 OperationEngine compartmentOil dipstickThe engine oil level is correct when it is
between lower mark (min) and upper mark
(max) of the oil dipstick.
Top up the engine oil if necessary.Adding engine oil

Using a rag, unscrew filler cap2 from
filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.Mercedes-Benz recommends
MOBIL 1 OIL. Use the MB sheet number
229.3 and only SAE 5W-50 engine oils.
MB sheet numbers are printed on the out-
side of oil containers.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw the filler cap back on filler neck.
You will find further information about en-
gine oil in the “Technical data” section
(
page 395) and (
page 393).
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 transmission.
i
The filling quantity between the upper and
lower marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt (2.0 l).
Warning!
G
The filler cap on the filler neck could be hot.
Use a rag when you unscrew the filler cap.
Otherwise you could burn yourself.!
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, contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter or visit www.mbusa.com (USA only).
Using engine oils and oil filters of specification
other than those expressly required for the Main-
tenance 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.
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine or emission
control system not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


255 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking coolant level,

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the coolant temperature must be be-
low 158°F (70°C)
1Expansion tank

Using a rag, turn cap slowly approxi-
mately one half turn to the left to
release any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level

for cold coolant: reaches the upper
mark on the bracing rib of the ex-
pansion tank (arrow)


for warm coolant: is approximately
0.4 in (1 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap.
For more information, see “Coolants”
(
page 398).
Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap
approximately
1/2 turn to relieve excess
pressure. If opened immediately, scald-
ing hot fluid and steam will be blown out
under pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene
glycol which may burn if it comes into
contact with hot engine parts.

257 OperationTrunk
Windshield washer system and head-lamp cleaning system
Fluid for the windshield washer system and
the headlamp cleaning system is supplied
from the windshield washer reservoir. It
has a capacity of approximately
7.4 US qt (7.0 l).
During all seasons, add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit” to
water. Premix the windshield washer fluid
in a suitable container.
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or
commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent/antifreeze,
depending on ambient temperatures).The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
trunk underneath the interior floor on the
left-hand side.
1Interior floor
2Loop
3Removing interior floor
!
Always use washer solvent/antifreeze
where temperatures may fall below freezing
point. Failure to do so could result in damage to
the washer system/reservoir.
!
Only use washer fluid which is suitable for
plastic lenses. Improper washer fluid can
damage the plastic lenses of the headlamps.
Do not use distilled or deionized water in the
washer fluid reservoir. Otherwise, the washer
fluid level sensor could be damaged.
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may ignite
and burn. You could be seriously burned.


292 OperationWinter drivingBefore the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“MB Summerfit” to a premixed wind-
shield washer solvent/antifreeze
which is formulated for below freezing
temperatures (
page 401).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started,
even at low ambient temperatures.


Tire change. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends M+S rated radial-ply tires with a
minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the
winter season.
Winter tires*
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and the Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS and
ESP
® in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available from your tire
dealer or from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
After you have fitted the winter tires,
restart the TPMS (
page 274).
!
A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation, in par-
ticular because they do not provide suffi-
cient grip. This could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent.

295 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the right multifunction
display:Service Exceeded By .. Days
Service Exceeded By .. MilesAny authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.Calling up the maintenance service due
date
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).

Press buttonè orÿ on the
multifunction steering wheel repeated-
ly until the standard display appears in
the multifunction display (
page 117).

Press button k or j on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator service
symbol 9 appears in the left multi-
function display and the maintenance
service deadline appears in the right
multifunction display.
i
If the vehicle is not be used for a longer pe-
riod of time, do not disconnect the consumer
battery. Instead, maintain the condition of the
battery by using the battery charger approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on the SLR and supplied
with the car (
page 372). This charger automat-
ically controls the charge rate, and can be left
connected to the car for long periods without
damage to the battery.
If the battery supplying the vehicle’s electrical
consumers is disconnected, the days of discon-
nection 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.
Do not confuse the maintenance service indica-
tor with the engine oil level indicator:.

296 OperationMaintenanceResetting the maintenance service indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an
authorized 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
maintenance-relevant information for your
vehicle. Such information is available from
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or
directly from Mercedes-Benz.
i
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 the proper 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.