2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class Owner's Manual

Overhead control panel
FunctionPage
:pSwitches the left-
hand reading lamp on/off
128
;c Switches the interior
lighting on/off
128
=µ Operates MAGIC SKY
CONTROL
105
?| Switches the auto-
matic interior lighting con-
trol on/off
128
Ap Switches the right-
hand reading lamp on/off
128
Bï MB Info call button
(mbrace system)
524
FunctionPage
CG SOS button (mbrace
system)
522
DRear-view mirror117
EButtons for the garage door
opener
533
FF Roadside Assistance
call button (mbrace sys-
tem)
524
GEyeglasses compartment515
Overhead control panel47
At a glance

Door controlpanel
FunctionPage
:Opens th edoo r88
;%&Unlocks/locks
the vehicle
89
=Adjusts the seats109
?r 45 =
Stores settings for the seat,
exterior mirrors and steer-
ing wheel (memory func-
tion)
119
w Adjusts the front-
passenger seat from the
driver’s seat
110
FunctionPage
Ao Opens the trunk lid95
pOpens/closes the
trunk lid
95
B7Z\ Adjusts the
exterior mirrors electrically
116
CW Opens/closes the
side windows
96
48Door control panel
At a glance

Useful information..............................50
Panic alarm .......................................... 50
Occupant safety .................................. 50
Children in the vehicle ........................68
Pets in the vehicle ............................... 71
Driving safety systems .......................71
Protection against theft .....................79
49
Safety

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).
Panic alarm
XTo activate: press!button :for at
least one second.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed.
XTo deactivate: press!button :
again.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
or
XPress the KEYLESS-GO Start/Stop button.
The KEYLESS-GO key must be in the vehi-
cle.
Occupant safety
Introduction to the restraint system
The restraint system can reduce the risk of
vehicle occupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehicle's interior in the event of
an accident. The restraint system can also
reduce the forces to which vehicle occupants
are subjected during an accident.
The restraint system comprises:
RSeat belt system
RAir bags
RChild restraint system
The components of the restraint system work
in conjunction with each other. They can only
deploy their protective function if, at all times,
all vehicle occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly
(
Ypage 53)
Rhave adjusted their seat and head restraint
properly (
Ypage 109).
As the driver, you also have to make sure that
the steering wheel is adjusted correctly.
Observe the information relating to the cor-
rect driver's seat position (
Ypage 108).
You also have to make sure that an air bag can inflate properly if deployed (
Ypage 56).
An air bag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. As an additional safety device, the air
bag increases the level of protection for vehi-
cle occupants in the event of an accident. For
example, if, in the event of an accident, the
protection offered by the seat belt is suffi-
cient, the air bags are not deployed. When an
accident occurs, only the air bags that
increase protection in that particular accident
situation are deployed. However, seat belts
and air bags generally do not protect against objects penetrating the vehicle from the out-
side.
Information on restraint system operation
can be found under "Triggering of the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices and air bags"
(
Ypage 64).
50Occupant safety
Safety

For more information about children traveling
with you in the vehicle and on child restraint
systems, see "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 68).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑367 ‑6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and
at regular intervals while the engine is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It goes out no later than a
few seconds after the vehicle is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6
restraint system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is
switched on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with
the engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp :
and PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp ;are part of the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS).
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
Occupant safety51
Safety
Z

Depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air
bag must either be deactivated or enabled;
see the following points. You must make sure
of this both before and during a journey.
RChildren in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the
installed child restraint system, and the age
and size of the child. Therefore, be sure to
observe the notes on the "Occupant Clas-
sification System (OCS)" (
Ypage 59) and
on "Children in the vehicle" (
Ypage 68).
There you will also find instructions on rear-
ward and forward-facing child restraint sys- tems on the front-passenger seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the clas-
sification of the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled or deactivated
(
Ypage 59). Be sure to observe the notes
on "Seat belts“ (
Ypage 52) and "Air bags"
(
Ypage 56). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident or the vehi-
cle rolling over. This reduces the risk of vehi-
cle occupants coming into contact with parts
of the vehicle interior or being ejected from
the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat belt helps
to keep the vehicle occupant in the best posi-
tion in relation to the air bag.
The seat belt system comprises:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices and seat
belt force limiters
If the seat belt is pulled by the seat belt guide
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be
extracted any further. The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens
the seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt
close against the body. However it does not
pull the vehicle occupant back in the direction
of the backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not
correct an incorrect seat position or the rout-
ing of an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
When triggered, a seat belt force limiter helps
to reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on
the vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters are synchronized
with the front air bag
s which absorb part of
the deceleration force. This can reduce the
force exerted on the vehicle occupants during
an accident.
!If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat.
Otherwise, in the event of an accident, the Emergency Tensioning Device and front-
passenger front air bag may be triggered
and would need to be replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all
vehicle occupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey.
GWARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi-
tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
52Occupant safety
Safety

Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seatbelt.
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
GWARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height cannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi- tional suitable restraint system. If the seat
belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in thevehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz
vehicle. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Children in the vehicle" sec-
tion of this Operator's Manual
(
Ypage 68) in addition to the child restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant classifica-
tion system (OCS)" (
Ypage 59)
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 52).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the
seat belt correctly before beginning the jour-
ney. Also make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants are always wearing the seat belt cor-
rectly while the vehicle is in motion.
Occupant safety53
Safety
Z

When fastening the seat belt, always make
sure that:
Rthe seat belt tongue is only inserted to thebelt buckle belonging to that seat.
Rthe seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
Rthe seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be
distributed over the area of the belt.
Rthe shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the center of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be
routed under your arm.
Rthe lap belt passes tightly and as low down
as possible across your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdo-
men. This applies particularly to pregnant
women. If necessary, push the lap belt
down to your hip joint and pull it tight using
the shoulder section of the belt.
Rthe seat belt is not routed across sharp,
pointed or fragile objects.
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses,
store these in a suitable place.
Ronly one person is using a seat belt at a
time.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat
belt.
Robjects are never secured with a seat belt ifthe seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants.
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cush-
ions.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe
the notes in the "Stowage options/compart- ments" section for securing objects, luggage
or loads (
Ypage 514).
Fastening seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 52) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (
Ypage 53).
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 108).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
vertical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of seat belt
guide =and engage belt tongue ;into
belt buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened
automatically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 55).
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
In order to attach the child restraint system
securely in the vehicle, the seat belt on the
front-passenger seat is equipped with a spe-
cial seat belt retractor. Further information on
the "Special seat belt retractor"
(
Ypage 69).
54Occupant safety
Safety