2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS change wheel

The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
G WARNING
When you adjust as eat, you or other vehicle
occupant sc ould become trapped, e.g. on the
seat guide rail. There is ar isk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting as eat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
G WARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move forwards as far as the next catc hd uring
movemen ts uch as braking or abrupt changes
of direction .Asar esult, you would be pushed
against your seat belt by the unsecured driv-
er's seat.
This could cause you to lose control of the
vehicle. The seat belt cannot protec tasi nten-
ded and could result in additional injury.
There is ar isk of an accident and injury.
Before every journey, make sure that the driv-
er's seat is fully engaged.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
( Y
page 43) and "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 53).
G WARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in
motion .T his could cause you to lose control of
the vehicle. There is ar isk of an accident.
Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle.
G WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupant sc ould be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment button sa nd become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustmen ts ys-
tem. G WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the
event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steerin gw heel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is ar isk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
! To prevent damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following notes: R
Do not spill liquids ont ot he seats. Dry the
seats as soon as possible if liquid does get
spilled on the seats. R
If the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. Also, do not use
the seat heating to dry the seats. R
Clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section. R
Do not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place pointed object sont he seat
cushions such as knives, nails or tools.
Where possible, use the seats only for car-
rying passengers. R
When operating the seat heating, do not
cover the seats with insulating materials,
e.g. blankets ,c oats, bags, protective cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats. R
When the seat heating is switched on, the
seat surface can be damaged as ar esult of
object sb eing placed on the seats; for
example, seat cushions, child seats and
protective covers not approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Seats 85
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

This could result in burns in the immediate
vicinit yoft he air vents. There is ar isk of injury.
Reduce the heater output before it becomes
too hot.
The AIRSCARF function warms the head and
neck area of vehicle occupant sw ith warm air.
The warm air flows out of the holes in the head
restraints.
The three red indicator lamps in the button indi-
cate the heating level you have selected. X
Ensure that the SmartKey is in position H in
the ignition lock. X
To switch on: press button C .
Three red indicator lamps in the button light
up. The blower start supa fter ap reheating
phase of seven seconds. X
Press button C repeatedly until the desired
heating level is set. X
To switch off: press button C repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
i The blower continues runnin gf or seven sec-
onds to cool down the heating elements.
i If the battery voltage is too low, AIRSCARF
may switch off.
Problems with AIRSCARF AIRSCARF has switched off prematurely or will
not switch on. The vehicle's electrical system
voltage is too low because too many electrical
consumer sa re switched on.X
Switch off electrical consumer st hat you do
not need, such as the rear window defroster
or interior lighting. X
Switch on AIRSCARF again. Steering wheel
Important safety notes
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steerin gw heel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is ar isk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
G WARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steerin gw heel. There is ar isk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway st ake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies to mobile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The electrically adjustable steerin gw heel can
still be adjusted when there is no SmartKey in
the ignition lock.
Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually
G WARNING
If the steerin gw heel is unlocked while the
vehicle is in motion ,itc ould change position
unexpectedly. This could cause you to lose
control of the vehicle. There is ar isk of an
accident.
Before starting off, make sure the steering
wheel is locked. Never unlock the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in motion.88
Steering wheel
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

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

D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to D
whil ed riving .T he automatic trans-
mission could otherwis ebed am -
aged.
No powe rist ransmitted fro mt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake peda lw il la llow
yo utom ov et he vehicl ef reely, e.g .t o
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position D if
the vehicl eisind an ge rofs kidding,
e.g .oni cy roads.
! Coasting in neutral \\ may
cause damage to the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Driving tips
Changin gg ea rThe automatic transmission shifts throug ht he
individual gear sa ut omaticall yw he nitisint rans-
mission position [ .T hi sa ut omatic gear shift-
ing behavio risd et ermine db y:R
the selecte dd rive programR
the positio noft he accelerator pedalR
the roa ds peed
Accelerator peda lp ositionYour style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle :e ar ly upshiftsR
mor et hrottle :l at eu ps hifts Kickdown Use kickdow nf or maximum acceleration. X
Depres st he accelerator peda lb eyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gear depending on the engine speed. X
Eas eo ff the accelerator peda lo nce the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Drive programs
Drive program C( Co mfort)In urba nt raffi ca nd stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended.
Driv ep rogram C is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ed elivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away mor eg en tly in forward
and revers eg ears ,u nless the accelerator
peda lisd ep resse df ully.R
the vehicl eh as improved driving stability, for
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds ur faces.R
optima lf ue lc onsumption resulting fro mt he
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisd riven in the lo we ngine speed
range and the wheels ar el es sl ik el ytos pi n.R
th es us pension exhibits comfortabl ed am ping
settings (adaptive damping system onl yi n
vehicles with AMG RIDE CONTROL sports
suspension). R
the steering exhibits comfortabl es teering
characteristics.
Drive program S( Sp ort)Driv ep rogram S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits sporty driving character-
istics. 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.Automati ct ransmission 125
Driving an dp arking 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

case of latera la cceleration, during overrun
mod eorw he nd riving on stee pt errain.X
To deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D and hol ditinp la ce.
or X
Use the lever to switch the transmission posi-
tion.
or X
Use the DYNAMI CS ELECT button to change
the drive program.
Permanen ts et tingX
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Press button C .X
To deactivate: press button C .
Shiftin gg ea rs
Al lv ehicle s( exce pt for Mercedes-AMG
SLC 43)
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. If the maximum engine speed in the currently
engaged gea risr eached and yo uc ontinu et o
accelerate ,t he automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts up in order to prevent engine
damage. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts dow nt o
the next gear.
Automati cd ow ns hifting occurs whe nc oast-
ing.
If the engine were to excee dt he maximum
engine speed whe ns hifting down, the auto-
mati ct ransmission protects against engine
damag ebyn ot shifting down.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43
! If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-
vated, the automatic transmission doe sn ot
shift up automaticall ye ve nw he nt he engine
limiting speed for the current gea risr eached.
Whe nt he engine limiting speed is reached,
the fue ls up pl yisc ut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Alway sm ake sure that the
engine speed doe sn ot reach the red are ao f
the tachometer .T here is otherwise ar is ko f
engine damage.
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts dow nt o
the next gear.
Automati cd ow ns hifting occurs whe nc oast-
ing.
If the engine were to excee dt he maximum
engine speed whe ns hifting down, the auto-Automatic transmission 127
Drivin ga nd parking Z

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as: R
load R
tire pressure R
cold start R
choice of route R
active electrical consumers
These factors are not include dint he ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving ah igher valu eint he categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant": R
observe the gearshift recommendations. R
drive the vehicle in drive program C or E .
In urba nt raffic and stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended.
On long journeys at ac onstant 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 satt he start of aj ourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform am anua lr est
( Y
page 167).
Further information on the ECO display
( Y
page 166).
Braking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheel sc ould lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on as lippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
! On long, steep gradients, you must reduce
the load on the brakes. To use engine braking,
shift to al owe rg 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 ad rive 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 al owe rg 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 Pilo tD ISTRONIC.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest you rf oot on the brake peda lw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail .T here is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake peda lasaf ootrest. Never
depres st he brake peda la nd the accelerator
peda latt he same time.
! Depressing the brake peda lc onstantly
results in excessive and premature wea rt o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to ah eavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicle immediately ,b ut
drive on for as hort while. This allows the airflow
to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for al ong time in heavy rain
withou tb raking, there may be ad elayed 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 depres st he brake peda lm ore
firmly .M aintai nag reater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on aw et road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whil ep aying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.136
Driving tips
Driving and parking