2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS Owners Manual

The climate control system switches to the
following functions: R
high airflow R
high temperature R
air distribution to the windshield and front
side windows R
air-recirculation mode off X
To switch off: press the d button.
The indicator lamp in the d button goes
out. The previously selected settings are
restored. Air-recirculation mode remains
deactivated.
or X
Dual-zon ea utomatic climate control: press
the X button.
The indicator lamp in the d button goes
out. Airflow and air distribution are set to
automatic mode.
MAX COOL maximum cooling The MAX COOL function is only availabl einv ehi-
cles for the USA.
MAX COOL is only operational when the engine
is running. X
To activate: press the

Problems with the rear window defroster Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The indicator lamp on
the l button flashes.
The rear window
defroster has deactiva-
ted prematurely or can-
not be activated. The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical consum-
ers are switched on. X
Switch off any consumers that are not required, e.g. reading lamps,
interior lighting or the seat heating.
When the battery is sufficiently charged, the rear window defroster
can be activated again.
The roof is open. X
Close the roof.
When the roof is closed, the rear window defroster can be activated
again.
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off
General notes If you switch on air-recirculation mode, the win-
dows can fog up more quickly, in particular at
low temperatures. Only use air-recirculation
mode briefly to prevent the windows from fog-
ging up.
Activating/deactivating X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock ( Y
page 116).X
To activate: press the r button.
The indicator lamp in the r button lights
up.
i Air-recirculation mode is automatically acti-
vated at high levels of pollution (dual-zone
automatic climate control only) or at high out-
side temperatures. When air-recirculation
mode is activated automatically, the indicator
lamp in the r button is not lit. Outside air
is added after about 30 minutes. X
To deactivate: press the r button.
The indicator lamp in the r button goes
out. i Air-recirculation mode deactivates auto-
matically: R
after approximately five minutes at outside
temperatures below approximately 41 ‡
(5 †) R
after approximately five minutes if cooling
with air dehumidification is deactivated R
after approximately 30 minutes at outside
temperatures above approximately 41 ‡
(5 †) if the "Cooling with air dehumidifica-
tion" function is activated
Switching the residual heat on or off
General notes The residual heat function is only available on
vehicles for Canada.
It is possible to make use of the residual heat of
the engine to continue heating the stationary
vehicle for up to 30 minutes after the engine has
been switched off. The heating time depends on
the set interior temperature.
Activating/deactivating X
Turn the SmartKey to position

i If you activate the residual heat function at
high temperatures, only the ventilation wil lb e
activated. The blower runs at mediu ms peed.X
To deactivate: press the K or V but-
ton.
The indicator lamp in the K or V button
goes out.
Residua lh eat is deactivated automatically:R
after approximately 30 minutes R
when the ignition is switched on R
if the battery voltage drops
Setting the air vents
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air
vents. This could resul tinb urns or frostbite in
the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is ar isk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain as ufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary ,r edirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior.
G WARNING
When AIRSCARF is switched on, very hot air
can flow from the vents in the head restraints.
This could resul tinb urns in the immediate
vicinity of the air vents. There is ar isk of injury.
Reduce the heater outpu tb efore it becomes
too hot.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the air vents into the vehicle interior,
please observe the following notes: R
keep the air inlet grill eont he hood and in the
engine compartment on the front-passenger
side free of blockages, such as ice, snow or
leaves. R
never cover the air vents or air intake grilles in
the vehicle interior.
i You can move the adjusters for the air vents
verticall yorh orizontally to set the direction of
the airflow. i For optimal climate control in the vehicle,
open the air vents completely and set the
adjusters to the central position.
Setting the center air vents X
To open the center air vents: turn the
adjuster in one of center air vents C counter-
clockwise. X
To close the center air vents: turn the
adjuster in one of center air vents C clock-
wise until it engages.
Setting the side air vents
C
Side window defroster vent
D
Side air vent X
To open as ide air vent: turn the adjuster in
the side air vent D to the left.X
To close as ide air vent: turn the adjuster in
the side air vent D to the right until it
engages.Setting the air vents 113
Climate control Z

Setting the blower outpu toft he AIR-
SCARF vents
G WARNING
When AIRSCARF is switched on, very hot air
can flow from the vent sint he head restraints.
This could result in burns in the immediate
vicinity of the air vents. There is ar isk of injury.
Reduce the heater output before it becomes
too hot.
You can adjust the blower output of AIRSCARF
vents C using the AIRSCARF button
( Y
page 87).114
Setting the air vents
Climat ec ontrol

Note sonb reaking-in an ew vehicle
Important safety notes Th es en so rs ys te mofs om ed riving and driving
safety systems adjusts automaticall yw hile a
certai nd is tance is being driven after the vehicle
ha sb ee nd elivere dora ft er repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reache du nti lt he end of this
teach-i np rocedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
thi sb ya pplyin gg reate rf orce to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (150 0k m)Th em or ey ou look after the engine when it is
new ,t he mor es at isfied yo uw il lbew it hi ts per-
formance in the future. R
Yo us houl dt herefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km). R
Avoi dh eavy loads, e.g .d riving at full throttle,
during thi sp eriod.R
Chang eg ea ring oo dt ime, befor et he tach-
ometer needl ei s

Where possible, avoid spinnin gt he drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
Key positions
SmartKey
Z
To remove the SmartKeyG
Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipersH
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive positionI
To start the engine
i The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition
lock even if it is not the correct SmartKey for
the vehicle. The ignition is not switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with a
SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
start function and ad etachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in the
vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into the
ignition lock, the system needs approximately
two seconds recognition time. You can then use
the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times in
succession corresponds to the differen tk ey
positions in the ignition lock. This is only the
case if you are not depressing the brake pedal. If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button ,t he engine start si mmedi-
ately.
Ac heck which periodically establishes ar adio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether av alid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs ,f or example, when
starting the engine.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey: R
the Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock. R
the SmartKey must be in the vehicle. R
the vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO ( Y
page 65).
Do not keep the SmartKey: R
with electronic devices, e.g. am obile phone
or another SmartKey. R
with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil. R
inside metallic objects, e.g. am etal case.
This can impair the functionality of the KEY-
LESS-GO key.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey's
remot ec ontrol or with KEYLESS-GO, after a
short time: R
you will not be able to switch on the ignition
with the Start/Stop button. R
you will not be able to start the engine with the
Start/Stop button until the vehicle is
unlocked again.
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for three seconds. This function
operates independently of the ECO start/stop
automatic engine switch-off function.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
C
Start/Stop button
D
Ignition lock116
Driving
Driving and parking

As soo na st he ignition is switched on, al lt he
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up .F urther informatio nons it uations where an
indicator lamp either fails to go ou ta fte rs tarting
the engine or lights up whil ed riving
( Y
page 204).
If Start/Stop button C ha sn ot ye tb ee n
pressed, thi sc orrespond stot he key being
remove df rom the ignition.X
To switc hont he power supply: press
Start/Stop button C once.
The powe rs uppl yiss wi tched on. Yo uc an now
activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The powe rs uppl yiss wi tched off agai ni f:R
the driver's door is opene da ndR
yo up ress Start/Stop button C twice when
in thi sp ositionX
To switc hont he ignition: press Start/Stop
button C twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If yo up ress Start/Stop button C once when
in thi sp osit ion, the ignition is switched off
again.
Removing the Start/Sto pb uttonYo uc an remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicl easn ormal
using the SmartKey. X
Remove Start/Stop button C from ignition
lock D .
Yo udon ot have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when yo ul eave the
vehicle. Yo us hould, however, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the Sma rtKe y isint h
e vehicle:R
the vehicl ec an be started using the Start/
Stop button R
the electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If children ar el ef tu nsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
operate the vehicle's equipment. Additionally, children could set the vehicl ei n
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake R
shift the automatic transmission ou tofp ar k
position P R
start the engine
There is ar is kofana ccident and injury.
Never leav ec hildren or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
Whe nl eavi ng the vehicle, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou and lock the vehicle. This
also applie stom obil ep hones if the "Digital
Ca rK ey in smartphone "f un ctio ni sa ctivated
via the Mercedes me connect we ba pp .
G WARNING
Combustion engine se mi tp oiso nou se xhaust
gases such as carbo nm onoxide. Inhaling
thes ee xhaus tg as es lead stop oiso ning. There
is ar is koff ata li njury .T herefore neve rl eave
the engine running in enclose ds paces with-
ou ts uf ficient ventilation.
G WARNING
Flammabl em at erial si ntroduced through
environmenta li nfluence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaus ts ys tem or
parts of the engine tha th ea tu p. There is ar isk
of fire.
Carry ou tr egular checks to make sure that
ther ea re no flammabl ef oreig nm at erial si n
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
During ac ol ds tart, the engine runs at higher
speed stoe nabl et he catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature .T he sound of
the engine ma yc hange during thi st ime.
Automati ct ransmission X
Depres st he brake peda la nd kee pi t
depressed. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .
Transmission positio nd is play ] is shown in
the multifunctio nd is play.Driving 117
Driving an dp arking 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