374 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
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. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to the
front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, see
“Electro-hydraulic brake system”
(page 87).
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. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!
Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
i
To signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position2 and activate the
combination switch for the left or right turn
signal in the usual manner – only the selected
turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard
warning flasher will operate again.
i
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2 the
vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as well
as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 139) and switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 95).
i
The gear selector lever will remain locked in
park positionP and the SmartKey will not turn in
the starter switch if the battery is disconnected
or discharged. See notes on the battery
(
page 370).
375 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing/reinstalling towing eye bolt
Take the towing eye bolt1 from its
storage compartment (
page 356).
1Towing eye bolt
Remove cover from the access hole.
Screw towing eye bolt1 clockwise in
to its stop.
Remove the towing eye bolt when you
no longer need it. To do this, carry out
the above steps in reverse order.
Points to bear in mind
The vehicle must not be tow-started.
If the vehicle is to be towed, only tow it
with all wheels on the ground.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, only tow it with the propeller
shaft disconnected.
Before towing the vehicle, make sure
the battery is connected and charged.
Otherwise you will not be able to switch
on the ignition and move the selector
lever to neutral positionN. There will
then be no power assistance when
steering and braking.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye bolt can be used to pull the
vehicle onto a trailer or transporter for
transporting purposes.
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
Move the selector lever to neutral
positionN.
!
Only secure the tow bar to the towing eye
bolt. The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
!
Your vehicle is equipped with a front towing
eye bolt only (
page 375).
You cannot tow other vehicles with your vehicle.
!
Due to the low clearance height of the SLR,
care must be taken when loading and unloading
from a transporter to avoid damaging the vehicle
body work.
To secure the vehicle, only tie it down by the
wheels or tires. Otherwise it could be damaged.
403 Technical terms
ABS
(A
nti-lock B
raking S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 286)
ACL
(Airbrake/C
entral L
ocking)
Controls the locking mechanism of the
Airbrake and the central locking
system.
Air pressure
(
page 286)
Aspect ratio
(page 286)
Bar
(page 286)BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bead
(
page 286)
Bi-Xenon headlamps
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(Customer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a
breakdown.CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control
vehicle functions such as door locking
or windshield wiping depending on
vehicle settings and/or ambient
conditions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
Cold tire inflation pressure
(
page 286)
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to
adjust settings.
404 Technical termsCruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 286)
DOT
(Department o
f Transportation)
(
page 287)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine
produced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measure of the internal oil friction (vis-
cosity) at different temperatures. The
higher the temperature the oil can tol-
erate without thinning too much, or the
lower the temperature it can tolerate
without thickening too much, the bet-
ter the viscosity characteristics of the
oil.ESP
®(Eectronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and
directional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem’s threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 287)
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector lever
or the steering wheel gearshift control
buttons.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
(
page 287)
GVWR
(Gross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 287)
Head-thorax air bag
Installed in the doors, these air bags
protect occupants during side impact
collisions exceeding a preset thresh-
old. Unlike normal side air bags,
head-thorax air bags are also designed
to provide protection for the head area.
406 Technical termsPower train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles,
including
engine
clutch/torque converter
transmission
transfer case
drive shaft
differential
axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 287)
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic trans-
mission between sport operation (S),
comfort operation (C) and manual
operation (MAN).
PSI
(Pounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 288)Recommended tire inflation pressure
(
page 288)
REST
(Residual Engine Heat Utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the
engine has been turned off.
Rim
(page 288)
RON
(Research O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Electro-hydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of park
position P without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Sidewall
(
page 288)
SRS
(Supplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, Emergency Tensioning De-
vice (ETD) and air bags. Though inde-
pendent systems, they are closely
interfaced to provide effective occu-
pant protection.
409 Index
A
ABS 82, 403
Indicator lamp 29, 306
Messages in the multifunction
display 321, 322
ABS/ESP
®
Warning lamp 29, 304
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 173
Accessory weight 286
Accident 54
ACL 403
Messages in the multifunction
display 328
Additional turn signals, Exterior
mirror 362
Air bags 62
Children 63
Front, Driver 65
Front, Passenger 66
Head-thorax 65, 67
Knee 66
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 67
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 70Safety guidelines 64
Air conditioning system see Automatic cli-
mate control
Air distribution 189, 190
Air pressure 286
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 193
Air vents 185
Air volume 189, 191
Airbrake 31, 90
Automatic mode 92
Emergency braking 92
Manual mode 91
Message in the multifunction
display 332
Test Mode 91
Warning lamp 29, 311
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 394, 400
Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 181
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systemsAnti-theft alarm system 93
Immobilizer 93
Tow-away alarm 95
Anti-theft wheel nuts 290
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest 209
Ashtray 210
Aspect ratio 286
AUDIO menu 127
Audio system 31, 145
Button and soft key operation 148
Cassette operation 154
CD operation 158
Location 145
Operating and display elements 146
Operating safety 145
Operation 148
Radio operation 151
Switching on/off 148
Telephone operation 162, 213
410 IndexAuto-dimming, Interior rear view
mirror 181
Automatic car wash 298
Automatic central locking, Control
system 104, 139
Automatic climate control 184
Adjusting air volume 191
Air conditioning refrigerant 396
Air conditioning, Cooling 194
Air distribution 189, 190
Air recirculation mode 193
Air vents 185
Air volume 189
Control panel 186
Deactivating system 188
Defrosting 183, 192
MAX COOL 191
Residual heat utilization 195
Side air vents 185
Temperature 189
Temperature sensor 33
Automatic headlamp mode 107Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 112
Automatic transmission 169
Accelerator position 173
Damage 375
Driving tips 173
Emergency operation (Limp-Home
Mode) 180
Gear ranges 174
Gear selector lever 32, 169
Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 175
Gear selector lever position 171
Gear shifting malfunctions 180
Kickdown 173
Manual shift program 178
Shift program mode selector
switch 175
Shifting procedure 170
Starting the engine 47
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting 177
Towing 375
Transmission fluid level 254
Automatic transmission fluid 254B
Backup lamp 362
Messages in the multifunction
display 349
Bar 286
BAS 84, 403
Batteries, SmartKey
Checking battery condition 100
Replacing 359
Batteries, Vehicle 256
Charging 371
Consumer battery 370
Jump starting 370
Maintenance 370
Messages in the multifunction
display 332
Starter battery 256
Batteries, vehicle
Consumer battery 256
Battery charger 372
Bead 286
Bi-Xenon headlamps 403
411 Index
Bluetooth
® interface 213
Storage location 210
Body surface 297
Brake
Electro-hydraulic brake system 87
Brake Assist System see BAS
Brake disks
Wear 239
Brake fluid 393, 396
Checking 249
Messages in the multifunction
display 335
Brake lamps 362
High-mounted brake lamp 362
Messages in the multifunction
display 346
Brake pads
Messages in the multifunction
display 339
Wear 239
Brakes 236
Excessive loads 239
Warning lamp 29, 307Break-in period 234
Bulbs
Messages in the multifunction
display 346
Replacing 361
C
CAC 403
California retail buyers and lessees, impor-
tant notice for 15
Call priority, Tele Aid 220
CAN system 403
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants 393
Cargo area see Trunk
Cassette player 154
Catalytic converter 245
CD changer 158
Location 159
CD player 127
Center console
Lower part 32
Upper part 31
Central lockingAutomatic 104, 139
Central locking switch 31
Locking/unlocking from inside 105
Central locking switch 105
Child restraints 60
Children in the vehicle 76
Air bags 63
Indicator lamp, passenger front air
bag 70
Infant and child restraint systems 60,
70, 79
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 67
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 70, 317
Cigarette lighter 210
Cleaning
Soft top 300
Clock 29, 133
Setting time 134
Closed circuit racing
Brakes 239
Cockpit 26, 403
Cold tire inflation pressure 286