2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class ignition

Matte finish care
!
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to
shine.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matte
effect:
R Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable
materials.
R Frequent use of car washes.
R Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or
polishing products, or gloss preserver, e.g.
wax. These products are only suitable for
high-gloss surfaces. Thei ruse on vehicles
with matte finish leads to considerable
surface damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a
clear matte finish. This will help you to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels
with a clear matte finish.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products. Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels !
Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components. !
Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after
cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and
the brake pads/linings, thus drying them.
The vehicle can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield
wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise,
you will damage the hood.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing
solvents to clean the inside of the windows.
Do not touch the insides of the windows
with hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or
ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging
the windows.
! Cleant he water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain
circumstances prevent water from draining
away.T his can lead to corrosion damage
and damage to electronic components.
X Cleant he inside and outside of the
windows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent that is recommended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz. 520
CareMaintenance and care

Cleaning wiper blades
G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield
wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades .There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if
the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
X Fold the windshield wiper arms away from
the windshield.
X Carefully clean the wiper blades with a
damp cloth.
X Fold the windshield wiper arms back again
before switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic light lenses.
X Cleant he plastic lenses of the exterior
lighting using a wet sponge and a mild
cleaning agent, e.g. Mercedes-Ben zcar
shampoo or cleaning cloths.
Mirror turn signals !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths that are suitable for plastic lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths could scratch or damage the plastic
lenses of the mirror tur nsignals. X
Clean the plasti clenses of the mirror turn
signals in the exterior mirror housing using
a wet sponge and mild cleaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benzc ar shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the sensors !
If you clean the sensor swith a power
washer, make sure that you keep a
distance of at least 11. 8in(30 cm) between
the vehicle and the power washer nozzle.
Information about the correct distance is
available from the equipment
manufacturer. X
Clean sensors 0002of the driving systems
with water, car shampoo and a soft cloth.
Cleaning the rear view camera !
Do not clea nthe camera lens and the area
around the rear view camera with a power
washer. Care
521Maintenance and care Z

Tire-change tool kit
0002
Bag containing the tire-changing tools
X Open the trunk lid.
X Open the trunk partition (Y page 106).
X Lift the trunk floor upwards (Y page 494).
i Depending on the equipment, tools
required for a wheel change, such as a jack
or a lug wrench, are not available in all
vehicles. Tools approved for your vehicle
are available at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Bag with the tire-changing tools 0002contains:
R Jack
R Lug wrench
R Alignment bolt
R Wheel chock
R Gloves Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Information on changing/mounting a wheel
(Y page 565).
Vehicle preparatio nis not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tires.
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
characteristics) (Y page 527)
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 528) X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground, as far away as possible from
traffic.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 175).
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 155).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed.
Anyone who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to
traffic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door. MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
G
WARNING
When driving in emergency mode, the driving
characteristics deteriorate, e.g. when
cornering, accelerating quickly and when
braking. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not exceed the stated maximum speed.
Avoid abrupt steering and driving maneuvers,
and driving over obstacles (curbs, potholes,
off-road). This applies in particular to a laden
vehicle. Flat tire
527Breakdown assistance
Z

If you come into contact with the tire sealant,
observe the following:
R Rinse off the tire sealant from your skin
immediately with water.
R If the tire sealant comes into contact with
youre yes, immediately rinse them
thoroughly with clean water.
R If tire sealant is swallowed ,immediately
rinse yourm outh out thoroughly and drink
plenty of water. Do not induce vomiting,
and seek medical attention immediately.
R Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with tire sealant.
R If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately.
! Do not operate the tire inflation
compressor for longer than eight minutes
at a time without a break. It may otherwise
overheat.
The tire inflation compressor can be
operated again once it has cooled down. TIREFIT sticker, 2-part
X
Do not remove any foreign objects which
have penetrated the tire, e.g. screws or
nails.
X Remove the tire sealant bottle, the
accompanying TIREFIT sticker and the tire
inflation compressor from the stowage well
underneath the trunk floor (Y page 526).
X Affix part 0002of the TIREFIT sticker within
the driver's field of vision.
X Affix part 0003of the TIREFIT sticker near the
valve on the wheel with the defective tire. X
Pull plug 0026with the cable and hose 0024out
of the housing.
X Screw hose 0024onto flange 0025of tire
sealant bottle 0002.
X Place tire sealant bottle 0002head
downwards into recess 0003of the tire
inflation compressor. X
Remove the cap from valve 0016on the faulty
tire.
X Screw filler hose 0017onto valve.
X Insert plug 0026into the socket of the
cigarette lighter or into a 12 Vpower socket
in your vehicle.
Observe the notes on the cigarette lighter
(Y page 496). Observe the notes on
sockets (Y page 496).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1in the
ignition lock (Y page 155).
X Press on/offs witch0027on the tire inflation
compressor to I.
The tire inflatio ncompressor is switched
on. The tire is inflated. Flat tire
529Breakdown assistance Z

Battery acid is caustic.
Avoid contact with the skin,
eyes or clothing.
Wea
rsuitable protective
clothing, in particular
gloves, an apro nand a face
mask.
Immediately rinse acid
splashes off with clean
water. Consult a doctor if
necessary. Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's
Manual.
G
WARNING
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injury or death.
Never lean ove rbatteries while connecting.
You migh tget injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
Ab attery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc. G
WARNING
Do no tplace any metal objects on the battery
as this could result in a shor tcircuit.
Use leak-proof batteries only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Take care that you do not become statically
charged, e.g. by wearin gsynthetic clothing or rubbing against textiles
.For this reason, you
also should not pull or push the battery over
carpets or other synthetic materials.
Never touch the battery first. First, touch the
outside body of the vehicle in order to release
any possible electrostatic charges.
Do not rub the battery with rags or cloths. The
battery could explode if touched due to
electrostatic charge or due to spark
formation. H
Environmental note Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separately
and recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner
.Take discharged
batteries to a qualified
specialist workshop or a
special collectio npoint for
used batteries.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the
Maintenance Booklet or contact a qualified
specialist workshop for more information.
! You should have all work involving the
battery carried out at aqualified specialist
workshop. In the exceptional case that it is
necessary for you to disconnect the battery
yourself, make sure that:
R you switch off the engine and remove the
SmartKey. On vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO, ensure that the ignition is switched
off .C heck that all the indicator lamps in
the instrumentc luster are off.Otherwise,
electroni ccomponents, such as the
alternator, may be damaged.
R you first remove the negative terminal
clamp and then the positive terminal 532
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance

Jump-starting
G
WARNING
Failure to follow these directions will cause damage to the electronic components, and can lead
to a battery explosion and severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting or jump starting. You might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes, skin or
clothing. In case it does, immediately flush affected area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Ab attery will also produce hydrogen gas, which is flammable and explosive. Keep flames or
sparks away from battery, avoid improper connectio nofjumpe rcables, smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery can result in it exploding, causing personal injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is a risk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converte rcould be
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
Do not start the vehicle using a rapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jumper
cables. Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or ajump-starting device.
R You may only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust system are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Only jump-start from batteries with a 12 V voltage rating.
R Only use jumper cables which have a sufficien tcross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the battery slightly.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R the jumper cables are not damaged.
R when the jumper cables are connected to the battery, uninsulated sections of the terminal
clamp do not come into contact with other metal sections.
R the jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
These parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignitio nlock and remove it (Y page 155). On vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO, make sure the ignition is switched off (Y page 155). All indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster must be off. 534
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing ba rif:
R the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximu mforce.
Before towing away, make sure that the
steering can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,
recover the vehicle with acrane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly .Ifthe tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to position Pwhen
the driver's or front-passenger door are opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
! Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight rating can be found on the vehicle
identification plate (Y page 577).
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
The automatic transmission must be in
position Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
(Y page 235). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover. 536
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

Example: towing eye mounting covers
0002 Front cover
0003 Back cover
The mountings for the screw-i ntowing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, behind the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 526).
X Front bumper: insert a finger into the
recess on the bottom edge of cover 0002.
X Pull cover 0002out of the bumper towards
you in the direction of the arrow.
Cover 0002is attached to the opening with a
strap.
X Rear bumper: press the mark on
cover 0003inwards in the direction of the
arrow.
X Take cover 0003off the opening.
X Screw in and tighten the towing eye
clockwise to the stop. Removing the towing eye
Example: towing eye mounting covers
0002
Front cover
0003 Back cover
X Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Front bumper: position cover0002on the
opening in the bumper, as shown.
X Twist cover 0002into the opening in the
direction of the arrow.
Cover 0002is now attached at the top edge
of the opening.
X To close, press the lower section of
cover 0002.
X Rear bumper: position cover0003on the
bumper and press until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit
(Y page 526). Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system. Towing and tow-starting
537Breakdown assistance Z