2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class Owner's Manual

ion length. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the child restraint system must lie
as flat as possible against the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. The child restraint sys-
tem must not touch the roof or be subjected
to a load by the head restraint. Adjust the
angle of the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Always make
sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly
routed from the front-passenger seat belt
guide to the shoulder belt guide on the child
restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the front-passenger seat belt guide. If
necessary, adjust the front-passenger seat
accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (A nti-lock Braking System)
(
Ypage 72)
RBAS (B rakeAssist System) (Ypage 72)
RBAS PLUS (B rakeAssist System Plus)
(
Ypage 72)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 74)
REBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(
Ypage 77)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 77)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 77)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 79)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for maintaining
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time, and for stay-
ing in lane. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions and maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tires and the
road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 568).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Gene ral inform ation
ABSregulates brak epressur ein suc h away
that th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake.
This allows you to continu esteering th evehi-
cle when braking .
The ! ABSwarning lamp in th einstrumen t
cluste rlights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goes out when th eengin eis running.
AB Sworks from aspee dof about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. AB Sworks on slippery surfaces, eve n
when you only brak egently.
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 71).
GWARNIN G
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerabilit yand braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
When ABSis malfunctioning ,other systems ,
includin gdriving safet ysystems ,will also
become inoperative. Observeth einformation
on th eAB Swarning lamp (
Ypage 272) and
display message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluste r (
Ypage 240).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continueto depress th e
brak epedal vigorously until th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make a full brak eapplication:
depress th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will fee l a
pulsing in th ebrak epedal . The pulsating brak
epedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road condition s,and func-
tion sas areminder to tak eextr acar ewhile
driving .
BAS (Brake Assist System)
Gene ral inform ation
BASoperate sin emergenc ybraking situa-
tions. If you depress th ebrak epedal quickly,
BA Sautomatically boosts th ebraking force ,
thus shortening th e stopping distance.
Important safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan t safetynotes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71) .
GWARNIN G
If BA Sis malfunctioning ,th ebraking distanc e
in an emergenc ybraking situation is
increased. There is aris kof an accident.
In an emergenc ybraking situation ,depress
th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .AB Sprevents
th ewheels from locking .
Braking
XKeepth ebrak epedal firmly depressed until
th eemergenc ybraking situation is over.
AB Sprevents th ewheels from locking .
The brakes will function as usual once you
release th ebrak epedal .BA Sis deactivated.
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
Gene ral inform ation
BASPLU Scan help you to minimiz eth eris kof
a collision wit h avehicl eor reduce th eeffects
of such a collision .If BA S PLUS detects a
danger of collision ,you are assisted when
braking .
iObserveth e"Importan t safetynotes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71) .
72Driving safety systems
Safety

BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles equip-
ped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor
system must be operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BASPLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired. Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function
To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the brake force necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RBAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake
pressure will be carried out at the last possi-
ble moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the traf-
fic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations with vehicles in front within a speed range between 4 mph (7 km/h) and
155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to sta-
tionary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
iIf BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
Driving safety systems73
Safety
Z

tection measures (PRE-SAFE®) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual again, if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer a risk of collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal.
Ryou activate kickdown.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP
®assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction. ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP
®.
iMercedes-AMG vehicles:
your vehicle
may be equipped with 20-inch tires on the
rear axle. After changing to 19 inch wheels,
ETS may intervene noticeably earlier during
the first few kilometers. After approx-
imately 10 km ETS will function as usual
again. Information on the dimensions and
types of wheels and tires for your vehicle
can be found in the "Wheel/tire combina-
tions" section (
Ypage 593).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP®
(Ypage 563).
ESP
®is only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP
®not avail-
able due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 274) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 240).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP
®warning lamp goes out
before beginning the journey, ESP®is auto-
matically active.
74Driving safet ysystem s
Safety

If ESP®intervenes, the÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP
®remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the fol-
lowing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP
®is deactivated
If ESP
®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z

Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AM Gvehicles )
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 71) .
You can selec tbetween th efollowing states
of ES P
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handlin gmode is activated.
RES P®is deactivated.
GWARNING
Whe nSPORT handlin gmode is activated,
there is agreater ris kof skidding and acci-
dents .
Only activat eSPORT handlin gmode in th esit -
uation sdescribed in th efollowing.
GWARNING
If you deactivat eES P
®,ES P®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle. There is an increase dris k
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eES P
®in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing.
In th efollowing situations, it may be bette rto
activat eSPORT handlin gmode or deactivat e
ES P
®:
Rwhen usin gsnow chain s
Rin deep snow
Ron sandor grave l
Ron specially designated roads when th e
vehicle' sown oversteering and understeer-
in g characteristics are desire d
Driving in SPORT handlin gmode or without
ES P
®require san extremely qualified and
experience ddriver .
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th esituation s
described abov eno longer apply. ES P®will
otherwise no tbe able to stabilize th evehi-
cl e if th evehicle start sto skid or awhee l
start sto spin.
!Avoid spinnin gth edriven wheels fo ran
extended period wit hES P®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage th edrivetrain .
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mod e
message
appears in th emultifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster goe sout .
XTo deactivate ESP®:press butto n: until
th eå ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp lights up
in th einstrumen tcluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in th emul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster goe sout .The ÷
ES P
®ONmessage appears in th emultifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activate dSPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handlin gmode is activated and on e
or more wheels start to spin, th e÷ ESP
®
warnin glamp in th einstrumen tcluster
flashes .ES P®only stabilize sth evehicle to a
limited degree .
76Driving safety systems
Safety

When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
Rtraction control is still activated.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rthe engine's torque is restricted only to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting action, which provides better grip.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Characteristics when ESP
®is deactivated
If ESP
®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brake firmly and
ESP
®intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 71).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 272) as well as dis-
play messages (
Ypage 242).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (
Ypage 191) and
hill start assist (
Ypage 154).
PRE-SAFE®Brake
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
PRE-SAFE
®Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
Driving safety systems77
Safety
Z

For PRE-SAFE®Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead, and
reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE
®Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically as
well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE
®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you also brake. Automatic
emergency braking cannot prevent a colli-
sion. There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE
®Brake may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rnot give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE
®Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col-
lision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE
®Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE®Brake in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 231).
When the PRE-SAFE®Brake is deactivated,
the multifunction display in the assistance
graphic shows the æsymbol.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the ·
78Driving safety systems
Safety