2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS change time

Welcome to the world of Mercedes-Benz We urge you to read this Operator's Manual
carefully and familiarize yourself with the vehi-
cle before driving. For you ro wn safety and a
longer vehicl el ife ,f ollow the instructions and
warning notices in this manual. Ignoring them
coul dr esult in damage to the vehicl eorp ersonal
injury to you or others.
Vehicle damage caused by failure to follow
instructions is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty.
The equipment or product designation of your
vehicl em ay vary depending on:R
Model R
Order R
Country specification R
Availability
Mercedes-Benz therefore reserve st he right to
introduce changes in the following areas: R
Design R
Equipment R
Technica lf eatures
The equipment in you rv ehicl em ay therefore
diffe rf rom that show nint he descriptions and
illustrations.
The following are integra lc omponents of the
vehicle: R
Digita lO perator's ManualR
Printed Operator's Manual R
Maintenance Booklet R
Equipment-dependent supplements
Keep these documents in the vehicl eata ll
times. If you sell the vehicle, alway sp as sa ll
documents on to the new owner.
Your Operator's Manual:
Digital form inside the vehicle
The Digita lO perator's Manual provides
comprehensive and specifically adapted
information on you rv ehicle's equipment
and multimedi as ystem. It contains infor-
mative animations, individua ll anguage
settings and an intuitive search function.
Booklet inside the vehicle
In addition to this manua la nd the afore-
mentioned digital media, you als oh ave the
option to obtai nac omprehensive printed
versio noft he Supplement for you rm ulti-
medi as ystem from you ra ut horized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Digital form via the Internet
The Operator's Manual on the Internet pro-
vide se asy access to all information
regarding you rv ehicl ea nd multimedi as ys-
tem. It als op rovides helpful animations,
interesting background information and a
wid ea rra yofs earch options.
Digital form as an App
Using the Mercedes-Benz Guide sA pp, you
can view all the information on you rv ehicle
and multimedi as ystem via mobile Internet
or download it independently of network
access. Availabl ef or smartphones or tab-
lets.
Please note that the Mercedes-Benz Guide sA pp
may not yet be available in you rc ountry.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Mercedes-Benz Canada ,I nc.
AD aimler Company
1725841102
É1725841102~ËÍ

Protecting the environment
General notes
H Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of compre-
hensive environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
that form the basis of our existence on this
planet to be used sparingly and in am anner
that takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tire wear are affected
by these factors: R
operating condition sofy our vehicleR
your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions: R
avoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption. R
always make sure that the tire pressures
are correct. R
do not carry any unnecessary weight. R
remove roof racks once you no longer need
them. R
ar egularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals. R
always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style: R
do not depress the accelerator pedal when
startin gt he engine.R
do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary. R
drive carefully and maintain as afe distance
from the vehicle in front. R
avoid frequent, sudden acceleration and
braking. R
change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to

have directly notified Mercedes-Ben zU SA,
LLC in writing of the need for its repair.
(2) the same substantial defect or malfunction
of al ess serious nature than category (1)
has been subject to repair four or more
times and you have directly notified
Mercedes-Ben zinw riting of the need for its
repair.
(3) the vehicle is out of service by reason of
repair of the same or different substantial
defects or malfunctions for ac umulative
total of more than 30 calendar days.
Please send your written notice to:
Mercedes-Ben zU SA, LLC
Customer Assistanc eC enter
3M ercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
Maintenance The Service and Warranty Booklet describes all
the necessary maintenanc ew ork which should
be done at regular intervals.
Always have the Service and Warranty Booklet
with you when you bring the vehicle to an
authorized Mercedes-Ben zC enter. The service
advisor will record every service for you in the
Service and Warranty Booklet.
Roadside Assistance The Mercedes-Ben zR oadside Assistanc eP ro-
gram offers technical help in the event of a
breakdown. Call stot he toll-free Roadside Assis-
tance Hotline are answered by our agents 24
hours ad ay, 365 days ay ear.
1-800-FOR-MERCedes(1-800-367-6372)
(USA)
1-800-387-0100 (Canada)
For additional information, refer to the
Mercedes-Ben zR oadside Assistanc eP rogram
brochure (USA) or the "Roadside Assistance"
section in the Service and Warranty booklet
(Canada). You will find both in your vehicle lit-
erature portfolio. Change of address or change of own-
ership In the event of ac hange of address, please send
us the "Notification of Address Change" in the
Service and Guarantee booklet or simply call the
Mercedes-Ben zC ustomer Assistanc eC enter
(USA) at the hotline number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes(1-800-367-6372) or
Customer Service Center (Canada )a t
1-800-387-0100 .T his will assist us in contact-
ing you in at imely manner should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave the entire
literature in the vehicle so that it is available to
the next owner.
If you have purchased au sed car, please send us
the "Notification of Used Car Purchase" in the
Service and Guarantee booklet or simply call the
Mercedes-Ben zC ustomer Assistanc eC enter
(USA) at the hotline number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes(1-800-367-6372) or
Customer Service (Canada )a t1 -800-387-0100.
Vehicle operation outside the USA
and Canada If you plan to operate your vehicle in foreign
countries, please be aware that: R
service facilities or replacement parts may
not be readily available. R
unleaded fuel for vehicles with ac atalytic
converter may not be available. Leaded fuel
may cause damage to the catalytic converter. R
the fuel may have ac onsiderably lower octane
rating. Unsuitable fuel can cause engine dam-
age.
Some Mercedes-Ben zm odels are available for
delivery in Europe through our European Deliv-
ery Program. For details, consult an authorized
Mercedes-Ben zC enter or write to one of the
following addresses.
In the USA
Mercedes-Ben zU SA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada
Mercedes-Ben zC anada ,I nc.
European Delivery Department
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9Service and vehicl eo peration 25
Introduction Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
As ide window cannot be
closed because it is
blocked by objects, e.g.
leaves in the window
guide. X
Remove the objects. X
Close the side window.
As ide window cannot be
closed and you cannot
see the cause. If as ide window is obstructed during closing and reopens again
slightly: X
Immediately after the window blocks, pull the correspondin gs witch
again until the side window has closed.
The side window is closed with increased force.
If as ide window is obstructed again during closing and reopens again
slightly: X
Immediately after the window blocks, pull the correspondin gs witch
again until the side window has closed.
The side window is closed without the automatic reversing feature.
The side windows cannot
be opened or closed
using the convenience
opening/closing fea-
ture. The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged. X
Check the SmartKey battery ( Y
page 68) and replace it if necessary
( Y
page 68).
Roof
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you do not fully open/close the soft top, the
soft-top hydraulics depressurize after as hort
time. This causes the soft top to lower unex-
pectedly and may cause you or others to be
trapped. There is ar isk of injury.
Always open or close the soft top completely.
G WARNING
Closing the roof manually is ac omplicated
and technically demanding procedure, which
requires al ot of strength. You or others can
become trapped. There is ar isk of injury.
Only have the soft top closed manually at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Never sit on the rear shelf or store heavy
object st here. You will otherwise damage the
roof and the rear shelf of your vehicle. ! Do not forget that the weather can change
abruptly. Make certain that the roof is closed
when you leave the vehicle. The vehicle elec-
tronics can be damaged if water enters the
vehicle interior.
! When opening and closing the roof, make
sure that: R
there is sufficient clearance, as the roof
swings upwards. R
there is sufficient clearance behind the
vehicle, as the trunk lid swings backwards
beyond the bumper. R
the trunk is only loaded to below the trunk
partition. R
the trunk partition is not pushed up by the
load. R
the trunk partition is closed. R
the trunk lid is closed. R
the outside temperature is above 5‡
(

X
To switc hont he high-beam headlamps:
turn the light switch to X or X .X
Press the combinatio ns wi tch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow C .
In the X position, the high-bea mh ead-
lamps are onl ys wi tched on when it is dark and
the engine is running.
The blue W indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on. X
To switc ho ff the high-beam headlamps:
move the combinatio ns wi tch back to its nor-
ma lp osition.
The blue W indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goe so ut .
Hazard warning lamps
X
To switc hont he hazard warning lamps:
press button C .
All turn signals flash. If yo un ow switch on a
turn signa lu si ng the combinatio ns wi tch ,o nly
the turn signa ll am pont he corresponding
side of the vehicl ew il lf lash.X
To switc ho ff the hazard warning lamps:
press button C .
The hazard warning lamps automaticall ys wi tch
on if: R
an ai rb ag is deployed orR
the vehicl ed ec elerates rapidly from as peed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h )a nd come stoa
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicl er eache sas peed of above
6m ph (10 km/h )a gain afte raf ul lb rake appli-
cation.
i The hazard warning lamps stil lo pe rate if the
ignition is switched off. Cornerin gl ig ht functionThe cornering light functio ni mprove st he illu-
minatio noft he roa do ve raw id ea ngle in the
direction yo ua re turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. The cornering
light functio nc an onl ybea ctivate dw he nt he
low-bea mh eadlamps are switched on.
Active: R
if yo ua re driving at speed sb elow 25 mph
(40 km/h )a nd switch on the turn signa lo r
turn the steering wheel R
if yo ua re driving at speed sb et ween 25 mph
(40 km/h )a nd 45 mph (70 km/h )a nd turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp ma yr emai nl it for as hort
time ,b ut is automaticall ys wi tched off afte rn o
more tha nt hre em inutes.
Cornerin gl ig ht functio nw it ht raffi cc ir cle
function:
The cornering light functio ni sa ctivate donb ot h
side sb ef ore entering at raffic circle throug ha n
evaluation of the current GP Sp osition of the
vehicle. It remains active unti la fte rt he vehicle
ha sl ef tt he traffic circle .Int hi sw ay ,p edes trians
crossing the road, for example, are illuminated
by your vehicl eing oo dt ime.
Active light function The active light functio ni sas ys tem tha tm oves
the headlamps according to the steering move-
ments of the front wheels .Int hi sw ay ,r elevant
areas remai ni llum inated whil ed riving .T his
allows yo utor ecognize pedestrians ,c yclists
and animals sooner.
Active: when the lights are switched on.
Vehicles with Lane Keeping Assist: the active
light functio ne valuate st he course of the lane in
which yo ua re driving and pre-emptively con-
trol st he active light function.
Adaptiv eH ighbeam Assist
General notes
Yo uc an us et hi sf unctio ntos et the headlamps
to change between lo wb ea ma nd high beam
automatically. The system recognizes vehicles
with thei rl ig hts on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or traveling in front of yourExterior lighting 97
Lights and windshield wiper s Z

i You can star tt he engin eint ra nsmission
position ] and \\ .
Starting procedur ew ith th eS martKeyTo star tt he engin eu sing the SmartKey instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button out
of the ignition lock. X
Turn the SmartKey to position I in the igni-
tion lock ( Y
page 116 )a nd release it as soon
as the engin eisr unning.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start th ee ngineThe Start/Stop button can be used to star tt he
vehicle manually without insertin gt he SmartKey
int ot he ignition lock .T he Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for
startin gt he engin eo perates independently of
the ECO start/sto pa utomatic engin es tar tf unc-
tion. X
Depress the brak ep edal and keep it
depressed. X
Press the Start/Stop button once
( Y
page 116).
The engin es tarts.
Pulling away
Genera ln otes
G WARNING
If the engin es peed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
ar isk of an accident.
When engagin gt ra nsmission position D or R ,
always firmly depres st he brak ep edal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
! Change gear in good tim ea nd avoid spin-
nin gt he wheels. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle lock sc entrally onc ey ou 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 ( Y
page 173).
It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position ] to the desired position if you
depres st he brak ep edal. Only the nist he shift
lock released.
i Upshifts tak ep lace at higher engin es peeds
afte rac old start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brak e( Y
page 133).
Hill start assist Hill star ta ssist helps you when pulling away
forwar dorinr everse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for as hor tt im ea fte ry ou have
removed your foot from the brak ep edal. This
gives you enough tim etom ove your foot from
the brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal and to
depres sitb efor et he vehicle begins to roll.
G WARNING
After as hor tt ime, hill star ta ssist will no lon-
ger brak ey our vehicle and it could roll away.
There is ar isk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill star ta ssist is not active if: R
you are pulling away on al evel road or on a
downhill gradient R
the transmission is in position \\R
the electric parking brak eisa ppliedR
ESP ®
is malfunctioning
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/sto pf unction switches the
engin eo ff automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engin es tarts automatically when the driver
want stop ull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.118
Driving
Driving and parking

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing. There is am alfunction in the engine electronics or in am echanical
componen toft he engine management system.X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it. X
Have the cause rectified immediately at aq ualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gauge shows av alue
above 248 ‡( 120 †).
The coolant warning
lamp may also be on and
aw arning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down. X
Check the coolant level ( Y
page 235). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct ,t he engine radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently. X
At coolant temperatures below 248 ‡( 120 †), drive to the nearest
qualified specialist workshop. X
Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainou st errai na nd stop-and-go traffic.
DYNAMIC SELEC Tb uttonUse the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change the
drive program. Depending on the drive program
selected the following vehicle characteristics
wil lc hange: R
the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment) R
the suspensio nort he adaptive adjustable
damping (only on vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL sports suspension) R
the sound of the exhaust system (vehicles
with sports exhaust system) R
the steering R
the availability of the ECO start/stop function
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program C is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see ( Y
pag e1 17). X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
progra miss elected.
The selected drive progra ma ppears in the
multifunction display. After as hort period of
time, the displa yg oes out and the symbol for
the selected drive progra ma ppears.
In addition, the current drive progra ms ettings
are displayed briefly in the multimedi as ystem
display.
i In af ew countries, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is deactivated at the factory due to the
available fuel grade. In this case, the ECO
start/stop function is not available in anyDYNAMI CS ELEC Tb utton 121
Driving and parking Z

R
the suspensio ne xhibits fir md am ping set-
ting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damping system
or AMG sports suspension). R
the steering exhibits sporty steering charac-
teristics.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program S+ is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away in first gear.R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibl yb ei ng higher
as ar esul toft he later automatic transmission
shift points. R
the suspensio ne xhibits particularly firm
damping setting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive
damping syste morA MG sports suspension).R
the steering exhibits sporty steering charac-
teristics. R
the ECO start/sto pf un ctio ni sn ot available.
Drive program I( In dividual)In drive program I the following propertie soft he
drive progra mc an be selected:R
the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment) R
the suspensio n( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damp-
ing syste morA MG sports suspension)R
the steering R
the availability of the ECO start/sto pf un ction
Informatio na bout configurin gd rive program I
with the multimedia syste mc an be found in the
Digita lO pe rator' sM an ual.
Drive program E( Econom y)Drive program E is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away mor eg en tly in forward
and revers eg ears ,u nles st he accelerator
peda lisd ep resse df ully.R
the vehicl eh as improved drivin gs tability, for
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds ur faces.R
optimal fuel consumption resulting fro mt he
automatic transmission shiftin gups ooner. Th ev ehicl eisd riven in the lo we ngine speed
range and the wheels ar el es sl ik el ytos pi n.R
the suspensio ne xhibits comfortabl ed am ping
setting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damping sys-
tem or AMG sports suspension). R
durin gd ec eleration, the engine is disconnec-
ted fro mt he drive train. Th ev ehicl eu se s
kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode). R
the steering exhibits comfortabl es teering
characteristics.
Manual gear shifting
General notes Yo uc an change gear yourself using the steering
whee lp addl es hifters. Th et ransmission must be
in position [ to do this.
Depending on which steering whee lp addl e
shifter is pulled ,t he automatic transmission
immediatel ys hifts into the next gear down or
up ,ifp er mitted.
To us em an ua ls hifting, yo uh av et wo options:R
temporary setting R
permanent setting
If yo ua ctivate manua lg ears hifting, the multi-
functio nd isplay will sho wt he current gear
instea doft ransmission position [ .
If manua lg ears hiftin gisd ea ctivated ,t he gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
X
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Pull steering whee lp addl es hifter C or D .
The temporary setting is active for ac ertain
amount of time. Under certai nc onditions ,t he
minimum amount of tim eise xtended, e.g .int he126
Automati ct ransmission
Driving an dp arking