2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR open hood

250 OperationEngine compartmentHood OpeningWarning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the
vehicle is in motion. Otherwise the hood
could be forced open by passing air flow.
This could cause the hood to come loose
and injure you and/or others.Warning!
G
The exhaust areas on the engine hood and
between the doors and front wheels get very
hot. Avoid contact with them, otherwise
there is the risk of severe burns.
Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from the vehicle and do not open the
hood until the engine has cooled. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.Warning!
G
You could be injured when the hood is open
– even when the engine is turned off.
Parts of the engine can become very hot. To
prevent burns, let the engine cool off com-
pletely before touching any components on
the vehicle. Comply with all relevant safety
precautions.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may also start at any time
automatically, even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the starter switch. Stay
clear of fan blades.Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components
(ignition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnos-
tic socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually

251 Operation
Engine compartment
The release lever is located in the driver’s
footwell.
1Release lever
The hood folding mechanism is disengaged
in two stages.
Pull release lever1 downwards.
This completes the first stage.2Hood latch
The hood latches are located in the upper
air intake next to the headlamp units.

Pull the hood latches2.
This completes the second stage.

Pull the hood towards you to the stop.
!
Make sure the windshield wipers are not
folded away from the windshield. Otherwise the
windshield wipers or the hood could be dam-
aged.
Make sure there is sufficient clearance before
opening the hood. A minimum clearance in front
of the vehicle of 1.3 ft (40 cm) is required.
i
If it was not possible to release the hood,
pull the release lever downwards more firmly.


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.


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.

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.


310 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant temperature
warning lamp comes on while
the engine is running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.

Immediately add coolant to prevent en-
gine from overheating (
page 255).
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.

Have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric
radiator fan may be broken.

If the coolant temperature is below
248°F (120°C), you can continue driv-
ing to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
D
The red coolant temperature
warning lamp comes on while
the engine is running and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
248°F (120°C).

Stop as soon as possible in a safe loca-
tion and allow the engine and coolant
to cool down.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by open-
ing the engine hood. Stay away from the en-
gine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

342 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Left display
Right display
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the
instrument cluster (
page 29).
If the temperature rises again:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by open-
ing the hood. Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C).
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

353 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left display
Right display
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
<
Driver
Fasten Seat Belt
You have forgotten to fasten
your seat belt.

Fasten your seat belt.
Passenger
Fasten Seat Belt
Your passenger has forgotten
to fasten seat belt.

Fasten your seat belt.
O
You are driving with the hood
open.

Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

Close the hood (
page 250).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.
2
You are attempting to drive
with one or more doors open.

Close the doors.
¨
This message will appear
whenever the trunk lid is open.

Close the trunk lid (
page 103).
?
You are driving with the hood
and the trunk lid open.

Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

Close the hood (
page 250) and the trunk lid
(
page 103).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.