1995 Mercedes-Benz SL320 SL500 SL600 R129 Owners Manual

User and Operator’s Manual for 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class R129:

• SL 320 with a M104 3.2L 24-valve DOHC L6 (220 hp (161 kW) at 5500 rpm)
• SL 500 (306 PS (225 kW; 302 hp) at 5600 rpm
• SL 600

Contents

Introduction

Product information
Operator’s manual
Consumer Information
Problems with your vehicle
Reporting Safety Defects
Index
Instruments and controls

Instruments and controls

Instrument Cluster
Indicator Lamp Symbols
Catalytic Converter
Starting and Turning Off the Engine Driving Instructions
Operation

Automatic Climate Control Car Keys

Infrared Remote Control
Central Locking System
Doors
Interior Central Locking System

Anti-Theft Alarm System 33
2 Orthopedic Seat Backrest 37
4 Heated Seats 38
141 Armrest 39
140 Adjusting steering column 39
143 Seat Belts and Supplemental restraint system (SRS)40
144 Seat belts 40

Emergency Tensioning Retractor 44(ETR)

Airbags 45
Steering Lock 50
10 Exterior Lamp Switch 51
12 Combination Switch 52
13 Exterior Rear View Mirrors 54
14 Inside Rear View Mirror 54
15 Sun Visors 55
16 Vanity Mirrors 55
Instrument Lamps 56
Display Illumination 56
Trip Odometer 56
22 Setting Clock 56
26 Storage Compartment (Eyeglasses 27 Compartment) in the Dashboard 57
29 Console Storage Compartments 57
29 Rear Storage Compartments 58
32 Lighter 58

Interior Lighting 59

Rear Window Defroster 60
Power Windows 61 Roll Bar 61 Hardtop 63 Soft top 67
Wind Screen 70 Antenna 72
Cellular Telephone 72
Driving

Drinking and Driving 74
Parking Brake 74
Driving Off 74
Automatic Transmission 75
Cruise Control 80
Charge Indicator Lamp 82
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge with Oil 82
Low Engine Oil Level Warning 82
Engine Oil Consumption 83
Fuel Consumption Gauge 83
Tachometer 83
Fuel Reserve Warning Lamp 84
Outside Temperature Indicator 84
Coolant Temperature Gauge 84
Low Engine Coolant Level Warning Lamp
Checking Engine Oil Level 85 Checking Automatic

Low Windshield and Headlamp Washer System Fluid Level Warning Lamp

Roll Bar Warning Lamp
Seat Belt and Backrest Lock Warning Lamp
Exterior Lamp Failure Indicator Lamp Brake Pad Wear Indicator Lamp Brake Warning Lamp
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Lamp
Electronic Traction System (ETS) Acceleration Slip Control (ASR) Adaptive Damping System (ADS) Emission Control
On-Board Diagnostic System Traveling Abroad
Winter Driving
Snow Chains
Practical Hints

Hood
Checking Coolant Level Transmission Fluid Level
Trunk Lamp

85 Spare Wheel
86 First Aid Kit

Stowing Things in Vehicle

86 Vehicle Jack
86 Vehicle Tools
87 Wheels
87 Changing Wheels
Tire Inflation Pressure
88 Battery
89 Fuses
90 Exterior Lamps
92 Jump Starting
93 Towing the Vehicle
93 Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle
94 Testing Infrared Remote Control
94 Ashtray
94 Manual Release of Fuel Filler Flap Ski Rack
Replacing Wiper Blades
Layout of Poly-V-Belt Drive96
97 MERCEDES-BENZ Spare Parts Service

98 Technical Data. Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants etc. Consumer
Information

99 Identification Plates 126
100 Vehicle data Card 127
100 Warranty Coverage 127
100 Technical Data
100 SL 320 128
101 SL 500 130
101 SL 600 132
103 Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants etc. 134
103 Capacities 134
106 Engine Oils 136
107 Engine Oil Additives 136
108 Air Conditioner Refrigerant 136
109 Brake Fluid 136
111 Premium Unleaded Gasoline 136
113 Fuel Requirements 137
114 Gasoline Additives 137
118 Coolants 138
121 Consumer Information 139
121 Problems with your Vehicle 140
121 Reporting Safety Defects 141
122 Check regularly and before a long trip 148
123
123

Instruments and Controls

For more detailed descriptions see Index.

1 Adjustable air outlet
2 Exterior lamp switch
3 Parking brake release
4 Hood lock release
5 Parking brake pedal
6 Combination switch
7 Cruise control
8 Horn, airbag
9 Instrument cluster
10 Steering lock with ignition/starter switch
11 Adjustable air outlet
12 Heated air supply button – center air outlet
13 Non heated/cooled air supply button – center air outlet
14 Storage/eyeglasses compartment
15 Air volume control for left air outlet
16 Air volume control for center air outlet
17 Air volume control for right air outlet 18 Automatic climate control
19 Radio
20 Rear window defroster switch
21 Indicator lamp for Anti-theft alarm system 22 Hazard warning flasher switch
23 Adaptive damping system adjustment switch 24 Snow chain switch
25 Roll bar operation switch
26 Compartment (to open press bottom of cover) 27 Mirror adjustment switch
28 Soft/hardtop operation switch
29 Seat heater switch
30 Power window switch
31 Ashtray with lighter
Instrument Cluster

1 Fuel gauge with reserve warning lamp (yellow). See Index.
2. Coolant temperature gauge. See Index.
3. Fuel consumption gauge. See Index.
4. Engine Oil pressure gauge (bar) with warning lamp (red). See Index.
5. Left turn signal indicator lamp (green)

6. Knob for instrument lamps and trip odometer.
Rotate knob: To vary intensity of instrument lamps.
Depress knob: To reset trip odometer.

7 Speedometers
8 ASR warning lamp (yellow) or
ETS warning lamp (yellow).See Index
9 Trip odometer. See Index
10 Main odometer
11 Outside temperature indicator. See Index. 12 Right turn signal indicator lamp (green) 13 Knob for setting clock. See Index. 14 Tachometer. See Index
15 Lock. See Index

Index

A
ABS 77, 79, 88
Acceleration slip control (ASR) 89 Adaptive damping system (ADS) 91 ADS 91, 136
Air conditioner refrigerant 138
Airbag 45
Alarm system 33
Antenna 64-65, 72, 116
Anti-theft alarm system 33
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 93, 97,137,140 Antilock brake system (ABS) 88 Armrest 39
Ashtray 123
ASR 87, 89, 93
Automatic climate control 22
Automatic transmission 75
Automatic transmission fluid level, checking 99
Battery 107
Battery not being charged
Charge indicator lamp 15,82 Brake fluid 17,87,114,137-138 Brake pads worn

Brake pad wear indicator lamp 87
Brake warning lamp
Brake fluid low 87
Brake warning lamp test 87 Brakes 16,18,74,76-79,81,89

Capacities: Fuels, coolants,
lubricants etc. 136
Catalytic converter 14
Cellular telephone 72
Central locking system 29
Check regularly and before
a long trip 148
Child restraint 43, 47, 49
Cleaning and care of the vehicle 114 Clock, setting 56
Combination switch 52
Consumer information 141
Coolant level low

Adding coolant 97
Low engine coolant level warning lamp 85

Coolant level, checking 97
Coolant temperature gauge 84 85 Coolants 140
Cruise control 80
Display illumination 56 Drinking and driving 74 Driving instructions 16 Driving off 74

Electronic Traction System (ETS) 89 Emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) 44 Emission control 93
Engine malfunction ‘”CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp 93
Engine oil consumption 83
Engine oil level low
Low engine oil level warning lamp 82 Engine oil level, checking 98
Engine oil pressure gauge 15, 82 Engine oils 134, 136
Engine speed limit
Overrevving 77, 79
Exterior lamp failure indicator lamp 86 Exterior lamp switch 51
First aid kit 100
Fuel

Fuel requirements 139
Gasoline additives 138 139 Premium unleaded gasoline 14, 137-138

Fuel consumption gauge 83
Fuel filler flap, manual release 123 Fuel reserve warning lamp 84 Fuses 108
Hardtop 63, 122
Headlights 51
Heated seats 38
Hood 96
Identification plates 128
Indicator lamp symbols 13
Instrument cluster 12
Interior central locking system 32 Interior lighting 59
Jump starting 111
Keys, vehicle 26
Lamps, exterior

Fog lamps 51
Headlamps 51, 86, 109
High mounted stop lamp 86
License plate lamp 51, 111
Taillamps 51, 110, 115

Layout of poly-V-belt drive 125 Lighter 58
Low engine oil Level warning lamp 83 Maintenance 4, 8
Memory 35
Mirrors, adjusting 54
Orthopedic seat backrest 37
Outside temperature indicator 84 Parking brake 15-18, 63, 65, 67 68,

74 79, 87, 89, 99, 101, 103, 111 Power seats 34
Power windows 60
Problems with your vehicle 140 Rear view mirrors
Exterior rear view mirrors 54
Inside rear view mirror 54 55, 59 Rear window defroster 60
Remote control, infrared 27, 118 Replacing bulbs 109
Roadside assistance 5
Roll bar 61
Roll bar warning lamp 86
Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency tensioning retractor and airbag 48
Seat belt and backrest lock warning lamp 86
Seat belts and warning system 40 Ski rack 121
Sliding roof
Emergency operation 32
Snow chains 90, 94
Soft top 67, 117, 119
Spare parts service 123
Spare wheel 100
SRS malfunction 45
Starting and turning off
the engine 15
Steering column, adjusting 39 Steering lock 50
Storage compartments 57
Stowing things in the vehicle 100 Sun visors 55
Supplemental restraint system (SRS) 40,44
Tachometer 83
Technical data 128
Tire inflation pressure 106
Tires 17-18,89,93, 101-102,
106, 128, 130, 132, 139
Towing the vehicle 113
Trip odometer 71
Trunk lamp 100
Trunk 30
Trunk, separate locking and
unlocking 30
Turn signals 52-53, 113, 127
Vanity mirrors 55
Vehicle data card Vehicle jack 101 Vehicle tools 101
Warranty coverage 127
Washing the car 115
Wheels
Alloy wheels 116
Rims and tires 101-102
Wheels, changing 103
Wind screen 70, 117
Windshield/headlamp washer system Fluid level low 85
Washer fluid mixing ratio 53
Winter driving 94
Winter driving instructions 19 Wiper blades, replacing 122