2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class air condition

!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster and you hear a warning
tone even though the parking brake has
been released, the brake fluid level may be too low. Observe additional warning mes-
sages in the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition system
must be switched off (SmartKey in position
0 or 1in the ignition lock or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when:
Rtesting the parking brake on a brake
dynamometer.
Ryou intend to have the vehicle towed with
the front axle raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically by ESP
®may seriously damage the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 72).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
Driving tips177
Driving and parking
Z

XHold test gaugeAvertically on brake
disc :and slide measuring pin ;onto
brake disc :.
XCheck which color field ?the arrow on
measuring pin ;is pointing to.
Green: the brake pad/lining thickness is
sufficient.
Red : the brake pad/lining thickness is not
sufficient. Have the brake pads/lining
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
iTo avoid an inaccurate measurement:
Rmake sure you position the wheels suit-
ably
Rdo not put the measuring pin on a recess
in the brake disc
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans-
mission. Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steeringand braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise
control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The
vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. Always adapt your driving style
Driving tips179
Driving and parking
Z

To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed. This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To set the specified minimum distance
=To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
?To store the current speed or a lower
speed
ATo deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS; storing,
maintaining and calling up a speed
Important safety notes
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

In addition, thermal imaging camera:is
integrated in the radiator grill. The camera
helps detect pedestrians and animals.
Observe the notes on cleaning the thermal
imaging camera and cleaning the windshield
(
Ypage 547).
Important safety notes
Night View Assist Plus is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. Do not rely
on the Night View Assist Plus display. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Drive carefully and always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and traffic conditions.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
Rif there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
Rif the windshield is dirty, fogged up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
Rif the thermal imaging camera in the radia-
tor grill is dirty, fogged up or covered
Ron bends, hilltops or downhill gradients
Rat high outside temperatures
Night View Assist Plus cannot display objects
directly in front of or beside the vehicle. The
actual distance to objects and pedestrians
cannot be gaged accurately by looking at a
screen.
It may be the case that other objects are
marked or highlighted as well as pedestrians
and animals.
Pedestrian and animal recognition
General notes
Pedestrian or animal recognition may be
impaired or inoperative if:
Rpedestrians or animals are partially or
entirely obscured by other objects, e.g.
parked vehicles
Rthe silhouette of the pedestrian or of the
animal in the Night View Assist Plus display
is incomplete or interrupted, e.g. by pow-
erful light reflections
Rpedestrians or animals do not contrast with
the surroundings
Rthe camera system no longer recognizes
pedestrians as persons due to special
clothing or other objects
Rpedestrians are not in an upright position,
e.g. sitting, squatting or lying
Ranimals are not recognized by the system,
e.g. because of their size or shape
Pedestrian and animal recognition is deacti-
vated at temperatures above 90 ‡ (32 †).
The spotlight function and automatic delayed
switch-off are then no longer active.
Pedestrian recognition
:Night View Assist Plus display in the
COMAND display
;Readiness symbol for active pedestrian
recognition
=Highlighting
?Pedestrian recognized
Night View Assist Plus can recognize pedes-
trians using typical characteristics, e.g. the
Driving systems211
Driving and parking
Z

As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist may nei-
ther give warnings nor intervene in such sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
iUSA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automotive radar system only. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
iCanada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Radar se nso
rs
The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers
and behind a cover in the radiator grill. Make
sure that the bumpers and the cover in the
radiator grill are free of dirt, ice or slush. The
rear sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging cargo. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam-
age to the bumpers, have the function of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified special-
ist workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist may
otherwise no longer work properly. Monitoring area
GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not detect all
traffic situations and road users. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always make sure that there is sufficient dis-
tance on the side for other traffic or obstacles.
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3.0 m) behind your vehicle and
directly next to your vehicle, as shown in the
diagram.
The detection of obstacles can be impaired in the case of:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rpoor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or
spray
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated or indicated with a delay.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicy-
cles, or may only detect them too late.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may be
the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes.
Driving systems215
Driving an d parking
Z

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 34).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipment integrated in the vehi-
cle while driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate the equipment when the traffic
situation permits. If you are not sure that this
is possible, park the vehicle paying attention
to traffic conditions and operate the equip-
ment when the vehicle is stationary.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving
when operating the on-board computer.
GWARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognize function
restrictions in systems relevant to safety. The
operating safety of your vehicle may be
impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the mul-
tifunction display. You should therefore make sure your vehicle is operating safely at all
times.
If the operating safety of your vehicle is
impaired, pull over as soon as it is safe to do
so. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (
Ypage 41).
Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con-
trol knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the bottom left of the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 41).
XTurn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
If you turn the light switch to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependent upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
iThe light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated.
Speedometer with segments
The speedometer is divided into segments
only on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS.
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
RDISTRONIC PLUS activated (Ypage 182):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
RDISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front
that is driving at a slower speed than the
stored speed:
222Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
$(USA
only)
J(Canada
only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak eflui din th ebrak eflui dreservoir .
In addition ,th e$ (USAonly) or J(Canada only) warnin g
lamp lights up in th einstrumen tcluster and awarnin gtone
sounds.
GWARNIN G
The brakin geffec tmay be impaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinue drivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 171).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid. This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
Check Brake Pad
Wear
The brak epads/lining shav ereached their wear limit.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
Oneor mor emain features of th embrace system are malfunc -
tioning.
XHav eth embrace system checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
PRE-SAFE Inopera‐
tiv eSee Opera‐
tor's Manual
Importan tfunction sof PRE-SAF E®havefailed. Al lother occupant
safet ysystems ,e.g. air bags ,remain available.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop immediately.
246Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
PRE-SAFE
PRE-SAFEFunctions
Currently Limited
SeeOperator'sMan‐
ual
PRE ‑S AF E®Brake is deactivated or temporarily inoperative. Pos -
sibl ecauses are:
Rfunction is impaire ddue to heav yrain or snow.
Rth esensor sin th eradiato rtrim and th ebumper are dirty.
Rth erada rsensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radi osta-
tion sor other source sof electromagnetic radiation .
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: ESP®is deactivated
Rthesystem is outside th eoperating temperature range.
Rth eon-boar dvoltag eis to olow.
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay mes -
sage disappears.
PRE ‑S AF E
®Brake is operational again .
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 171).
XClean th esensor sin th eradiato rgrill and th ebumper
(
Ypage 546).
XRestart th eengine.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: reactivat eES P®(Ypage 76) .
PRE-SAFEFunctions
LimitedSee Opera‐
tor's Manual
PRE-SAF E®Brake is inoperative due to amalfunction .BA SPLU Sor
th edistanc ewarnin gsignal may also hav efailed.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Display messages247
On-board computer and displays
Z