2017 MERCEDES-BENZ SLC brake

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you driv eons alted roads ,al ayer of salt resi-
due may for mont he brak ed isc sa nd brake
pads. This can result in as ignificantly longer
braking distance. R
In orde rtop revent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
th et ra ffic conditions.R
Carefully depress th eb rak ep edal and the
beginnin ga nd end of aj ou rney.R
Maintain ag reater distanc etot he vehicle
ahead.
Servicing th eb rakes
! The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow, if:R
if th er ed brak ew arning lamp light supi n
th ei nstrumen tc luster andR
you hear aw arning tone while th ee ngine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow due to
brak ep ad wear or leaking brak el ines.
Hav et he brak es ystem checked immediately.
Consult aq ualifie ds pecialist workshop to
arrange this.
! As th eE SP ®
system operates automatically,
th ee ngine and th ei gnitio nm ust be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in th ei gnition
lock) if th ee lectric parking brak eisb ein gt es-
ted on ab rak ed ynamometer (maximum
10 seconds).
Brakin gt ri ggered automatically by ESP ®
may
seriously damage th eb rak es ystem.
All check sa nd maintenanc ew ork on th eb rake
system must be carried out at aq ualifie ds pe-
cialis tw orkshop.
Hav eb rak ep ads installe da nd brak ef luid
replaced at aq ualifie ds pecialist workshop.
If th eb rak es ystem has onl yb een subject to
moderat el oads, you should tes tt he functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BA S( Brake Assist )( Y
page 55).
Mercedes-Ben zr ecommend st ha ty ou onl yh ave
brak ep ads/linings installe dony our vehicle
whic hh ave been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicle sorw hic hc orrespon dtoane quivalent
qualit ys ta ndard. Brake pads/linings whic hh ave not been approved for Mercedes-Ben zv ehicle s
or whic ha re n ot of an equivalent qualit yc ould
affect your vehicle's operatin gs afety.
Mercedes-Ben zr ecommend st ha ty ou onl yu se
brak ef luid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or whic hc orre-
sponds to an equivalent qualit ys ta ndard. Brake
fluid whic hh as not been approved for
Mercedes-Ben zv ehicle sorw hic hisn ot of an
equivalent qualit yc ould affect your vehicle's
operatin gs afety.
High-performance brake system
(Mercedes-Benz SLC 43 AMG) AM Gb rak es ystems are designed for heavy
loads and have component sw ith corresponding
properties. This may lead to noise when braking.
This will depen do n: R
Speed R
Brakin gf orce R
Ambien tc onditions, e.g .t emperature and
humidity
The wear of individual component soft he brake
system, such as th eb rak ep ads/linings or brake
discs, depends on th ei ndividual driving style
and operatin gc onditions.
For this reason, it is impossibl etos ta te am ile-
age that will be valid unde ra ll circumstances. An
aggressiv ed riving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain mor ei nformatio nont hi sf ro ma
qualifie ds pecialist workshop.
New and replaced brak ep ads and disc so nly
reac ht he ir optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving .C ompensate for
this by applyin gg reater force to th eb rak ep edal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingl yd urin gt hi sb reak-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brak ew ear. Observe th eb rak es ystem
warning lamp in th ei nstrumen tc luster and note
any brak es ta tus messages in th em ultifunction
display. Especially for high performanc ed riving,
it is important to maintain and have th eb rake
system checked regularly. Driving tips 137
Driving and parking Z

Drivin gonw et road s
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to ac ertai nd ept ho n
th er oa ds urface, there is ad anger of hydro-
planin go cc urring, eve ni f:R
you drive at low speeds R
th et ir es hav ea dequat et re ad dept h
Fo rt hi sr eason ,int he event of heav yr ain or in
condition sinw hic hh ydroplaning may occur ,
you mus td rive in th ef ol lowin gm anner:R
lowe ry our speedR
avoid rut sR
avoid sudden steerin gm ov ementsR
brake carefully
Drivin gonf looded road s
! Do no td rive through floode da reas. Chec k
th ed ept hofa ny water befor ed rivin gt hrou gh
it .D ri ve slowly through standin gw ater. Oth-
erwise ,w ater may ente rt he vehicle interio ro r
th ee ng in ec om partment. Thi sc an damage
th ee lectronic component sint he engin eo r
th ea utomatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by th ee ng ine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engin ed amage.
Winte rd ri vin g
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lipper yr oa ds urfac ei n
an attempt to increase th ee ng ine's braking
effect ,t he drive wheels could los et he ir grip.
There is an increase dd anger of skidding and
accidents .
Do no ts hift down fo ra dditional engin eb rak-
in gonas lipper yr oa ds urface.
G DANGER
If th ee xh aus tp ipe is blocke dora dequat e
ventilation is no tp ossible, poisonous gases
suc hasc arbon monoxide (CO) may ente rt he
vehicle. Thi sist he case, e.g. if th ev ehicle
becomes trappe dins no w. There is ar is ko f
fatal injury. If you leav et he engin eort he auxiliar yh eatin g
running ,m ak es ur et he exhaus tp ipe and are a
around th ev ehicle are clear of snow. To
ensur eana dequat es upply of fresh air, ope na
window on th es id eoft he vehicle that is no t
facin gi nt ot he wind.
Hav ey our vehicle winter-proofed at aq ualified
specialis tw orkshop at th eo ns et of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yr oa ds ur -
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration ,s te erin ga nd
braking maneuvers .Don ot use cruise control.
If th ev ehicle threatens to skid or canno tb e
stopped when movin gatl ow speed:X
Shift th et ra nsmissio ntop osition N .
The outsid et em perature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gd evic ea nd
is therefore unsuitable fo rt ha tp urpose.
Changes in th eo utsid et em perature are dis -
playe da fter as hort delay.
Indicated temperature sj us ta bov et he freezin g
poin tdon ot guarantee that th er oa ds urfac ei s
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 drivin gs ty le. Always
adapt your drivin gs ty le and drive at as peed to
suit th ep revailin gw eather conditions.
You should pay spe cia l attention to road condi-
ti on sw hen temperature sa re around freezin g
point.
Fo rm or ei nformati on on drivin gw it hs no w
chains, see ( Y
page 257).
Fo rm or ei nformat ion on drivin gw it hs ummer
tires ,s ee ( Y
page 257).
Observ et he note sint he "Winte ro peration "s ec -
tion ( Y
page 257).
Drivin gs ystems
Cruis ec ontro l
General notes
Cruise contro lm aintain sac onstan tr oa ds peed
fo ry ou. It brake sa utomatically in order to avoid
exceedin gt he set speed. On lon ga nd steep
downhill gradients, especially if th ev ehicle is
laden, you mus ts elec tal owe rg ear in goo dt im e.
By doin gs o, you will mak eu se of th eb raking
effect of th ee ng ine. Thi sr elieves th el oad on th e138
Driving systems
Driving an dp arking

brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
dition sm ake it appropriate to maintain as teady
speed for ap rolonged period. You can stor ea ny
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safet yn otesIf you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take int oa ccoun tt he road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brakin gi n
good time and for staying in lane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic condition sw hich do not
allow you to maintain ac onstan ts peed e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces .B raking or accel-
eratin gc ould cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when ther eisp oor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If ther eisac hang eofd rivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
Stores the curren ts peed or ah igher speed
D
Storing the curren ts peed or calling up the
last stored speed

importan tift he vehicle is laden. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brak es ystem and
prevent st he brakes fro mo verheatin ga nd wear-
ing too quickly.
If Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC detect st hat there is
ar isk of ac ollision, you will be warne dv isually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent ac olli-
sion .Ani ntermitten tw arnin gt on ew ill then
sound and the distanc ew arnin gl amp will light
up in the instrumen tc luster. Brak ei mmediately
in order to increase the distanc ef ro mt he vehi-
cle in front ,ort ak ee vasiv ea ction, provided it is
safe to do so.
For Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC operates in the range
betwee n0m ph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Do not use Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC on roads
with steep gradients.
As Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC transmits radar
waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of
the responsible authorities .Y ou can refe rtot he
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only: This devic eh as been approved by
the FCC as a" Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the devic ew ill void any war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do
not tamper with, alter ,oru se in any non-
approved way.
An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operat et he
equipment.
i Canada only: This devic ec omplies with
RS S-210 of Industr yC anada. Operation is
subject to the followin gt wo conditions:
1. This devic em ay not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This devic em ust 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 ,a nd is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter ,oru se in any non-
approved way. An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operat et he
equipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC does not react to: R
people or animals R
stationar yo bject sont he road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles R
oncomin gv ehicles and crossin gt ra ffic
As ar esult ,D istanc eP ilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations .T here is ar isk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases ,D istanc eP ilot DISTRONIC may:R
give an unnecessary warnin ga nd then
brak et he vehicle R
neither give aw arnin gn or interveneR
accelerat eorb rak eu nexpectedly
There is ar isk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
G WARNING
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle
with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleratio nisn ot suffi-
cient, Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC alert sy ou
with av isual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and tr yt ot ak ee vasiv ea ction.
! When Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC or the
HOL Df unction is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.Driving systems 141
Driving and parking Z

Changing lanes If you want to change to th eo vertakin gl ane on
multi-lan er oads ,D istance Pilot DISTRONIC sup-
port sy ou ifR
you are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h) R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is maintaining the
distanc etoav ehicle in frontR
you switch on th ea ppropriat et ur ns ignalR
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does no tc urrently
detect ad anger of collision
If these condition sa re fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupte di f
changin gl ane st akes to ol on gorift he distance
between your vehicle and th ev ehicle in front
become st oo small.
i When you change lanes, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC monitors th el eft lane (on left-
hand-driv ev ehicles) or th er igh tl ane (on right-
hand-driv ev ehicles).
Stopping
G WARNING
If you leave th ev ehicle when it is only being
braked by Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, it could
roll away if: R
there is am alfunctio nint he system or in
th ev oltage supply.R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is switche do ff
usin gt he cruise control lever, e.g .bya vehi-
cle occupant or from outside th ev ehicleR
th ee lectrical system in th ee ngine com-
partment, th eb attery or th ef use sa re tam-
pere dw ith.R
th eb attery is disconnectedR
th ev ehicle is accelerated, e.g .bya vehicle
occupant.
Ther eisar isk of an accident.
Before leavin gt he vehicle ,a lways deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
Further informatio nond eactivatin gD istance
Pilot DISTRONIC ( Y
page 146).
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detect st ha tt he
vehicle in fron tiss to pping, it brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary. Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionar ya nd you do no tn ee dtod epress the
brake.
i Afte rat ime, th ee lectric parking brake
secures th ev ehicle and relieves th es ervice
brake.
i Dependin gont he specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will com etoas ta ndstil la t
as ufficient distanc eb ehin dt he vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distanc eiss et
usin gt he control on th ec ru ise control lever.
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is act ivated,
t h et ra n
smission is shifte da utomatically to
position P if: R
th ed river' ss eat belt is no tf astene da nd the
driver' sd oor is open. R
th ee ngine is switched off ,u nless it is auto-
matically switched off by th eE CO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brak es ecures th ev ehicle
automatically if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated when th ev ehicle is stationar ya nd:R
as ystem malfunctio no ccurs.R
th ep ower supply is no ts ufficient.
If am alfunctio no ccurs, th et ra nsmission may
also shif ti nt op osition P automatically.
Settin gas peedKeep in min dt ha titm ay tak eab rie fm oment
until th ev ehicle has accelerate dorb raked to
th es pee ds et. X
To adjust th es et spee di n1m ph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
th ec ru ise control leve ru p C to th ep ressure
poin tf or ah igher speed, or down D for a
lower speed.
Every tim et he cruise control leve risp ressed
up or down ,t he last spee ds to re disi ncreased
or reduced. X
To adjust th es et spee di n5m ph incre-
ments (1 0k m/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C past the pres-
sure point for ah igher speed, or down D for
al ower speed.
Ever yt ime the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced.144
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc an detect vehicles
when cornerin gisl im ited. Your vehicl em ay
brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicle st raveling on ad ifferen tl in e
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay not detect vehi-
cle sw hi ch ar en ot drivin gint he middl eoft heir
lane. The distance to the vehicl einf ront will be
too short.
Othe rv eh icle sc ha ngin gl anes
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ch as not detecte dt he
vehicl ec utting in yet. The distance to thi sv ehi-
cle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ch as not ye td et ected
the vehicl einf ront on the edge of the road
because of its narrow width .T he distance to the
vehicl einf ront will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot brake for
obstacle sors tationar yv ehicles. If, for example,
the detecte dv ehicl et urns ac orne ra nd an
obstacle or stationar yv ehicl eisr evealed, Dis-
tance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cw il ln ot brake for them.
Crossin gv eh icles
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay mistakenly
detect vehicles tha ta re crossing your lane.
If yo ua ctivate Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cu nder
the following conditions, the vehicl ec ould pull
away unintentionally: R
at traffi cl ig hts with crossing traffic, for exam-
ple R
if there is av ehicl einf ront after ac rossing
with the HOLD functio na ctivatedDriving system s 147
Dr ivi ng an dp arking Z

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive rint he
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicl eisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele da nd the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ul la way.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is am alfunction in the system or in
the voltag es upply.R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator peda lort he brake
pedal, e.g. by av ehicl eo ccupant.R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse sh ave
been tampere dw ith.R
the battery is disconnected
There is ar isk of an accident.
If you wis htoe xit the vehicle, alway st urn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoi dd amage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
pag e1 48). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled: R
the vehicl eiss tationary. R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function. R
the driver's door is closed or you rs eat bel ti s
fastened. R
the electric parking brake is released. R
the transmission is in position D , R or N .R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake peda lf urther
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake peda lt he first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivatin gt he HOLD functionThe HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position D or R . R
you shift the transmission to position P .R
you apply the brakes again with ac ertain
amount of pressure until HOLD disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you secure the vehicl eu sing the electric park-
ing brake. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After at ime, the electric parking brake
secure st he vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.148
Driving systems
Driving and parking

When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position P if:R
the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and: R
as ystem malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is not sufficient.
If am alfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs ,t hen the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position Pa utomatically.
Adaptive Damping System
General notes
i Mercedes-Benz SLC 43 AMG: the adap-
tive adjustable damping is called AMG sports
suspension.
As uspension with the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem provides improved driving comfort and con-
tinuously controls the calibration of the damp-
ers. The damping characteristic sa dapt to the
curren to perating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the selected drive program ( Y
page 121).
Selecting the Comfort or Economy drive
programs In the Comfort and Economy drive programs,
the driving characteristic sofy our vehicle are
more comfortable. Select one of these drive
programs if you favor am ore comfortable driv-
ing style. Also select these drive programs when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Comfort or Economy drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tunin gi n
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive program
when employing as porty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C as many
times as necessary until the Sport drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode The firmer suspension settings in the Sport
Plus drive program ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employing
as porty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads or, ideally ,w hen driving on closed race
circuits. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Sport Plus drive program is
selected.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensor sint he front
bumper and four sensor sint he rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distanc eb etween your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not ar eplace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings .Y ou are alway sr esponsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exitin gap arking
space. When maneuvering, parking or pulling
out of ap arking space, make sure that there are
no persons ,a nimals or object sint he area in
which you are maneuvering.Driving systems 149
Driving and parking Z