2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR Owner's Manual

Contents
Setting the temperature ............... 189
Adjusting air distribution .............. 190
Adjusting air volume .................... 191
Maximum cooling MAX COOL ...... 191
Front defroster ............................. 192
Air recirculation mode.................. 193
Air conditioning ............................ 194
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 195
Open air ............................................. 196
Opening and closing the door windows
196
Synchronizing power windows ..... 198
Opening and closing the soft top . 198
Wind screen ................................. 201
Linkage covers ............................. 202
Driving systems ................................. 205
Cruise control .............................. 205
Useful features .................................. 209
Map pocket in passenger footwell 209
Storage compartments ................ 209
Parcel net in trunk........................ 210
Ashtray and cigarette lighter ........ 210
Power outlet................................. 212
Telephone .................................... 212
Tele Aid ........................................ 215
Garage door opener ..................... 221Floormat, driver’s side .................. 227
Floormats* (Only Mercedes-Benz SLR
McLaren Roadster 722S) .............. 228
Dust cover .................................... 229
Roof and trunk lid racks ................ 230
Operation.......................................... 232
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) .......... 234
Driving instructions ............................ 235
Drive sensibly – save fuel.............. 235
Drinking and driving ...................... 235
Pedals ........................................... 235
Power assistance .......................... 236
Brakes........................................... 236
Driving off ..................................... 239
Parking.......................................... 240
Tires .............................................. 240
Hydroplaning................................. 241
Tire traction .................................. 241
Tire speed rating ........................... 242
Winter driving instructions ............ 242
Standing water.............................. 243
Passenger compartment ............... 244
Driving abroad .............................. 244Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 244
Catalytic converter ....................... 245
Emission control ........................... 245
Coolant temperature .................... 246
At the gas station ............................... 247
Refueling....................................... 247
Check regularly and before a long trip .
248
Engine compartment .......................... 250
Hood ............................................. 250
Engine oil ...................................... 253
Transmission fluid level ................ 254
Coolant ......................................... 255
Trunk .................................................. 256
Batteries ....................................... 256
Windshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system ................... 257
Tires and wheels ................................ 259
Important guidelines ..................... 259
Tire care and maintenance ........... 260
Direction of rotation ..................... 262
Loading the vehicle ....................... 262
Recommended tire inflation pressure ..
268
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 270

Contents
Tire labeling .................................. 276
Load identification........................ 280
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) .
281
Maximum tire load ....................... 282
Maximum tire inflation pressure... 283
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(U.S. vehicles) .............................. 284
Tire ply material............................ 286
Tire and loading terminology ........ 286
Rotating tires................................ 289
Anti-theft wheel nuts .................... 290
Winter driving..................................... 292
Winter tires*................................. 292
Snow chains ................................. 293
Maintenance ...................................... 294
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator message ........................ 294
Maintenance service term exceeded ...
295
Calling up the maintenance service due
date .............................................. 295
Resetting the maintenance service
indicator ....................................... 296
Vehicle care ....................................... 297
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 297Vehicle washing ........................... 298
Soft top care ................................ 300
Practical hints.................................. 302
What to do if ... .................................. 304
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 304
Lamp in center console ................ 317
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 319
Symbol messages ........................ 332
Where will I find ...? ........................... 356
First aid kit ................................... 356
TIREFIT kit, electric air pump, towing
eye bolt and vehicle literature portfolio
356
Unlocking in an emergency ............... 357
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 357
Replacing SmartKey batteries............ 359
Replacing bulbs ................................. 361
Front lamps .................................. 362
Rear lamps ................................... 362
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 363
Removing wiper blades ................ 363
Installing wiper blades ................. 364
Flat tire .............................................. 365Preparing the vehicle ................... 365
Sealing tires with TIREFIT ............. 365
Batteries ............................................ 370
Charging the batteries ................. 371
Towing the vehicle ............................. 373
Installing/reinstalling towing eye bolt..
375
Points to bear in mind .................. 375
Transporting the vehicle .............. 375
Fuses ................................................. 376
Technical data................................. 378
Parts service ...................................... 380
Warranty coverage ............................ 381
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 381
Identification labels ........................... 382
Engine number ............................. 382
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 383
Engine ............................................... 384
Rims and tires ................................... 385
Mixed size tires ............................ 386
Winter tires* ................................ 388
Electrical system ............................... 390
Main dimensions ............................... 391

Contents
Weights.............................................. 392
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 393
Capacities .................................... 393
Approved engine oils.................... 395
Engine oil additives ...................... 395
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 396
Brake fluid .................................... 396
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 396
Fuel requirements ........................ 397
Gasoline additives ........................ 397
Coolants....................................... 398
Windshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system .................. 401Technical terms............................... 402Index................................................. 408

Introduction

13 Introduction
Product information
Product information
Please observe the following in your own
best interest:
We recommend using Genuine
Mercedes-Benz Parts as well as conversion
parts and accessories explicitly approved
by us for your vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine
their reliability, safety and special suitabili-
ty for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be
held responsible for them, even if in indi-
vidual cases an official approval or authori-
zation by governmental or other agencies
should exist. Use of such parts and acces-
sories could adversely affect the safety,
performance or reliability of your vehicle.
Please do not use them.Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts as well as
conversion parts and accessories ap-
proved by us are available at any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center where you will
receive comprehensive information, also
on permissible technical modifications,
and where proper installation will be per-
formed.

14 IntroductionOperator’s ManualThis Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in
damage to the vehicle or personal injury to
you or others. Vehicle damage caused by
failure to follow instructions is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to
demonstrate the proper procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions
in this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, an authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty,


Emission System Warranty,


Emission Performance Warranty,


California, Maine, Massachusetts and
Vermont
1 Emission Control System
Warranty (California, Maine, Massa-
chusetts and Vermont
1 only),


State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws).
1At time of printing, the decision regarding compli-
ance with Vermont certification regulations was
still pending. The vehicle may not be permitted to
be registered in Vermont. Check with an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for details.

15 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of Mercedes-Benz automobiles
Under California law you may be entitled to
a replacement of your vehicle or a refund
of the purchase price or lease price, if
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and/or its au-
thorized repair or service facilities fail to fix
one or more substantial defects or mal-
functions in the vehicle that are covered by
its express warranty after a reasonable
number of repair attempts. During the pe-
riod of 18 months from original delivery of
the vehicle or the accumulation of
18 000 miles (approx. 29 000 km) on the
odometer of the vehicle, whichever occurs
first, a reasonable number of repair at-
tempts is presumed for a retail buyer or
lessee if one or more of the following
occurs: (1) the same substantial defect or mal-
function results in a condition that is
likely to cause death or serious bodily
injury if the vehicle is driven, that de-
fect or malfunction has been subject to
repair two or more times, and you have
directly notified Mercedes-Benz USA,
LLC in writing of the need for its repair,
(2) the same substantial defect or mal-
function of a less serious nature than
category (1) has been subject to repair
four or more times and you have direct-
ly notified us in writing of the need for
its repair, or(3) the vehicle is out of service by reason
of repair of the same or different sub-
stantial defects or malfunctions for a
cumulative total of more than
30 calendar days.
Written notification should not be sent to a
dealer, it should be addressed to,
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Customer Assistance Center
Attn: SLR Liaison
Three Paragon Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350

16 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for service.
The service advisor will record each ser-
vice in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number:
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram brochure (in the USA) or the Road-
side Assistance section of the Service &
Warranty Information booklet (in Canada)
in your vehicle literature portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It
is in your own interest that we can contact
you should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In-
formation Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.