2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS instrument cluster

XSwitch on the ignition.XSwitching on seat heating: Press
switch \000F.
Both red indicator lamps in switch \000F come
on.
XSwitching off seat heating: Press
switch \000F repeatedly until all red indicator
lamps go out.
If one or both of the indicator lamps in the
seat heating switch are flashing, there is
insufficient voltage available since too many
electrical consumers are turned on. The seat
heating switches off automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on again
automatically as soon as sufficient voltage is
available.
AIRSCARF neck-level heating
The AIRSCARF neck-level heating provides
the area surrounding the occupants’ necks
with a heated air stream flowing from
openings in the head restraints.
GWarning!
When switching on the AIRSCARF neck-level
heating, the air streaming from the openings
may be very hot. When in close proximity to
the openings, you could be seriously burned.
To help avoid serious personal injuries, switch
the AIRSCARF to a lower heating level.
XSwitch on the ignition.XSwitching on: Press AIRSCARF switch \000F
for the desired side.
All three indicator lamps on respective
AIRSCARF switch \000F come on. After a
preheating time of approximately
10 seconds, the blower starts.
XPress AIRSCARF switch \000F repeatedly until
the desired AIRSCARF heating level for the
corresponding seat is reached.
XSwitching off: Press AIRSCARF
switch \000F repeatedly until all indicator
lamps on AIRSCARF switch \000F go out.
After switching off the AIRSCARF neck-level
heating, the AIRSCARF fan continues to
operate for approximately 7 seconds to cool
down the heater elements.
Multifunction steering wheel
Safety notes
GWarning!
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving
could cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment
feature can be operated at any time.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Make sure
Ryou can reach the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent at the elbows
Ryou can move your legs freely
Rall displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible
84Multifunction steering wheelControls in detail
230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 84

Vehicle movement may result in serious
personal injury or damage to the vehicle or
vehicle drivetrain. Therefore, always do the
following before turning off the engine and
leaving the vehicle:
RKeep right foot on the brake pedal.
REngage the parking brake.
RShift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
RSlowly release the brake pedal.
RWhen parked on an incline, always turn the
front wheels towards the road curb.
RTurn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 0 and remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch, or press the KEYLESS-
GO start/stop button.
RTake the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle when leaving.
Parking brake
GWarning!
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to lock
up. You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident. In addition, the vehicle’s
brake lights do not light up when the parking
brake is engaged.
GWarning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with
you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
release the parking brake and/or shift the
automatic transmission out of park position
P, either of which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
XReleasing: Pull on release handle \000F.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning lamp
\000' (USA only) or \000M (Canada only) in
the instrument cluster goes out.
XEngaging: Step on parking brake
pedal \000G firmly.
When the engine is running, the brake
warning lamp \000' (USA only) or \000M
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
comes on.
Turning off the engine
GWarning!
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. 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.
XShift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
XEngage the parking brake.
iAlways engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting the automatic
transmission into park position P.
With SmartKey
XTurn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 0.
102Driving and parkingControls in detail
230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 102

the maximum engine speed for each gear
without overrevving the engine.XShift the automatic transmission from
current gear 0046 into the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be
interrupted to prevent the engine from
overrevving.
Downshifting
GWarning!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control.
XBriefly press the gear selector lever to the
left in the D- direction.
or
XBriefly pull left gearshift control 0046
( Y page 108).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next lower gear.
i For maximum acceleration, press and
hold the gear selector lever to the left in the
D- direction or pull and hold the left
gearshift control. Depending on the engine
speed the automatic transmission selects
the optimal gear for maximum
acceleration.
i When you brake or stop, the automatic
transmission shifts down into a gear from
which you can easily accelerate or take off.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown while driving in manual
program mode M is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
XAll models except SL 63 AMG: Press the
program mode selector switch repeatedly
until C or S appears in the right
multifunction display.XSL 63 AMG: Turn the program mode
selector dial until C or S appears in the right
multifunction display.
or
XRestart the engine.
The automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C.
Manual program mode M is not stored.
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less
responsive or sluggish or the automatic
transmission no longer shifts, the automatic
transmission is most likely operating in limp-
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear R
can be selected.
XStop the vehicle in a safe location.XShift the automatic transmission into park
position P.XTurn off the engine.XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting.XRestart the engine.XShift the automatic transmission into drive
position D (for second gear) or reverse gear
R .XHave the automatic transmission checked
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Instrument cluster
Introduction
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
( Y page 30).
GWarning!
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
Instrument cluster111Controls in detail230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 111Z

As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
Rspeed
Routside temperature
Rwarning/indicator lamps
Rmalfunction/warning messages
Rfailure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible.
\000FReset button
For information on changing the instrument
cluster settings, e.g. the language, see
(Y page 122).
Activating the instrument cluster
The instrument cluster is activated when you
Ropen a door
Rswitch on the ignition
Rpress reset button \000F
Rswitch on the exterior lamps
iOpening a door activates the instrument
cluster illumination only for about
30 seconds.
Adjusting the instrument cluster
illumination
Use reset button \000F to adjust the illumination
brightness for the instrument cluster and the
switches on the center console.
XTo brighten illumination: Turn reset
button \000F clockwise until the desired level
of illumination is reached.
XTo dim illumination: Turn reset
button \000F counterclockwise until the
desired level of illumination is reached.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit
ambient light conditions.
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is located on
the left side in the instrument cluster
(Y page 30).
GWarning!
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 opening
the engine 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.
During severe operating conditions, e.g. stop-
and-go traffic, the coolant temperature may
rise close to 248‡ (120†).
! Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display and the
red coolant temperature warning
lamp \000

Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Resetting trip odometer
XMake sure you are viewing the standard
display (Y page 116) in the multifunction
display.
XPress and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (Y page 111) until the
trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(Y page 30) denotes excessive engine speed.
! Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds,
as it may result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply is
interrupted if the engine is operated within
the red marking.
Control system
Introduction
The control system is activated as soon as the
starter switch is in position 1.
The control system enables you to call up
information about your vehicle and to change
vehicle settings.
For example, you can use the control system
to find out when your vehicle is next due for
maintenance service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster display,
and much more.
GWarning!
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
The control system relays information to the
multifunction display.
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display and
the settings in the control system are
controlled by using the buttons on the
multifunction steering wheel.
\000FLeft multifunction display in the
speedometer
\000GRight multifunction display in the
tachometer
Control system113Controls in detail230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 113Z

The Vehicle status message memory menu
only appears if messages have been stored.
GWarning!
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner’s and/or driver’s
responsibility to maintain the vehicle’s
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages.
XPress button \000Y or \000X repeatedly until
the Vehicle status message memory
menu appears in the multifunction display.
If conditions have occurred causing status
messages to be recorded, the number of
messages appears in the right
multifunction display.
XPress button \000\) or \000-.
The stored messages will now be displayed
in the order in which they have occurred.
For malfunction and warning messages,
see “Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display” (Y page 226).
iAfter you have scrolled through all
recorded status messages, the first
recorded message appears again.
Should the vehicle’s system record any
conditions while driving, the number of
messages will reappear in the multifunction
display when the SmartKey in the starter
switch is turned to position 0 or removed
from the starter switch. With KEYLESS-GO,
the number of messages will reappear when
you turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and open the
driver’s door.
Except for high-priority messages, the vehicle
status message memory will be cleared when
you switch off the ignition.
Settings menu
Introduction
In the Settings menu there are two
functions: The function To reset, press
reset button for 3 seconds, with which
you can reset all the settings to the original
factory settings and a collection of submenus
with which you can make individual settings
for your vehicle.
The following settings and submenus are
available in the Settings menu:
RResetting to factory settings
(Y page 121)
RSubmenus in the Settings menu
(Y page 122)
RInstrument cluster submenu
(Y page 122)
RLighting submenu (Y page 124)
RVehicle submenu (Y page 126)
RConvenience submenu (Y page 127)
Resetting to factory settings
You can reset the settings of all submenus to
the factory settings.
For safety reasons, the function Light
Circuit Headlamp Mode in the Lighting
submenu cannot be reset while driving.
XPress button \000Y or \000X repeatedly until
the Settings menu appears in the
multifunction display.
Control system121Controls in detail230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 121Z

XPress the reset button in the instrument
cluster (Y page 111) for approximately
3 seconds.
The request to press the reset button once
more to confirm appears in the right
multifunction display.
XPress the reset button once more.
The settings you have changed will not be
reset unless you confirm the action by
pressing the reset button a second time.
Submenus in the Settings menu
XPress button \000Y or \000X repeatedly until
the Settings menu appears in the
multifunction display.
XPress button \000\).
The collection of the submenus appears in
the right multifunction display. There are
more submenus than can be displayed
simultaneously.
XPress button \000[.
The selection marker moves to the next
submenu.
XScroll down with button \000[, scroll up
with button \000Z.
XWith the selection marker on the desired
submenu, use button \000\) to access the
individual functions within that submenu.
XOnce within the submenu, use button
\000\) to move to the next function or button
\000- to move to the previous function
within that submenu.
XUse button \000Z or \000[ to change the
settings of the respective function.
The following lists show what settings can be
changed within the various menus. Detailed
instructions on making individual settings can
be found on the following pages.
Instrument cluster submenu
RSelecting speedometer/odometer display
mode (Y page 123) (Canada only)
RSelecting digital speedometer display
mode (Y page 123)
RSelecting language (Y page 123)
RSelecting standard display (Y page 124)
Lighting submenu
RSwitching daytime running lamp mode on
or off (USA only) (Y page 124)
RSwitching locator lighting on or off
(Y page 125)
RSwitching night security illumination
(Headlamps delayed shut-off feature) on or
off (Y page 125)
RSwitching interior lighting delayed shut-off
on or off (Y page 126)
Vehicle submenu
RSwitching automatic central locking on or
off (Y page 126)
Convenience submenu
RActivating easy-entry/exit feature
(Y page 127)
Instrument cluster submenu
Access the Instr. Cluster submenu via
the Settings menu. Use the Instr.
Cluster submenu to change the instrument
cluster display settings.
122Control systemControls in detail
230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 122

Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar ( Y page 194). If
necessary, add air to achieve the
recommended tire inflation pressure.XIf you have overfilled the tire, release tire
inflation pressure by pushing the metal
stem of the valve with e.g. a tip of a pen.
Then recheck the tire inflation pressure
with the tire gauge.XInstall the valve cap.XRepeat this procedure for each tire.
Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (Advanced TPMS)
Your vehicle is equipped with the Advanced
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (Advanced
TPMS). It measures the tire inflation pressure
in the vehicle’s tires and issues warnings in
case of pressure loss in one or more of the
tires.
The TPMS is equipped with a combination low
tire pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale
(USA) or a low tire pressure telltale (Canada)
in the instrument cluster. Depending on how
the telltale illuminates, it indicates a low tire
pressure condition or a malfunction in the
TPMS system itself:
R If the telltale illuminates continuously, one
or more of your tires is significantly
underinflated. There is no malfunction in
the TPMS.
R USA only: If the telltale flashes for 60
seconds and then stays illuminated, the
TPMS system itself is not operating
properly.
The TPMS only functions on wheels that are
equipped with the proper electronic sensors.
GWarning!
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures. Always
adjust tire inflation pressure according to the
Tire and Loading Information placard or the
supplemental tire inflation pressure
information on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g. tire
blowout caused by a foreign object). In this
case bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully
applying the brakes and avoiding abrupt
steering maneuvers.GWarning!
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once a month
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door B-
pillar or the tire inflation pressure label on the
inside of the fuel filler flap. If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
or the tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires are significantly underinflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly underinflated tire causes the tire
to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability. Please note that
the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
190Tires and wheelsOperation
230_AKB; 6; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-28T18:49:58+02:00 - Seite 190