2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class transmission

Useful information............................150
Notes on breaking-in a new vehi-
cle ....................................................... 150
Driving ............................................... 151
Automatic transmission ...................159
Refueling ............................................ 168
Parking ............................................... 171
Driving tips ........................................ 174
Driving systems ................................ 180
149
Driving and parking

The power supply is switched off again if:
Rthe driver's door is opened and
Ryou press Start/Stop button:twice
when in this position
XTo switch on the ignition: press Start/
Stop button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button :once
when in this position, the ignition is
switched off again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from
the ignition lock and start the vehicle as nor-
mal using the SmartKey.
XRemove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
iYou do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leave the vehicle. You should, however,
always take the SmartKey with you when
leaving the vehicle. As long as the Smart-
Key is in the vehicle:
Rthe vehicle can be started using the
Start/Stop button
Rthe electrically powered equipment can
be operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine.
Driving153
Driving and parking
Z

iThe catalytic converter is preheated for
up to 30 seconds after a cold start. During
this time, the engine sound may be differ-
ent.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
iYou can start the engine in transmission
position Pand N.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion lock and release it as soon as the
engine is running (
Ypage 151).
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the SmartKey
into the ignition lock. The SmartKey must be
in the vehicle and the Start/Stop button must
be inserted in the ignition lock.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
iYou can start the engine in transmission
position Pand N.
XPress the Start/Stop button once
(
Ypage 152).
The engine starts.
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (
Ypage 234).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the shift
lock released.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (
Ypage 172).
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
154Driving
Driving and parking

Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on adownhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position N.
Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-
ped under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
:ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated
whenever you switch on the engine using the
SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automat- ically by the ECO start/stop function, the è
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunc-
tion display.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the ECO start/
stop function is only available in drive pro-
gram C.
For further information on automatic engine
switch-off (
Ypage 155) and automatic
engine start (
Ypage 156).
Automatic engine switch-off
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
Rthe indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green.
Rthe outside temperature is within the range that is suitable for the system.
Rthe engine is at normal operating temper-
ature.
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged.
Rthe system detects that the windshield is
not fogged up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
iAll of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is stopped automatically.
iAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): automatic engine switch-off can
take place a maximum of four times in a row
(initial stop, then three subsequent stops).
iMercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of
consecutive automatic engine switch-offs
is unlimited.
iThe HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic
Driving155
Driving and parking
Z

stop phase. When you depress the accel-
erator pedal, the engine starts automati-
cally and the braking effect of the HOLD
function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryou switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
Rin transmission position Dor Nthe brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is
not active
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal
Ryou engage reverse gear R.
Ryou move the transmission out of position
P
Ryou switch to drive program S,S+ orM
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Ryou unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door
Rthe vehicle starts to roll
Rthe brake system requires this
Rthe temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
Rthe system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
Rthe battery's condition of charge is too low
iShifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine.
Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo deactivate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
XTo activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If the indicator lamp on the ECO button is off,
the ECO start/stop function has been deac-
tivated manually or as the result of a mal-
function.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XTo deactivate: in drive program C, press
ECO button :.
or
XSwitch to drive program S,S+ orM
(
Ypage 163).
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
XTo activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
156Driving
Driving and parking

If drive programS,S+ orMis active, the
automatic transmission switches to drive
program C.
If the indicator lamp on the ECO button is off,
the ECO start/stop function has been deac-
tivated manually or as the result of a mal-
function.
Driving157
Driving and parking
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The coolant tempera-
ture gauge shows a
value above 248 ‡
(120 †). The coolant
warning lamp may also
be on and a warning
tone may sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 539). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
XAt coolant temperatures below 248 ‡ (120 †), drive to the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions
!If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the transmis-
sion directly from Dto R, from Rto Dor
directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in trans-
mission position Dor R, park position Pis
otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
jPark position
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
Automatic transmission159
Driving and parking
Z

The selector lever always returns to its origi-
nal position. The current transmission posi-
tionP,R, Nor Dappears in the transmission
position display in the multifunction display.
Engaging park position P
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPress the Pbutton in the center console.
iPark position Pis disengaged if you:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the selector lever forwards or back
to the first point of resistance
The transmission shifts to neutral N.
Park position Pis engaged automatically and
the electric parking brake applied:
Rif you remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock
Rif you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's or front-
passenger door
Rif you open the driver's door while traveling
at low speed in transmission position Dor
R
Under certain conditions, the automatic
transmission shifts automatically to transmis-
sion position Pif the HOLD function or
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Observe the
information on the HOLD function
(
Ypage 192) and on DISTRONIC PLUS
(
Ypage 186).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor- mation on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 155).
Shifting to neutral N
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever forwards or back to
the first point of resistance.
Remaining in neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
Using the SmartKey:
RMake sure that the ignition is switched on.
RWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
RShift to neutral N.
RRelease the brake pedal.
RIf the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
RSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
160Automatic transmission
Driving and parking