2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS ECU

Index ....................................................... 4Introduction ......................................... 26At a glance ........................................... 31Safety and security .............................43COMAND APS ...................................... 69Controls in detail .............................. 235Operation ........................................... 319Practical hints ................................... 361Technical data ................................... 419
Contents3BA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 3

Vehicle equipment ..............................44
Occupant safety .................................. 44
Panic alarm .......................................... 60
Driving safety systems .......................61
Anti-theft systems .............................. 6643Safety and securityBA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 43

Vehicle equipment
i This Operator’s Manual describes all
features, standard or optional, potentially
available for your vehicle at the time of
purchase. Please be aware that your
vehicle might not be equipped with all
features described in this manual.
Occupant safety
Introduction
In this section you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:
R Seat belts
R Child restraints
Additional protection potential is provided by:
R Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with
- Air bags
- Air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
- Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) for
seat belts
- Seat belt force limiter
R Air bag system components with
- Passenger front air bag off indicator lamp
- Passenger seat with Occupant
C lassification System (OCS)
Although the systems are independent, their
protective functions work in conjunction with
each other.
GWarning!
Modifications to or work improperly
conducted on restraint system components
or their wiring, as well as tampering with
interconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer functioning
as intended.
Air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices
(ETDs), for example, could deploy
inadvertently or fail to deploy in accidents
although the deceleration threshold for air
bag deployment is exceeded. Therefore,
never modify the restraint systems. Do not
tamper with electronic components or their
software.
i See “Children in the vehicle”
( Y page 57) for information on
R infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle
R restraint systems for infants and children
SRS indicator lamp
The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of system malfunctions.
The SRS indicator lamp 6 in the
instrument cluster comes on when the
ignition is switched on. It goes out no later
than a few seconds after the engine has been
started.
GWarning!
The SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction when the SRS indicator lamp
6
R does not come on at all
R fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started
R comes on after the engine was started or
while driving
For your safety, we strongly recommend that
you contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately to have the system
checked. Otherwise the SRS may not be
activated when needed in an accident, which
could result in serious or fatal injury. The SRS
might also deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in injury
as well.
In addition, improper work on the SRS creates
a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment. Work
44Occupant safetySafety and security
BA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 44

on the SRS must therefore only be performed
by qualified technicians. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
USA only: Call our Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
Air bags
GWarning!
Air bags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain
R frontal impacts (front air bags and knee
bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and head
air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
Deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither harmful
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some
temporary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get fresh
air by opening a window or door.
GWarning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front air
bags inflate, it is very important for the driver
and passenger to always be in a properly
seated position and to wear their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver’s seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver’s chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) or more.
You should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and potential
severity of hand/arm injury when the driver
front air bag inflates.
R Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the head air
bag inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the head air bag be
deployed. Always sit as upright as possible,
wear the seat belt properly and use an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safetyOccupant safety45Safety and securityBA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 45Z

information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.GWarning!
There is a possibility of a head air bag-related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a head air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1)Occupants, especially children,
should never place their bodies or
lean their heads in the area of the
door where the head air bag
inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should
the head air bag be deployed.(2)Always sit as upright as possible,
wear the seat belt properly, and for
children 12 years old and under,
use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the
size and weight of the child.(3)Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of these
guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the
passenger side head air bag deactivated, then
deactivation can be carried out upon your
written request at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center at an additional cost.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call the Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372), or Customer Service (in
Canada) at 1-800-387-0100 for details.
Air bags are designed to deploy only in certain
frontal impacts (front air bags and knee bags)
and in side impacts (head air bags) if the
system determines the need for air bag
deployment. Only in the event of such a
situation will they provide their supplemental
protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible
for the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts
below air bag deployment thresholds, air
bags will not deploy. The driver and passenger
will then be protected to the extent possible
by a properly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to provide
the best possible protection in a rollover.
Air bags are not a substitute for seat belts.
Always wear your seat belt, regardless of
whether or not your vehicle is equipped with
air bags.
It is important to your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air
bags will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD)
and air bag GWarning!
R Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced. Their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check with your local
government’s disposal guidelines.
California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced.
46Occupant safetySafety and security
BA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 46

RDo not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
RDo not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
RDo not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
RNo modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
RDo no change or remove any component or
part of the SRS.
RDo not install additional trim material, seat
covers, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag cover,
outboard sides of the seat backrests, door
trim panels, or door frame trims.
RDo not install additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring.
RKeep area between air bags and occupants
free of objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).
RAir bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
RNever place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
RImproper repair work on the SRS creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
RFor your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be
followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
RGiven the considerable deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, we strongly
recommend that you inform the subsequent
owner that the vehicle is equipped with SRS.
Also refer them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.
Front air bags
GObserve Safety notes, see page 45.
Driver’s front air bag : and passenger front
air bag ; are designed to provide increased
protection for the driver and passenger
against the risk of injuries to the head and
thorax.
Driver and passenger front air bags and knee
bags are deployed
Rin the event of certain frontal impacts
Rif the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
Rdepending on whether the respective seat
belt is in use
Rindependently of the other air bags in the
vehicle
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bags to have different rates of inflation.
The rate of inflation is based on the vehicle
deceleration rate as assessed by the air bag
control unit.
The passenger front air bag deployment is
additionally influenced by the passenger’s
Occupant safety47Safety and securityBA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 47Z

weight category as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS) (Y page 49).
The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for second stage inflation of the passenger
front air bag.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system’s preset
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
The front air bags will not deploy in the event
of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of
longitudinal deceleration or acceleration
exceeds the preset deployment threshold for
the front air bags.
The passenger air bag will only be deployed if
Rthe system, based on OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the passenger seat
is occupied
Rthe 4 5 indicator lamp in the center
console is not lit
Rthe impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
Knee bags
The knee bags are designed to provide
increased protection for the driver and
passenger against the risk of injuries to the
knees, thighs and lower legs.
Driver side knee bag : is located on the
driver side lower instrument panel. Passenger
side knee bag ; is located on the passenger
side below the glove box. They are designed
to operate together with the front air bags in
certain frontal impacts if the system
determines that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt. The knee bags operate best in
conjunction with properly positioned and
fastened seat belts.
Side impact air bags
GObserve Safety notes, see page 45.GWarning!
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle model. Using other seat covers may
interfere with or prevent the deployment of
the side impact air bags. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
availability.
GWarning!
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the
addition of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to the
doors create a risk of rendering the side
impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Side impact air bags : are designed to
provide increased protection for the thorax
48Occupant safetySafety and security
BA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 48

but not the head, neck and arms of the driver
or passenger.
Side impact air bags : are deployed
Ron the impacted side of the vehicle
Rin instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
Rregardless of whether the seat belt on the
impacted side of the vehicle is in use
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rindependently of the ETDs
Side impact air bags : are not deployed in
side impacts which do not exceed the
system’s deployment threshold.
Side impact air bags : will not deploy in the
event of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of
lateral deceleration or acceleration exceeds
the preset deployment threshold for side
impact air bags :.
Head air bags
GObserve Safety notes, see page 45.
Head air bags : are designed to provide
increased protection for the head but not for
the thorax and arms.
Head air bags : are deployed
Ron the impacted side of the vehicle during
a side impact
Rin instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
Rif the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
Rregardless of whether the seat belts are in
use
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rindependently of the ETDs
Passenger head air bag : will only deploy if
the OCS senses that the passenger seat is
occupied and the impact exceeds a preset
deployment threshold or a rollover is
detected.
Head air bags : are not deployed in side
impacts which do not exceed the system’s
deployment threshold.
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
activates or deactivates the passenger front
air bag and passenger-side knee bag
automatically. The respective status is based
on the classified occupant weight category
determined by weight sensor readings from
the passenger seat.
The system does not deactivate
Rthe passenger head air bag
Rthe passenger side impact air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
To be classified correctly, the passenger must
sit
Rwith the seat belt properly fastened
Rin a position that is as upright as possible
with the back against the seat backrest
Rwith the feet on the floor
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by leaning
on armrests), the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant’s weight
category.
If your seat, including the trim cover and
cushion, needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.
Occupant safety49Safety and securityBA 197 USA, CA Edition A 2011; 1; 27, en-UShereepeVersion: 3.0.3.52010-03-24T15:31:10+01:00 - Seite 49Z