2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR warning

285 Operation
Tires and wheels
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Warning!
G
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.

289 Operation
Tires and wheels
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the
tire.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.
Rotating tires
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 262).In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.
If applicable to your vehicle’s tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (
page 262).
Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
!
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
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.

290 OperationTires and wheelsThoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure.
For information on wheel change, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 365).
Anti-theft wheel nuts
Your vehicle is equipped with anti-theft
wheel nuts that prevent the theft of your
vehicle’s wheels.
1Anti-theft wheel nut
2Wheel nut key
Removing anti-theft wheel nuts

Unscrew anti-theft wheel nut1 using
wheel nut key2.

Replace anti-theft wheel nut1 with
one of the regular wheel bolts.

Fasten the wheel bolt and tighten it
with a torque wrench to a tightening
torque of 95 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
95 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Only use Genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.
Warning!
G
Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible and move the gear se-
lector lever to park positionP, before loos-
ening the wheel bolts. Otherwise the vehicle
may move and cause an accident and/or
serious personal injury. !
Do not use air tools, such as an impact
wrench, when installing or removing the
anti-theft wheel nuts. An impact wrench can
damage the anti-theft wheel nuts and the wheel
nut key, or cause them to malfunction.
!
Store wheel bolts and anti-theft wheel nuts
not currently in use in a safe place to avoid
damage to the threads.

291 Operation
Tires and wheels
Fitting anti-theft wheel nuts
Unscrew a wheel bolt from one of the
wheels.

Replace that wheel bolt with one of the
anti-theft wheel nuts1 delivered with
your vehicle.

Fasten anti-theft wheel nut1 using
wheel nut key2 and tighten with a
torque wrench to a tightening torque of
95 lb-ft (130 Nm).Warning!
G
The wheels could come loose if the wheel
bolts are not tightened to a torque of 95 lb-ft
(130 Nm). Have the tightening torque
checked after changing a wheel.
Warning!
G
The wheels could come loose if the wheel
bolts are not tightened to a torque of 95 lb-ft
(130 Nm). Have the tightening torque
checked after changing a wheel.i
Keep the anti-theft wheel nut key in a conve-
nient place in your vehicle where you and service
personnel can always find it easily when it is
needed.
i
If you should lose the anti-theft wheel nut
key or one of the anti-theft wheel nuts, please
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
a replacement.

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.

297 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
If you have any questions about proper
care of your vehicle, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Depending on body color the characteris-
tic carbon structure of the body surface
may become visible due to high ambient
temperatures and humidity. This phenom-
enon is related to the technology and
concept of the vehicle’s body.
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.
Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:


Air pollution


Road salt


Tar


Gravel and stone chippingTo avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:


Grease and oil


Fuel


Coolant


Brake fluid


Bird droppings


Insects


Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:


near the ocean


in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)


during winter operation
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or door windows when cleaning the in-
side.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.i
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
Mercedes-Benz care products. These have been
specially developed to suit Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and are state of the art. Mercedes-Benz
care products are available from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Affixing stickers, magnets, adhesive tape or
similar materials to painted body components
may damage the paintwork.

299 Operation
Vehicle care
Power washer
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Fold the wiper arm away from the
windshield (
page 363).
You must feel the wiper arm engage in
position.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.
!
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 52). Otherwise, the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 299). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
!
Do not use power washer to clean your
vehicle or the engine.
!
The hood must be opened (
page 250) be-
fore folding the wiper arm away from the wind-
shield. You could otherwise damage the hood
and/or the wiper arms.
!
Never open or close the hood when the wip-
er arms are folded away from the windshield.
You could otherwise damage the hood and/or
the wiper arm.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
before cleaning the wiper blades. Otherwise
the wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or door windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.


307 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solutions
3
(Canada only)
;
(USA only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving and
you hear a warning sound.
You are driving with the parking brake set.

Release the parking brake (
page 49).
3
(Canada only)
;
(USA only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while the engine is
running and you hear a
warning sound.
Risk of accident!

There is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system.


There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.

Carefully stop the vehicle in a safe location
or as soon as it is safe to do so and contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Do
not add brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.

Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display (
page 319).
Warning!
G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your
brake system checked immediately if the
brake warning lamp stays on. Do not add
brake fluid before checking the brake
system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can re-
sult in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
can be seriously burned.!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks.