2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR oil additives

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

253 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Oil consumption of the SLR is slightly
higher than other vehicles. Please check
the engine oil level frequently.Checking the engine oil level
When checking the oil level,


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the engine must be at normal operating
temperature (min. 80°C)

Wait for at least 30 seconds with
engine still at idle.

Measure engine oil level with engine
still at idle.The oil dipstick and the cap are located on
the passenger side in the engine
compartment.
1Oil dipstick
2Filler cap

Pull out oil dipstick1 and wipe it off.

Reinsert the oil dipstick fully into the
guide.

Pull out the oil dipstick again after
3 seconds.
!
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies.
Using special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


395 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Approved engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System.
Conventional petroleum-based oils must
not be used for vehicles with Maintenance
System.
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil
filters, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or visit
www.mbusa.com (USA only).
Mercedes-Benz recommends
MOBIL 1 OIL. Use the MB sheet number
229.3 and only SAE 5W-50 engine oils.
MB sheet numbers are printed on the out-
side of oil containers.
Engine oil additives
!
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System, or changing
of oil and oil filter at change intervals longer than
those called for by the Maintenance System will
result in engine or emission control system dam-
age not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so will result in engine or emission control sys-
tem damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending
oil additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

397 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
!
To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded is not available and
low octane fuel is used, follow these precau-
tions:


Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.


Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

398 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.In areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or visit
www.mbusa.com (USA only) for a listing of
approved product(s). Follow directions on
product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to engine operation.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

corrosion protection


freeze protection


boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and
corrosion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-35°F (-37°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or visit www.mbusa.com
(USA only).
!
Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel
additives other than those tested and approved
by us for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty
or by any pre-owned or Extended Limited war-
ranties.
!
Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

414 Index
First aid kit 356
Flat tire 365
Hazard warning flasher 111
Instrument cluster, Indicator
lamps 304
Roadside Assistance 16, 218
Towing the vehicle 373
Emission control 245
Information label 382
System warranties 14
Engine
Break-in recommendations 234
Cleaning 299
Compartment 250
Malfunction indicator lamp 29, 308
Number 382, 404
Poly-V-belt layout 383
Starting 47
Tachometer 29
Technical data 384
Turning off 56Engine coolant see Coolant
Engine oil 253, 395
Adding 254, 393
Additives 253, 395
Checking level 253
Consumption 253
Filler neck 253
Message in the multifunction
display 344
Recommended engine oils and oil
filter 395
Temperature 29
Oil temperature indicator 311
Viscosity 404
ESP
®
82, 84, 404
Messages in the multifunction
display 323
Resetting 323
Warning lamp 84, 304
ETD 75, 404
Safety guidelines 64
Exterior lamp switch 51, 106
Exterior rear view mirrors 44F
Filler neck, Engine oil 253
First aid kit 356
Flat tire 365
Preparing the vehicle 365
TIREFIT kit 365
Floormats* 227
Floormats* (Only Mercedes-Benz SLR
McLaren 722 S) 228
Fluids
Automatic transmission fluid 254,
393
Brake fluid 249, 393, 396
Capacities 393
Engine coolant 255, 394, 398
Engine oil 253, 393, 395
Power steering fluid 393
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system 257, 394
Fog lamps 109, 362
Message in the multifunction
display 346
Front air bags 65
Front lamps see Headlamps

422 Index
Cruise control 207
Speed settings
Cruise control 208
Speedometer 29
SRS 60, 406
Indicator lamp 29, 314
Messages in the multifunction
display 328
Standing lamps 106
Standing water, Driving trough 243
Start button 48
Starter battery 256, 370
Starter switch 27, 40
Starting difficulties, Engine 49
Starting the engine 47
Steering wheel 42
Buttons 30
Steering wheel gearshift control
Indicator lamp 311
Steering wheel gearshift control one-touch
gearshifting
Automatic transmission 177Stolen Vehicle Recovery services 221
Storage compartment
between the backrests 210
Storage compartments 209
Armrest 209
Map pocket, Passenger footwell 209
Parcel net in trunk 210
Storage location
Bluetooth
® interface 210
Storing tires 262
Submenus see Control system submenus
Sun visors 182
Supplement Restraint System see SRS
Symbols used in this Operator’s
Manual 19
T
Tachometer 29
Overspeed range 116
Tail lamps
Messages in the multifunction
display 349
Replacing bulbs 361Technical data 378
Air conditioning refrigerant 396
Approved engine oils 395
Brake fluid 396
Coolants 398
Electrical system 390
Engine 384
Engine oil additives 395
Fuel requirements 397
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. 393
Gasoline additives 397
Main dimensions 391
Poly-V-belt 383
Premium unleaded gasoline 396
Rims and tires 385
Weights 392
Windshield and headlamp washer
system 394
Windshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system 401
Tele Aid 215, 407
Call priority 220