2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS warning

G WARNING
During the charging process ,ab attery produces hydrogen gas. If as hort circui to ccurs or sparks
are created ,t he hydrogen gas can ignite. There is ar isk of an explosion.R
Make sure that the positive terminal of ac onnected battery does not come into contact with
vehicl ep arts.R
Never place metal objects or tools on ab attery.R
It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminal sw hen connecting
and disconnecting ab attery.R
When jump-starting, make sure that the battery pole sw ith identical polarity are connected.R
It is particularl yi mportant to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables. R
Never connect or disconnect the battery terminal sw hile the engine is running.
G WARNING
Ad ischarged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicl eorc harging the battery ,g ase sc an escap ef rom the battery .T here is ar isk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter coul db e
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
If the indicator/warning lamp sdon ot light up at low temperatures, it is very likel yt hat the dis-
charge db attery has frozen. In this case, you may neither charge the battery nor jump-start the
vehicle. The service life of at hawed-out battery may be shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired ,p articularl yatl ow temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at aq ualified
specialist workshop.
Do not start the vehicl eu sing ar api dc harging device. If you rv ehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another vehicl eorf rom as econd battery using jumper cables.
Observe the following points: R
The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible ,j ump-
start the vehicl eu sing as econd battery or aj ump-starting device.R
You may only jump-start the vehicl ew hen the engine and exhaust system are cold.R
Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first. R
Only jump-start from batterie sw ith a12Vv oltag er ating.R
Only use jumper cables which have as ufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.R
If the battery is full yd ischarged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected for
af ew minutes before attempting to start. This charge st he battery slightly.R
Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that: R
The jumper cables are not damaged. R
Bare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while the jumper
cables are connected to the ba ttery.R
The jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan. X
Secure the vehicl ebya pplying the electric parking brake.X
Shift the transmission to position ] .254
Jump-starting
Breakdown assistance

Towin ga nd tow-starting
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When towing or tow-startin ga nothe rv ehicle
and its weight is greate rt ha nt he permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the: R
the towing ey ec ould detach itselfR
the vehicle/trailer combinatio nc ould roll-
over.
There is ar is kofana ccident.
When towing or tow-startin ga nothe rv ehicle,
its weight shoul dn ot be greate rt ha nt he per-
missibl eg ross weight of your vehicle.
Detail sont he permissibl eg ross vehicl ew eigh t
of your vehicl ec an be found on the vehicl ei de n-
tification plate ( Y
page 289).
! When Activ eB rake Assist, Distance Pilot
DISTRONI Cort he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated,
the vehicl eb rakes automaticall yinc ertain
situations.
To avoi dd amag etot he vehicle, deactivate
these system sint he following or similar sit-
uations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
! Onl ys ecur et he tow rop eort ow ba ratt he
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicl ec ould be
damaged.
! Do not us et he towing ey ef or recovery, this
could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover
the vehicl ew it hac rane.
! When towing ,p ul la wa ys lowly and
smoothly. If the tractiv ep ower is too high, the
vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-typ ee quipment .T h is
could damage the vehicle.
! When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO ,u se the key instea doft he Start/Stop
button. The automatic transmission ma yo th-
erwis es hift to position ] when yo uo pe nt he
driver's or front-passenge rd oo r, which could
damage the transmission. ! Make sure tha tt he electri cp ar kin gb rake is
released .Ift he electri cp ar kin gb rake is faulty,
visit aq uali fied specialis tw or kshop.
! The vehicl ec an be towed am ax imum of
30 miles (50km). The towing spee dof30m ph
(50 km/h )m us tn ot be exceeded.
If the vehicl eh as to be towed mor et han
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicl em us tb e
raised and transported.
! If yo ut ow or tow-start anothe rv ehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missibl eg ross vehicl ew eigh tofy ou rv ehicle.
It is better to have the vehicl et ransporte dt han
to have it towed away.
The automatic transmission must be in position
\\ when the vehicl eisb ei ng towed away.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
canno tt ur nt he SmartKe ytop osit ion H in
the ignition lock. R
canno ts hift the automatic transmission to
position \\ .
Deactivate the automatic locking featur eb ef o re
th
e vehicl eist owed ( Y
page 173) .Y ou could
otherwis ebel oc ked ou tw he np us hing or towing
the vehicle.
Installing/removin gt he towin ge ye
Installing the towin ge ye
G WARNING
The exhaust tai lp ip em ay be ver yh ot. There is
ar is kofb ur ns when removing the rea rc over.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe .T ak ep ar ticular
car ew he nr emoving the rea rc over.256
Towin ga nd tow-starting
Breakdow na ssistance

The bracket sf or the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
at the rear, behind the covers. X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit ( Y
page 245).X
Press the mark on cover C inwards in the
direction of the arrow. X
Take cover C off the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Attach cover C to the bumper and press until
it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing av ehicle with both axles on
the ground
G WARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steerin gw heel lock has been engaged. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing the
vehicle with at ow cable or at ow bar.
The automatic transmission shifts to position
] automatically when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position \\ when towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following points: X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 97). X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the Smart-
Key instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y
page 116). X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the transmission to position \\ .X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Leave the SmartKey in position H in the igni-
tion lock.
In order to signal ac hange of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. When you reset
the combination switch, the hazard warning
flashers start flashing again.
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
( Y
page 256).
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the rear axle raised.
Intervention by ESP ®
could otherwise dam-
age the brake system.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
vehicle/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even roll over.Towing and tow-starting 257
Breakdown assistance Z

MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
characteristics) With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive you rv ehi-
cle even if there is at otal loss of pressure in one
or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be use dinc onjunc-
tion with an active tire pressure loss warning
system or with an active tire pressure monitor
and on wheels specifically tested by Mercedes-
Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with a
flat tire ( Y
pag e2 47).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with aT IREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommende dt hat you additionally
equip you rv ehicl ew ith aT IREFIT kit if you mount
tires that do not feature run-fla tc haracteristics,
e.g. winter tires. AT IREFIT kit can be obtained
from aq ualified specialist workshop.
Winter operation
General notes Have you rv ehicl ew inter-proofed at aq ualified
specialist worksho patt he onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing aw heel"
section ( Y
pag e2 80).
Driving with summer tires At temperatures below 45 ‡( +7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on you rv ehicle
to M+S tires .U sing summe rt ires at very cold
temperatures coul dc aus ec racks to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage.
G WARNING
Damaged tires can caus et ire inflation pres-
sure loss. As ar esult, you coul dl ose control of
you rv ehicle. There is ar isk of accident.
Check the tires regularl yf or signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately. M+S tires
G WARNING
M+S tires with at ire tread depth of less than

To avoid hazardous situations: R
never install snow chains to the front
wheels R
alway si nstall snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have
been specially approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz ,ora re of ac orresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact aq ualified specialist workshop.
If you inten dtom ount snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind: R
Snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible wheel-
tire combinations ( Y
page 284).R
Only use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to ar oad that is not snow-covered.R
Local regulations may restrict the use of snow
chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if
you wish to mount snow chains. R
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when pulling
away with snow chains installed ( Y
page 60).
You can thereby allow the wheels to spin in a
controlled manner ,a chieving an increased driv-
ing force (cutting action).
Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel ( Y
page 285). Tire pressure
Tire pressur es pecifications
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks: R
the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase. R
the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction. R
the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is ar isk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires includ-
ing the spare wheel: R
monthly, at least R
if the load changes R
before beginning al ong journeyR
under different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correc tt he tire pressure.
The data on the Tire and Loading Information
placard and tire pressure table shown here are
examples. Tire pressure specification sa re vehi-
cle-specific and may deviate from the data
shown here. The tire pressure specifications
that are valid for your vehicle can be found on
the Tire and Loading Information placard and
tire pressure table on the vehicle.
General notes The recommended tire pressures for the tires
mounted at the factor yc an be found on the
labels described here.
Operation with an emergency spar ew heel:
information on operation with an emergency
spare wheel can be found in the general notes in
the "Emergency spare wheel" section
( Y
page 286).
Further information on tire pressures can be
obtained at aq ualified specialist workshop.Tir ep re ssure 263
Wheels and tires Z

Avoi dt ire pressures tha ta re too high in al lt he
tires, including the spare wheel.
Overinflated tire sm ay :R
increase the braking distance R
adversel ya ffect handlingR
wear excessivel ya nd/or unevenlyR
have an adverse effect on rid ec omfortR
be more susceptibl etod amag e
Maximum tire pressures
C
Example: maximu mp er missibl et ire pres-
sure
Never exceed the maximu mp er missibl et ire
inflation pressure. Alway so bs erve the recom-
mended tire pressure for your vehicl ew he n
adjusting the tire pressure ( Y
page 263).
i The actual values for tire sa re vehicle-spe-
cifi ca nd ma yd ev iate from the values in the
illustration.
Checkin gt he tire pressures
Important safety notes The tire pressure monitor does not warn yo uo f:R
incorrectly set tire pressure R
sudden loss of tire pressure, e.g .f rom af or-
eign object tha th as penetrated the tire
Observ et he notes on tire pressure
( Y
page 263). Informatio nona ir pressure for the tire sony ou r
vehicl ec an be found: R
on the vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard on the B-pillar R
on the tire pressure table in the fuel fille rf lapR
in the "Tire pressure" section
Checkin gt ire pressure sm anuallyTo determine and set the correct tire pressure,
procee dasf ollows: X
Remove the valve cap of the tire tha ti stob e
checked. X
Press the tire pressure gaug es ecurel yo nto
the valve. X
Read the tire pressure and compar eittot he
recommende dv alue on the Tire and Loading
Informatio np la card or the tire pressure table
( Y
page 263). X
If the tire pressure is too low, increase the tire
pressure to the recommende dv alue.X
If the tire pressure is too high, release air. To
do so, press down the meta lp in in the valve,
using the tip of ap en for example. The nc heck
the tire pressure agai nu si ng the tire pressure
checker. X
Screw the valve cap onto the valve. X
Repeat thes es tep sf or the othe rt ires.
Tire pressure loss warning system
(Canada only)
General notes While the vehicl eisinm otion, the tire pressure
loss warning system monitors the set tire pres-
sure using the rotational speed of the wheels.
Thi se nables the system to detect significant
pressure loss in at ire .Ift he speed of rotatio no f
aw heel change sasa resul tofa loss of pressure,
ac orresponding warning message will appear in
the multifunctio nd is play.
Yo uc an recognize the tire pressure loss warning
by the Run Fla tI ndicator Active Press
'OK 'toR estart message which appear si n
the Serv. menu of the multifunctio nd is play.
Informatio nont he message display can be
found in the "Restarting the tire pressure loss
warning system "s ectio n( Y
page 267).266
Tire pressure
Wheel sa nd tires

Important safety notes The tire pressur ew arning system does no tw arn
you of an incorrectl ys et tire pressure. Observ e
th en otes on th er ecommended tire pressur e
( Y
page 263).
The tire pressur el oss warning does no tr eplace
th en ee dtor egularly chec kt he tire pressure. An
eve nl oss of pressur eons everal tires at th e
sam et im ec anno tbed etecte dbyt he tire pres-
sur el oss warning system.
The tire pressur em onitor is no ta ble to warn you
of as udde nl oss of pressure, e.g. if th et ir ei s
penetrated by af oreign object. In th ee vent of a
sudde nl oss of pressure, brin gt he vehicl etoa
halt by braking carefully. Avoid abrup ts te ering
movements.
The function of th et ir ep ressur el oss warning
system is limite dord elaye di f:R
snow chain sa re mounte dony our vehicle's
tires .R
road condition sa re wintry.R
you are driving on san dorg ravel.R
you adopt av er ys port yd riving style (corner-
ing at high speeds or driving wit hh igh rates of
acceleration). R
you driv ew it hah eav yl oad.
Restarting th et ir ep re ssure loss warn-
ing system Restart th et ir ep ressur el oss warning system if
you have :R
changed th et ir ep ressur eR
changed th ew heels or tiresR
mounte dn ew wheels or tiresX
Before restarting ,m ak es ur et ha tt he tire
pressures are set properly on all four tires for
th er espective operating conditions.
The recommended tire pressur ec an be foun d
on th eT ir ea nd Loading Information placard
on th eB -p illar .A dd itionally, at ir ep ressur e
table is attached to th ef uel filler flap .T he tire
pressur el oss warning system can only giv e
reliable warning sify ou have set th ec orrect
tire pressure. If an incorrec tt ir ep ressur ei s
set ,t he se incorrec tv alue sw ill be monitored.X
Als oo bserv et he note sint he section on tire
pressures ( Y
page 263).X
Mak es ur et ha tt he SmartKey is in position H
in th ei gnition loc k( Y
page 116). X
Press th e Y or e butto nont he steering
whee lt os elect th e Serv. menu.X
Press th e c or d butto ntos elect
Tir eP ressure . X
Press th e v button.
The Run Fla tI ndicator Active Press
'OK 'toR estar t message appear sint he
multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm th er estart :X
Press th e v button.
The Tir eP ressure Now OK? message
appear sint he multifunction display. X
Press th e c or d butto ntos elect Yes .X
Press th e v button.
The Run Fla tI ndicator Restarted mes -
sage appear sint he multifunction display.
Afte rat ea ch-in period, th et ir ep ressur el oss
warning system will monitor th es et tire pres-
sures of all four tires .
If you wish to cancel th er estart :X
Press th e 8 button.
or X
If th e Tir eP ressure Now OK? message
appears, use th e c or d butto nt o
select Cancel . X
Press th e v button.
The tire pressur ev alue ss to re datt he last
restar tw ill continue to be monitored.
Tire pressure monitor
General notes If at ir ep ressur em onitor is installed, th ev ehi-
cle's wheels hav es ensor st ha tm onitor th et ir e
pressures in all four tires .T he tire pressur em on -
itor warn sy ou if th ep ressur ed rops in on eo r
mor eoft he tires .T he tire pressur em onitor only
function sift he corresponding sensor sa re
installed in all wheels.
Information on tire pressures is displayed in th e
multifunction display. Afte raf ew minute so f
driving ,t he curren tt ir ep ressur eofe ac ht ir ei s
shown in th e Serv. men uoft he multifunction
display. Tire pressure 267
Wheels and tires Z

Example: current tire pressure display
For informatio nont he message display, refer to
the "Checking the tire pressure electronically"
sectio n( Y
page 269).
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Each tire ,i ncluding the spar e( if provided),
shoul dbec hecked at leas to nce am onth
when col da nd inflate dtot he pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicl em an ufacturer on
the Tire and Loading Informatio np la card on
the driver's door B-pillar or the tire pressure
labe lont he insid eoft he fuel fille rf lap. If your
vehicl eh as tire sofad if ferent size tha nt he
size indicated on the Tire and Loading Infor-
matio np la card or the tire pressure label, you
shoul dd et ermine the prope rt ire pressure for
thos et ires.
As an adde ds af ety feature, your vehicl eh as
been equipped with at ire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS )t ha ti llum inate sal ow tire pres-
sure telltale when one or mor eofy ou rt ires
ar es ig nificantl yu nderinflated .A ccordingly,
when the lo wt ire pressure telltale illuminates,
yo us houl ds top and check your tire sass oon
as possible, and inflate the mtot he proper
pressure. Driving on as ig nificantl yu nderin-
flated tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Underinflatio na ls o
reduce sf ue le fficiency and tire trea dl if e, and
ma ya ff ect the vehicle's handling and stop-
ping ability.
Please note tha tt he TPMS is not as ubst itute
for prope rt
ire ma intenance ,a nd it is the driv-
er' sr esponsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, eve nifu nderinflatio nh as not
reache dt he level to trigge ri llum ination of the
TPMS lo wt ire pressure telltale. Your vehicl eh as also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunctio ni ndicator to indicate if the
system is not operating properly .T he TPMS
malfunctio ni ndicator is combine dw it ht he
lo wt ire pressure telltale .W he nt he system
detects am al function, the warning lamp will
flash for approximately am inute and then
remai nc ontinuously illuminated. This
sequence will be repeated every time the vehi-
cle is started as long as the malfunction
exists.
When the malfunctio ni ndicator is illuminated,
the system ma yn ot be able to detect or signal
lo wt ire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions ma yo ccu rf or av ar iety of reasons,
including the installatio nofi ncompatible
replacement or alternate tire sorw heel so n
the vehicl et ha tp revent the TPMS fro mf un c-
tioning properly .A lway sc heck the TPMS mal-
functio nt elltale after replacing one or more
tire sorw heel sony ou rv ehicl etoe nsur et hat
the replacement or alternate tire sa nd wheels
allo wt he TPMS to continue to functio np rop-
erly.
It is the driver's responsibility to set the tire
pressure to tha tr ecommende df or col dt ires
which is suitabl ef or the operating situation
( Y
page 263) .N ote tha tt he correct tire pressure
for the curre nt operating situatio nm u s tf irst be
taught-i ntot he tire pressure monitor. If as ub -
stantia ll os sofp ressure occurs, the warning
threshold for the warning message is aligned to
the taught-i nr eference values. Restart the tire
pressure monitor after adjusting the pressure of
the col dt ire s( Y
page 270). The current pres-
sures ar es av ed as new reference values. As a
result, aw ar ning message will appear if the tire
pressure drops significantly.
The tire pressure monitor does not warn yo uo f
an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe the
note sont he recommende dt ire pressure
( Y
page 263).
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn you
of as udde nl os sofp ressure, e.g .ift he tire is
penetrated by af oreign object. In the event of a
sudden loss of pressure, bring the vehicl etoa
halt by braking carefully. Avoi da brup ts teering
movements.268
Tire pressure
Wheel sa nd tires