2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class engine

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).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-
AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed.
Self-locking rear axle differential
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle.
Change the oil to improve protection of the
rear axle differential:
Rafter a breaking-in period of 1,850 miles
(3,000 km)
Revery 31,000 miles (50,000 km) or
3 years
These oil changes prolong the service life of
the differential. Have the oil change carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
150Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Driving and parking

Driving
Important safet ynotes
GWARNING
Objects in th edriver's footwell can restric tth e
peda ltrave lor obstruct adepressed pedal.
The operatin gand road safet yof th evehicle is
jeopardized. There is aris kof an accident.
Mak esur ethat all objects in th evehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they canno tente r
th edriver's footwell. Install th efloormat s
securely and as specifie din order to ensur e
sufficien tclearanc efo rth epedals. Do no tuse
loose floormat sand do no tplac efloormat son
to pof on eanother.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correc tusag e
of th epedals, e.g. :
Rshoes withthic ksoles
Rshoes wit hhig hheels
Rslipper s
There is aris kof an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensur ecorrec t
usag eof th epedals.
GWARNING
If you switch of fth eignition whil edriving,
safety-relevant function sare only available
wit hlimitations, or no tat all. Thi scould affect,
fo rexample, th epowe rsteerin gand th ebrake
boostin geffect .You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake .There is aris k
of an accident.
Do no tswitch of fth eignition whil edriving.
GWARNING
If th eparking brake has no tbee nfull y
release dwhen driving, th eparking brake can :
Roverheat and cause afir e
Rlos eits hol dfunction .
There is aris kof fir eand an accident. Release
th eparking brake full ybefor edrivin goff.
!Do no twarm up th eengin ewit hth evehi-
cl e stationary. Drive of fimmediately. Avoid
hig hengin espeeds and drivin gat full throt-
tl e until th eengin ehas reached it soperat -
in g temperature .
Only shift th eautomatic transmissio nto
th edesire ddrive position when th evehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinnin gth edrive
wheels when pulling away on slipper y
roads. You could otherwise damage th e
drive train .
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles :at low engin e
oil temperature sbelo w68 ‡(+2 0†), th e
maximum engin espeed is restricte din
order to protect th eengine. To protect th e
engin eand maintain smoot hengin eoper-
ation ,avoid drivin gat full throttle when th e
engin eis cold.
SmartKe ypositions
SmartKe y
gTo removeth eSmartKey
1Powe rsupply fo rsom econsumers ,suc h
as th ewindshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply fo rall consumers )
and drive position
3To start th eengin e
iThe SmartKey can be turned in th eigni-
tion loc keve nif it is no tth ecorrec tSmart -
Key fo rth evehicle. The ignition is no t
switched on .The engin ecanno tbe started.
Driving151
Driving and parking
Z

KEYLESS-GO
Generalnotes
Vehicles wit hKEYLESS-GO are equipped wit h
a SmartKey featurin gan integrate dKEYLESS -
GO start function and adetachable Start /
Stop button.
The Start/Sto pbutto nmus tbe inserted in th e
ignition loc kand th eSmartKey mus tbe in th e
vehicle.
When you insert th eStart/Sto pbutto nint o
th eignition lock, th esystem needs approx -
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use th eStart/Sto pbutton.
Pressing th eStart/Sto pbutto nseveral times
in succession correspond sto th edifferen t
ke yposition sin th eignition lock. This is only
th ecas eif you are no tdepressing th ebrak e
pedal .
If you depress th ebrak epedal and press th e
Start/Sto pbutton, th eengin estart simmedi-
ately.
A chec kwhic hperiodically establishes aradi o
connection between th evehicl eand th e
SmartKey determine swhether avalid Smart -
Key is in th evehicle. This occurs, for example,
when starting th eengine.
To start th evehicl ewithout actively usin gth e
SmartKey:
Rth eStart/Sto pbutto nmus tbe inserted in
th eignition lock.
Rth eSmartKey mus tbe in th evehicle.
Rth evehicl emus tno tbe locke dwit hth e
Sma
rtKey or KEYLESS-GO (
Ypage 83).
Do no tkeep th eSmartKey:
Rwit helectronic devices, e.g. amobile
phone or another SmartKey.
Rwit hmetallic objects ,e.g. coins or metal
foil.
Rinside metallic objects ,e.g. ametal case.
This can impair th efunctionalit yof th eKEY-
LESS-GO key. If you loc
kth evehicl ewit hth eSmartKey' s
remot econtrol or wit hKEYLESS-GO ,after a
short time:
Ryou will no tbe able to switch on th eignition
wit hth eStart/Sto pbutton.
Ryou will no tbe able to start theengin ewit h
th eStart/Sto pbutto nuntil th evehicl eis
unlocke dagain .
iThe engin ecan be switched off while th e
vehicl eis in motion by pre ssing and holding
th eStart/Sto pbutto nfor three seconds.
This function operate sindependentl yof th e
ECO start/sto pautomatic engin eswitch -
off function .
Key positions wit hKEYLESS-G O
:Start/Stopbutto n
;Ignition loc k
As soo nas th eignition is switched on ,all th e
indicator lamp sin th ein strumen tcluste rligh t
up. Further information on situationswher e
an indicato rlamp either fails to go out after
startin gth eengin eor lights up while drivin g
(
Ypage 272).
If Start/Sto pbutto n: has no tyet been
pre ssed, this correspond sto th eke ybein g
remove dfrom th eignition .
XTo switch on th epower supply :press
Start/Sto pbutto n: once .
The powe rsuppl yis switched on .You can
no wactivat eth ewindshield wiper s,for
example.
152Driving
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

Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start.The HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
XDeactivate the HOLD function (Ypage 191) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (
Ypage 182).
XTry to start the engine again.
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the SmartKey back to position 0in the ignition lock.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 153). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 559).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
158Driving
Driving and parking