2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS warning lights

G WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
disabled. It wil ln ot be deploye dint he event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. Ap erso nint he front-
passenger seat coul dt hen, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the perso niss itting too close to the
dashboard. This pose sani ncreased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenge rs eat is occupied,
alway se nsure that:R
the classification of the perso nint he front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
ble dina ccordance with the perso nint he
front-passenge rs eatR
the front-passenge rs eat has been moved
back as far back as possible. R
the perso niss eated correctly.
Make sure ,b oth before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
G WARNING
If you secure ac hild in ar earward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenge rf ront air bag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child coul dbes truck by the air bag .T his poses
an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenge rf ront air
bag has been deactivated. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use ar earward-facing child restraint
on as eat protected by an ACTIVE FRONT AIR-
BAG in front of it; DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
to the child can occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not instal lar earward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" ( Y
pag e4 9). G WARNING
If you secure ac hild in af orward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat
and you position the front-passenge rs eat too
close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could: R
come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example R
be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Move the front-passenge rs eat as far back as
possible .A lways make sure that the shoulder
bel ts trap is correctly routed from the vehicle
bel tg uide to the shoulde rb el tg uide on the
child restraint system. The shoulde rb el ts trap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the vehicl eb el tg uide. Always observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
If OCS determines that: R
The front-passenge rs eat is unoccupied ,t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. R
The front-passenge rs eat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in as tandard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
deactivated.
But even in the case of at welve-month-old
child ,inas tandard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
activated. The result of the classification is
dependent on, among other factors, the child
restraint system and the child's stature. Make
sure that the conditions for ac orrect classi-
ficatio na re met. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp remains off, do not install
ac hild restraint system on the front-
pa ss
enger seat.Occupant safety 47
Safety Z

R
The front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g. at eenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, ap erson of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat. R
The front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or ap erson of adult stature, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 53).
When the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) is malfunctioning, the red u restraint
system warning lamp on the instrument cluster
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp light up simultaneously. The front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated in this
case and does not deploy during an accident.
Have the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
checked and repaired immediately at aq ualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at aq ualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories that
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag will
also deploy. The Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant on the
front-passenger seat. Dependin gont hat result,
the front-passenger front air bag is either ena-
bled or deactivated. System self-test
G DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front air bag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used. Do not install ac hild restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop.
G WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will
not be deployed in the event of an accident .I n
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when ap erson is seated in the front-
passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sittin gt oo close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
alway se nsure that: R
the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correc ta nd the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordanc ew ith the person in the
front-passenger seat R
the person is seated properly with ac or-
rectly fastened seatbelt R
the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not ,t he front-48
Occupant safety
Safety

passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install ac hild restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at aq ualified specialist work-
shop.
G WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper-
ation. This could result in the front-passenger
air bag not functioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward- facin gc hild restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BA GO FF or PASSENGER AIR BA GONi ndicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag ( Y
page 46). If the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BA GONi ndicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BA GONi ndicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BA GO FF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag. The PASSENGER AIR BA GO FF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
( Y
page 49).
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" ( Y
page 48).Occupant safety 49
Safety Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or ap er-
son of as tature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect. X
Make sure the condition sf or ac orrect classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met ( Y
page 46).X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. X
Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seat
is: R
unoccupied R
occupied by the
weight of ac hild up to
twelve months old in a
child restraint system OCS is malfunctioning. X
Make sure there is nothin gb etween the seat cushion and the child
seat. X
Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of the
forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat. X
When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-passenger
seat adjustment .T his could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly. X
Check for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply al oad to the child
restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly. X
Make sure that no object sa re applying additional weight onto the
seat. X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
ac hild restraint system on the front-passenger seat. X
Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is ar isk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deploye da ir bag replaced at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G WARNING
Ad eploye da ir bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to aq ualified special-
ist workshop in order to have ad eploye da ir
bag replaced.
For your own safety and that of your front
passenger, it is important that you have
deploye da ir bags replaced and faulty air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags50
Occupant safety
Safety

continu etop erform thei rp rotective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of ac rash.
G WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnicall ya re no longer opera-
tiona la nd are unabl etop erform thei ri nten-
ded protective function. Thi sp oses an
increase dr is kofi njury or eve nf ata li njury.
Have pyrotechnicall yt riggere dE mergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediatel yata
qualified specialist workshop.
An electri cm otor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the sea tb el tinh az ardous
situations. Thi sp rocedure is reversible.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or ai rb ag sa re deployed, yo uw il lh ea rab an g,
and some powder may also be released .T he
u restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rar ec ase sw il lt he bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute ah ealth hazard ,b ut it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in peopl ew it h
asthma or othe rr espiratory problems. Provided
it is saf etodos o, yo us houl dl ea ve the vehicle
immediatel yoro pe nt he window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contai np erchlorate material,
which may require specia lh an dling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observe dd ur ing disposal .InC alif ornia, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Metho dofo perationDuring the firs ts tag eofac ollision, the restraint
system control uni te valuates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as: R
duration R
direction R
intensity
Base dont he evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control uni tt riggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during af ronta lo r
rea rc ollision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if: R
the ignition is switched on R
the components of the restraint system are
operational .Y ou can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
( Y
page 38) R
the sea tb el tb uc kle tongu eh as engaged in
the bel tb uc kle of the respectiv es eat
If the restraint system control uni td etects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activate di ndepend-
ently of each othe rinc ertain fronta lc ollision
situations: R
Front ai rb ag sasw el lasd river' sa nd front-
passenger knee bags
The front-passenger front ai rb ag is activate do r
deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front
ai rb ag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG indicator lamps ( Y
page 39).
You rv ehicle ha st wo-stage front ai rb ag s. In the
firs td eployment stage, the front ai rb ag is filled
with propellant gas. The front ai rb ag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of prop el-
l
ant ga sifas econd deployment threshol di s
reached within af ew milliseconds.
The activation threshol doft he Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the ai rb ag sisd etermined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at variou sp oints in
the vehicle .T hi sp rocess is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shoul dt ake place in good
time at the star toft he collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determine db y: R
the distribution of force sd ur ing the collisionR
the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehicle R
the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle ha sc ollided
Factor sw hich can only be see na nd measured
afte rac ollision ha so ccurred do not play ad eci-
siv er ol eint he deployment of an ai rb ag .N or do
they provid eani ndication of ai rb ag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deforme dc onsiderably ,w it h-
ou tana ir ba gb eing deployed. Thi sist he case if
only parts which are relativel ye as il yd eformedOccupan ts afety 51
Safety Z

X
To deactivate: press and hol db ut ton C for
abou tf iv es econds unti lat one sounds.X
To activate: press and hol db ut ton D for
abou tf iv es econds unti lat one sounds.
If yo up ress one of the two buttons and do not
hea rat one, the relevant setting ha sa lr eady
been selected.
The vehicl eisl oc ked automaticall yw he nt he
ignition is switched on and the wheels are turn-
ing.
Yo uc ould therefore lock yoursel fo ut if:R
the vehicl eisb ei ng pushed.R
the vehicl eisb ei ng towed.R
the vehicl eisonar olle rd yn amometer.
Yo uc an also switch the automatic locking func-
tio nona nd off using the on-board computer
( Y
page 173).
Unlocking/lockin gt he driver's door
using the mechanical key
i If yo uw an ttoc entrall yl oc kt he vehicl eu si ng
the mechanical key ,b egin by pressing the
locking button for the interio rl oc king mech-
anism whil et he driver's door is open. Then
lock the driver's door using the mechanical
key.
X
To unlock: turn the mechanical key counter-
clockwise as far as it will go to position G .X
To lock: turn the mechanical key clockwise as
far as it will go to position G .
If yo uu se the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door, the anti-thef ta la rm sys-
tem will be triggered .S witch off the alarm
( Y
page 64). Trunk
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If objects, luggage or load sa re not secured or
not secured sufficiently ,t hey could slip ,t ip
ove rorbef lung around and thereb yh it vehicle
occupants. There is ar is kofi njury ,p ar ticu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or as ud -
de nc hange in direction.
Alway ss tor eo bj ects so tha tt hey canno tb e
flung around .S ecure objects, luggage or
load sa gain st slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! The trunk li ds wi ng su pwar ds when opened.
Therefore, make sure tha tt her eiss uf ficient
clearance above the trunk lid.
! Onl yc lose the trunk once the roo fisl owere d
completely. Otherwise, yo uc ould damag et he
roof.
If yo uc lose the trunk li db ef ore the roo fi s
lowered completely, the loading ai ds wi tch
lights up and aw ar ning tone sounds.
The opening dimensions of the trunk li dc an be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
( Y
page 295).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk. You
could otherwise lock yoursel fo ut .
The trunk li dc an be: R
opened/close df rom outside R
opene da ut omaticall yf rom outsideR
locked separately R
opene dw it ht he emergency release button R
unlocke dw it ht he mechanical key
Yo us houl dp referabl yp la ce luggage or load si n
the trunk.72
Trunk
Opening and closing

The daytime runnin gl amps improve the visibility
of your vehicle during the day. To do this, the
daytime runnin gl amps function must be
switched on using the on-board computer
( Y
page 172).
If the engine is runnin ga nd you turn the light
switch to ` or X ,t he manual settings
take precedenc eo ver the daytime running
lamps.
Low-beam headlamps
G WARNING
When the light switch is set to X ,t he low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on
automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is ar isk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
X .
Even if the light sensor does not detect that it is
dark, the parking lamps and low-beam head-
lamps switch on when the ignition is switched on
and the light switch is set to the X position.
This is ap articularly useful function in the event
of rain and fog. X
To switch on the low-beam headlamps:
turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock or start the engine. X
Turn the light switch to X .
The green X indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear fog lamp
The rear fog lamp improves visibility of your
vehicle for the traffic behind in the event of thick
fog. Please take not eoft he country-specific
regulations for the use of rear fog lamps. X
To switch on the rear fog lamp: turn the
SmartKey to position H in the ignition lock or
start the engine. X
Turn the light switch to X or X .X
Press the ^ button.
The yellow ^ indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. X
To switch off the rear fog lamp: press the
^ button.
The yellow ^ indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out. Parking lamps
! If the battery charge is very low, the parking
lamps or standin gl amps are automatically
switched off to enable the next engine start.
Always park your vehicle safely and in aw ell lit
area, in accordanc ew ith the relevant legal
stipulations. Avoid using the ` parking
lamps over ap eriod of several hours. If pos-
sible, switch on the right-hand d or left-
hand c standin gl amps.X
To switch on: turn the light switch to ` .
The green ` indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Standing lamps Switching on the standin gl amps ensures the
corresponding side of the vehicle is illuminated. X
To switch on the standing lamp s: the
SmartKey is not in the ignition lock or it is in
position

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