2017 MERCEDES-BENZ SLC-Class ESP

Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start.The HOLD function or DistancePilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XDeactivatet he HOLD function (Ypage 148) or Distanc ePilot
DISTRONIC (Ypage 146).
XTry to start the engine again.
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is amalfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is amalfunction 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 instrumentc luster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 116). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attemptstos tart the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult aqualified 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 249).
If the engine does not start despite attempt stojump-start it:
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to athermal 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 aqualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is amalfunction in the engine electronics or in amechanical
componentoft he engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
120Driving
Driving and parking

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress theaccelerato rpedal beyon dthe
pressur epoint.
The automatic transmission shift stoalower
gear depending on th eengines peed.
XEas eoff th eaccelerato rpedal once th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmission shift sbacku p.
Drive programs
Drive program C(Comfort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthev ehicl edelivers comfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthev ehicl epulls away mor egentl yinf orward
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
pedal is depressed fully.
Rth ev ehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, for
exampl eonslipperyroad surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from th e
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisdriven in th elow engin espee d
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rthes uspension exhibits comfortable damping
setting s(vehicles wit hadaptive adjustable
damping or AM Gsport ssuspension).
Rthes teering exhibits acomfo rtable steering
curve.
Drive program S(Sport )
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthev ehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rthev ehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rthea utomatic transmission shift suplater.
The fuel consumption possibl ybein gh igher
as aresult of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthes uspension exhibits fir mdamping set -
ting s(vehicles wit hadaptive adjustable
damping or AM Gsport ssuspension).
Rthes teering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive programS+ is characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rth ev ehicl eexhibits particularly sport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthev ehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rthea utomatic transmission shift suplater.
The fuel consumption possibl ybein gh igher
as aresult of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthes uspension exhibits particularly fir m
damping setting s(vehicles wit hadaptive
adjustable damping or AM Gsport ssuspen -
sion).
Rth es teering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
Rth eE CO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
Drive program I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth ef ollowin gproperties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthed rive (engin eand transmission manage-
ment)
Rth es uspension (vehicles wit hadaptive
adjustable damping or AM Gsport ssuspen -
sion )
Rthes teering
Rth ea vailabilit yoftheECO start/sto pfunction
Information about configuring drive progra mI
wit hthe multimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
Drive program E(Economy)
Drive progra mEis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthev ehicl eexhibits comfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthev ehicl epulls away mor egentl yinf orward
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
pedal is depressed fully.
Rth ev ehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, for
exampl eonslipperyroads urfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from th e
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisdriven in th elow engin espeed
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rthes uspension exhibits comfortable damping
setting s(vehicles wit hadaptive adjustable
damping or AM Gsport ssuspension).
Automatic transmission12 5
Driving an dparking
Z

Rduring deceleration, the engineisdisconnec-
ted from the drive train .The vehicle uses
kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode).
Rthe steering exhibit sacomfortable steering
curve.
Manual gear shifting
General notes
You can chang egear yourself using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
Depending on which steering wheel paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shiftsi ntot he nex tgear down or
up, if permitted.
To use manual shifting, you have two options:
Rtemporary setting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-
function display will show the currentg ear
instead of transmission position D.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
XTo activate: shift the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
XPull steering wheel paddle shifter :or;.
Temporary setting will be activ efor ac ertain
amount of time. Under certain condition sthe
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the
case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun
phase or when driving on steep terrain.
XTo deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;and hold it in place.
or
XUse the lever to switch the transmission posi-
tion.
or
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT butto ntochange
the drive program.
Permanent setting
XTo activate: shift the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
XPress button :.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
Shifting gears
All vehicles (except Mercedes-Benz SLC
43 AMG)
XTo shift up:pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shiftsuptot he
nex tgear.
If the maximum engin espeed on the currently
engaged gear is reached and you continue to
126Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
XApplythe electri cparking brake.
XShif tthe transmission to position P
(Ypage 123).
XWith the SmartKey: turn the SmartKey to
position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XWith KEYLESS-GO: press the KEYLESS-GO
Start/Stop button (Ypage 115).
The engine stopsa nd allthe indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
Whe nthe driver' sdoorisc losed, this corre-
sponds to SmartKey position 1.W hent he
driver' sdooriso pen, this corresponds to
SmartKey position 0(
Ypage 115).
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motio nbypressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for aboutt hree seconds. Thisfunc-
tion operate sindependently of the ECO start/
stop automatic engine switch-off function.
Electric parkin gbrake
General notes
GWARNING
If yo ulea ve childre nunsupervised in the vehi-
cle ,they could set it in motio nby,for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission outoft he
parking position P.
Rstartthe engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped .There is arisko f
an accident and injury.
Whe nleaving the vehicle ,alway stake the
SmartKey with yo uand lock the vehicle .Never
leave childre nunsupervised in the vehicle. The function of the electri
cparking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage .Ifthe on-
board voltage is low or there is amalfunction in
the system, it may not be possible to applyt he
released parking brake.
XIf this is the case ,only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it rolling
away.
XShif tthe automatic transmission to position
P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is amalfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electri cparking brake performs afunction
test at regula rinterval swhile the engine is
switched off. The sounds that can be heard while
this is occurring are normal.
Applyin gorreleasin gmanually
XTo engage: push handle :.
Whe nthe electri cparking brake is engaged,
the F (USA only )or! (Canada only)
red indicator lamp lights up in the instrument
cluster.
The electricp arking brake can also be applied
whe nthe SmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USA only )or! (Canada
only )indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goe sout.
The electricp arking brake can only be released:
Rif the SmartKey is in position 1in the ignition
lock (Ypage 115) or
Rif the ignition wa sswitched on using the
Start/Stop button
132Parking
Drivin gand parking

for example, the power steering and the brakeboosting effect. You wil lrequire considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you wil lbedistracted from
traffic conditions. You coul dalsol ose control
of the vehicle. There is arisk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the lega lrequirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibi tthe drive rfrom using amobile phone while
driving avehicle.
If you make acall while driving, alway suse
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pul lover to asafe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at aspeedofo nly 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h) ,the vehicl ecovers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m)per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly –save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
RThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
RRemove unnecessary loads.
RWarm up the engin eatlow engin espeeds.
RAvoid frequenta cceleration or braking.
RObserve the servicei ntervals in the Mainte-
nanc eBooklet or in the servicei nterval dis-
play. Have all the maintenanc ework carried in
accordance with Daimler AG regulations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinkin gand driving and/or takin gdrugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even asmall amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of aserious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is ar isk of fatal injury. Thereforen ever leave
the engin erunning in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficientv entilation.
Certain engin esystems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous component sinexhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications .Always have
work on the engin ecarried out at aqualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
BenzC enter for this purpose. Work relevant to
safety or work on safety-related systems in par-
ticular must be carried out at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
The engin esettings must not be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
servicew ork must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benzs ervicer equirements. Details can be found
in the Maintenanc eBooklet.
ECO display
The ECO display shows you how economical
your driving style is. The ECO display assists you
in achievingt he most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. Your driving style can significantly influ-
enc ethe vehicle's consumption.
134Driving tips
Driving and parking

:Acceleration
;Coasting
=Constant
?Additionalrange achieved
Range ?is shown under Bonus
fr.startand
represents the additional range achieved since
the beginning of the journey as aresul tofa n
adapted driving style.
If the fuel level hasd ropped into the reserve
range,t heReserv efuel
message is shown in
the multifunctio ndisplay insteadofr ange ?.
The 8 warning lamp in the instrument cluster
also lights up (
Ypage 207). The ECO display consists of threes
ections, with
an inne rand outer area .The sections corre-
spond to the following threec ategories:
:Acceleration(evaluation of al laccel-
eratio nprocesses):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: moderate
acceleration, especially at higher
speeds
Rthe outer area emptie sand the
inne rareaisg ray: sporty acceler-
ation
;Coasting (evaluation of al ldecelera-
tio np rocesses):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: anticipatory
driving ,keeping your distance and
early release of the accelerator.
The vehicl ecan coast withou tuse
of the brakes.
Rthe outer area emptie sand the
inne rareaisg ray: frequent heavy
braking
=Constant (continuouse valuation
ove rthe entire journey):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: constant
speed and avoidance of unneces-
sary acceleratio nand deceleration
Rthe outer area emptie sand the
inne rareaisg ray: fluctuations in
speed
The threei nnerareas display the current driving
style and light up green as aresul tofa particu-
larly economical driving style .Depending on the
driving situation, up to two area smaylight up
simultaneously.
At the beginning of the journey ,the threeo uter
area sareempty and fil lupasaresultofe co-
nomical driving .Ahighe rlev el indicates amore
economical driving style .Ifthe threeo uter areas
ar ec ompletelyf illedatt he same time ,the driver
hasa dopted the mos teconomical driving style
for the selecte dsettings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display borde rlights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus fr. start
does not
indicate afixe dc onsumption reduction.
Driving tips135
Driving an dparking
Z

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Ractive electrical consumers
These factors are not include dinthe ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving ahigher valu einthe categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive the vehicle in drive program Cor E.
On long journeys at aconstant speed,e .g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer area satthe start of ajourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform amanua lrest
(
Ypage 167).
For more information on the ECO display, see
(
Ypage 166).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheel scould lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long, steep gradients, you must reduce
the load on the brakes. To use engine braking,
shift to alowerg ear in good time. This helps
you to avoid overheating the brakes and wear-
ing them out excessively. When making use of the engine braking
effect, it is possible that
adrive wheel may not
turn for some time, e.g. in the case of sud-
denly changing or slippery road surface con-
ditions. This could cause damage to the drive
train. This type of damage is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Change into alowerg ear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control or Distance PilotD ISTRONIC.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest you rfoot on the brake pedalw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail .There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedalasaf ootrest. Never
depresst he brake pedala nd the accelerator
pedalatt he same time.
!Depressing the brake pedalc onstantly
results in excessive and premature wea rto
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicle immediately ,but
drive on for ashort while. This allows the airflow
to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for along time in heavy rain
withou tbraking, there may be adelayed 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 depresst he brake pedalmore
firmly.M aintainagreater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on awet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whil epaying attention to
the traffic conditions. This willw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
136Driving tips
Driving and parking

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you driveonsalted roads,alayer of salt resi-
due may for monthebrak ediscsa nd brake
pads. This can result in asignificantly longer
braking distance.
RIn ordertop revent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to th et raffic conditions.
RCarefully depress th ebrakep edal and the
beginnin gand end of ajou rney.
RMaintain agreater distanc etothevehicle
ahead.
Servicing th ebrakes
!The brakef luid level may be to olow, if:
Rif th ered brakew arning lamp lightsupi n
th ei nstrumentc luster and
Ryou hearawarning tone while th eengine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brak efluid level may be to olow due to
brak epad wear or leaking brakel ines.
Hav ethe brak esystem checked immediately.
Consult aqualifie dspecialist workshop to
arrange this.
!As th eESP®system operates automatically,
th ee ngine and th eignitio nmust be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in th eignition
lock) if th eelectric parking brakeisb eingtes-
ted on abraked ynamometer (maximum
10 seconds).
Brakin gtriggered automatically by ESP
®may
seriously damage th ebrakes ystem.
All check sand maintenanc ework on th ebrake
system must be carried out at aqualifie dspe-
cialis tworkshop.
Hav ebrakep ads installe dand brakef luid
replaced at aqualifie dspecialist workshop.
If th ebrakes ystem has onl ybeen subject to
moderatel oads, you should tes tthe functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BA S(Brake Assist)(
Ypage 55).
Mercedes-Ben zrecommend stha tyou onl yhave
brakep ads/linings installe donyour vehicle
whichh ave been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicle sorwhichcorrespondtoane quivalent
qualitys tandard. Brake pads/linings whichh avenot been approved for Mercedes-Ben
zvehicle s
or whicha re n

ot of an equivalent qualityc ould
affect your vehicle's operatin gsafety.
Mercedes-Ben zrecommend sthaty ou onl yuse
brakef luid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or whichc orre-
sponds to an equivalent qualitys tandard. Brake
fluid whichh as not been approved for
Mercedes-Ben zvehicle sorw hichisn ot of an
equivalent qualityc ould affect your vehicle's
operatin gsafety.
High-performance brake system
(Mercedes-Benz SLC 43 AMG)
AM Gb rakes ystems are designed for heavy
loads and have component swith corresponding
properties. This may lead to noise when braking.
This will dependo n:
RSpeed
RBrakingforce
RAmbientc onditions, e.g .temperature and
humidity
The wear of individual component softhebrake
system, such as th ebrakep ads/linings or brake
discs, depends on th eindividual driving style
and operatin gconditions.
For this reason, it is impossibletos tate am ile-
age that will be valid unde rall circumstances. An
aggressived riving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain morei nformationonthisf roma
qualifie dspecialist workshop.
New and replaced brak epads and discso nly
reacht heir optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving .Compensate for
this by applyingg reater force to thebrakep edal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingl yduringt hisb reak-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brak ewear. Observe th ebrakes ystem
warning lamp in th einstrumentc luster and note
any brak estatus messages in th emultifunction
display. Especially for high performanc edriving,
it is important to maintain and have th ebrake
system checked regularly.
Driving tips137
Driving and parking
Z