2005 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 311

Operation Winter driving Winter driving Before the onset of winter, have your vehicle winterized at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. This service includes: Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze concentration. Addition of cleaning concentrate to the water of the windshield and headlamp cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate "S" to a pre-mixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze which is formulated for temperatures below freezing point ( page 437). Battery test. Battery capacity drops with decreasing ambient temperature. A well charged battery helps to ensure that the engine can be started and the SBC brake system will be fully operational even at low ambient temperatures. Tire change. Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated radial-ply tires with a minimum tread depth of approximately 1/ in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the 6 winter season. Winter tires Always use winter tires at temperatures below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires is the only way to achieve the maximum effectiveness of the ABS and ESP in winter operation. For safe handling, make sure all winter tires mounted are of the same make and have the same tread design. Warning! ! When scraping ice or snow from the rear window, be careful not to damage the sealing strip or apertures along the side of the window. G Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/ in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no 6 longer suitable for winter operation. 309