2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS Owners Manual

ECO display The ECO display show sy ou how economical
your driving style is. The ECO display assists you
in achievin gt he mos te conomical driving style
for th es electe ds ettings and prevailin gc ondi-
tions .Y our driving style can significantly influ-
enc et he vehicle's consumption.
C
AccelerationD
Coasting

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

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 (th eS ma rtKey must be in position

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.
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 could ente rt he vehicle interio r
or engin ec om partment. It can then damage
th ee ng ine's or automatic transmission' s
electronic components. It can also be sucke d
in by th ee ng ine's air intake connection and
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 \\ .
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 special attention to road condi-
tion sw hen temperature sa re around freezin g
point.
Fo rm or ei nformat ion on drivin gw it hs no w
chains, see ( Y
page 262).
Fo rm or ei nformat i on on drivin gw i t hs ummer
tires ,s ee ( Y
page 262).
Observ et he note sint he "Winte ro peration "s ec -
tion ( Y
page 262).
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 e
brake syste ma nd prevents th eb rake sf ro m
overheatin ga nd wearin gt oo quickly.
Use cruise contro lo nl yifr oa da nd traffic con-
dition sm ak eita ppropriat etom aintain as te ady138
Driving systems
Driving an dp arking

speed for ap rolonged period. You can store any
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes If you fail to adap ty our driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front ,f or vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain ac onstant speed e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is ac hange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
Stores the current speed or ah igher speedD
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed

legal speed limit sp ermit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others. X
To adjust th es et speed in 1m ph incre-
ment s(1k m/ hi ncrements): briefly press
the cruis ec ontrol lever up C to the pressure
point for ah igher speed, or down

Do not us eD istance Assist DISTRONI Co nr oads
with stee pg radients.
As Distance Assist DISTRONI Ct ransmits radar
waves ,itc an resemble the rada rd et ectors of
the responsibl ea ut horities. Yo uc an refer to the
relevant chapte rint he Operator' sM an ua li f
questions ar ea sk ed abou tt his.
i USA only: Thi sd ev ic eh as been approved by
the FCC as a" Vehi cula rR adar System" .T he
rada rs ensor is intende df or us einana ut o-
motive rada rs ys tem only. Removal ,t amper-
ing ,ora lt ering of the devic ew il lv oi da ny war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC .D o
not tampe rw it h, alter, or us eina ny non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to thi sd ev ice
could voi dt he user' sa ut hority to operate the
equipment.
i Canad ao nly: Thi sd ev ic ec omplies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operatio ni s
subject to the following two conditions:
1. Thi sd ev ic em ay not cause interference,
and
2. Thi sd ev ic em us ta ccep ta ny interference
received, including interferenc et ha tm ay
cause undesired operatio noft he device.
Removal ,t ampering, or altering of the device
will voi da ny warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tampe rw it h, alter, or us eina ny non-
approved way.
Any unau thorized modification to thi sd ev i ce
could voi dt he user' sa ut hority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot react to:R
people or animals R
stationar yo bj ects on the road, e.g .s topped
or parked vehicles R
oncomin gv ehicles and crossing traffic
As ar esult, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay
neithe rg iv ew ar nings nor intervene in such
situations. There is ar is kofana ccident.
Alway sp ay carefu la ttentio ntot he traffi cs it -
uatio na nd be ready to brake. G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc anno ta lway s
clearly identify othe rr oa du se rs and complex
traffi cs it uations.
In such cases, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay :R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neithe rg iv eaw ar ning nor intervene R
accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is ar is kofana ccident.
Continu etod rive carefull ya nd be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC
warns you.
G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cb rakes your vehicle
with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If thi sd ec eleratio ni sn ot suffi-
cient, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca le rts you
with av isua la nd acoustic warning. There is a
ris kofana ccident.
Apply the brakes yoursel fint hese situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cort he
HOLD functio ni sa ctivated ,t he vehicle
brakes automaticall yinc ertain situations.
To avoi dd amag etot he vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca nd the HOLD
functio nint he following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
If yo uf ai ltoa dapt your drivin gs tyle ,D istance
Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc an neithe rr educe the ris ko f
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc anno tt ake into
account road, weather or traffi cc onditions. Dis-
tance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ciso nl yana id .Y ou are
responsibl ef or the distance to the vehicl ei n
front, for vehicl es peed, for braking in good time
and for staying in your lane.Driving system s 141
Dr ivi ng an dp arking Z

Do not us eD istance Pilo tD ISTRONIC:R
in roa da nd traffi cc onditions which do not
allo wy ou to maintain ac onstant speed, e.g .i n
heav yt raffi coronw in ding roadsR
on slippery roa ds ur faces .B raking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
tractio na nd the vehicl ec ould the ns kidR
when there is poor visibility ,e .g .d ue to fog,
heav yr ai nors now
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay not detect nar-
row vehicles drivin ginf ront, e.g .m otorcycles, or
vehicles drivin gonad if ferent line.
In particular ,t he detection of obstacle sc an be
impaired if: R
there is dirt on the sensor sora nything else
coverin gt he sensorsR
there is snow or heav yr ai nR
there is interferenc ebyo the rr adar sourcesR
there ar es trong rada rr eflections, for exam-
ple, in parkin gg arages
If Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cnol on ge rd et ects a
vehicl einf ront, it ma yu nexpectedly accelerate
to the spee ds tored.
Thi ss peed may:R
be too high if yo ua re drivin ginaf ilter lane or
an exi tl an eR
be so high when drivin gint he right-hand lane
tha ty ou overtake vehicles in the left-hand
lane R
be so high when drivin gint he left-hand lane
tha ty ou overtake vehicles in the ri ght-hand
l ane
If there is ac hange of drivers, advis et he new
driver of the spee ds tored. Cruis ec on tro ll ever
Cruise control lever
C
Store st he current spee dorah ig he rs peedD
Setting as pe cifie dm inimu md is tance