2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR warning

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Steering wheel gearshift control one-touch gearshifting
With the gear selector lever in drive posi-
tion D and driving in shift programC orS,
you can limit or extend the gear range.
With the MAN shift program activated, you
can use the steering wheel gearshift con-
trol to manually shift the gears.The steering wheel gearshift paddles are
located on the left and right side of the
steering wheel.
Steering wheel gearshift paddles1Left paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in shift programMAN)
2Right paddle: extending gear range or
upshift (in shift programMAN)The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the gear selector lever when driving
in the shift programC orS.
Limiting gear range

Briefly pull left shift paddle1.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the transmis-
sion (
page 174).
i
For information on using the steering wheel
gearshift control in shift program MAN, see
“Manual shift program” (
page 178).
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
You cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift paddles when the gear selector lever is
in park positionP, neutral positionN or reverse
gearR.
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.


179 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Activating manual shift program
Turn program mode selector switch1
(page 175) to the MAN setting.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. The letter
M
appears in the right multifunction dis-
play and the lamp in program mode se-
lector switch3 (
page 179) comes
on. Automatic shifting is switched off.
The gear range is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in drive
positionD. You can upshift or downshift
through the gears in succession.Selecting manual shift program mode
3Program mode selector switch for the
manual shift program
I Sport For sporty driving
II Super Sport For very sporty driving
III Race For racing-like driving
1
The individual shifting programs differ with
regard to spontaneity, response time, and
shifting smoothness.

Turn program selector switch3 to the
desired setting (I, II or III).
Downshifting

Pull the left shift paddle1
(page 177).
or

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
1Please always drive carefully and obey applicable
speed limits.
i
The currently selected manual shift program
(I, II or III) does not appear in the right multifunc-
tion display. The current setting is indicated only
on the program mode selector switch 3.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.


182 Controls in detailGood visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving. 1Vanity mirror cover
2Vanity mirror lamp
3Mounting
4Holder for gas cards
Glare through the windshield

Make sure the sun visor is properly
engaged in mounting 3.

Swing the respective sun visor down.

When you do not experience glare
anymore, swing the sun visor up.
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at
sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
Glare can endanger you and/or others.Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!
Electrolyte drops coming into contact with
the vehicle paint finish can be completely
removed only while in the liquid state and by
applying plenty of water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.Warning!
G
Do not use the driver’s side vanity mirror
while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and/or others.

183 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Glare through a door window
Swing respective sun visor down.

Disengage the sun visor from
mounting3.

Pivot the sun visor to the side.
Vanity mirror

Swing respective sun visor down.

Flip up vanity mirror cover1 to access
the vanity mirror.
Vanity mirror lamp 2 comes on.

After using the vanity mirror, flip down
vanity mirror cover 1.

Swing the sun visor up.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the
defroster as soon as the rear window is
clear. The defroster is automatically
deactivated after approximately
6 to 17 minutes of operation depending on
the outside temperature.
Activating
Press buttonF on the automatic
climate control panel (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press buttonF again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
i
When the sun visor is disengaged from
mounting3, vanity mirror lamp2 switches
off.
!
To avoid damage to vanity mirror cover 1,
make sure it is closed before pivoting the sun
visor to the side.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and/or others.
!
If the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp starts flashing, this
means that too many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system re-
sponds automatically by deactivating the rear
window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the
rear window defroster automatically switches
back on automatically.

187 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the ±mode is activated
(
page 194).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
to unprotected skin in the immediate area of
the air vents. Always keep sufficient dis-
tance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 190) to di-
rect the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of
unprotected skin.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you
and/or others.
i
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before its
scheduled interval. A clogged filter will reduce
the air volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior
before driving off. The automatic climate control
will then adjust the interior temperature to the
set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.

188 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDeactivating the automatic climate control system
Deactivating
It is possible to completely deactivate the
automatic climate control system. 
Press button M (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Reactivating

Press button M (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
or

Turn one of the temperature controls
on the automatic climate control
(page 186).
The indicator lamp on button M
goes out.Operating the automatic climate
control system in automatic mode
Air distribution and air volume can be
adjusted automatically by the automatic
climate control system. You can also ad-
just the settings for air distribution and air
volume manually.
Warning!
G
When the automatic climate control system
is switched off, the outside air supply and
circulation are also switched off. Only
choose this setting for a short time. Other-
wise the windows could fog up, impairing
visibility and endangering you and/or
others.
i
Under certain circumstances, e.g. when the
fuel system is too hot and needs to be cooled,
the cooling switches on again automatically. The
red lamp on the ± button the automatic
climate control panel flashes.
After cooling the fuel system sufficiently, the air
conditioning switches off again and the red lamp
stops flashing.
i
When operating the automatic climate
control system in automatic mode, you will only
rarely need to adjust the temperature, air volume
and air distribution.
In automatic mode, cooling with dehumidifica-
tion is switched on. This function can be
switched off if necessary (
page 194).

193 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating

Press button , (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button , (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26°C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 194) is activated, or
press buttonP.
i
The air recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically


at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon monoxide
(CO) and nitrogen oxide (NO
X) in the outside
air increases, for example in a tunnel
A quantity of outside air is added after approxi-
mately 30 minutes.
If you have turned off the air conditioning
(
page 194) or the outside temperature is be-
low 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will
not switch on automatically.
i
The manually selected air recirculation
mode is deactivated automatically


after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5°C)


after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)

194 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAir conditioning
The air conditioning (cooling) function is
operational when the engine is running and
cools the vehicle interior down to the se-
lected temperature. In addition, the cool-
ing function dehumidifies the air in the
vehicle interior, thus preventing the
windows from fogging up.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the cooling
function of the automatic climate control
system. The air in the vehicle will then no
longer be cooled or dehumidified.

Press ± button (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the ±
button comes on. The cooling function
switches off after a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air
conditioning.

Press ± button again (
page 186).
The indicator lamp on the ± button
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and/or
others.i
Condensation may drip out from underneath
the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication
of a malfunction.
i
Under certain circumstances, e.g. when the
fuel system is too hot and needs to be cooled,
the cooling switches on again automatically. The
red lamp on the ± button the automatic
climate control panel flashes.
After cooling the fuel system sufficiently, the air
conditioning switches off again and the red lamp
stops flashing.
!
If you press the ± button on the auto-
matic climate control panel and it starts to flash,
this indicates that the air conditioning is losing
refrigerant. The compressor has turned off. The
air conditioning cannot be turned on again.
Have the air conditioning checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.