2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS battery

Changing lanes If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
change to th eo vertakin gl ane ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONIC support sy ou if:R
you are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/ h)R
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci sm ai ntaining the
distance to av ehicl einf rontR
yo us wi tch on the appropriate tur ns ig nalR
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot currently
detect ad an ge rofc ollision
If these conditions ar ef ul filled ,y ou rv ehicl ei s
accelerated .A cceleratio nw il lbei nterrupte di f
changing lanes take st oo long or if the distance
between your vehicl ea nd the vehicl einf ront
become st oo small.
i When yo uc hange lanes ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONI Cm onitors the left lane (o nl ef t-
hand-driv ev ehicles) or the right lane (o nr ight-
hand-driv ev ehicles).
Stopping
G WARNING
If yo ul eave the vehicl ew he nitiso nl yb ei ng
braked by Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC, it could
rol la wa yi f:R
there is am al functio nint he system or in
the voltag es upply.R
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci ss wi tched off
using the cruis ec ontro ll ev er ,e .g .b yav ehi-
cle occupant or fro mo ut side the vehicleR
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses ar et am-
pered with. R
the battery is disconnected R
the vehicl eisa ccelerated ,e .g .b yav ehicle
occupant.
There is ar is kofana ccident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca nd secur et he
vehicl ea gain st rolling away.
Furthe ri nformatio nond ea ctivating Distance
Pilo tD ISTRONI C( Y
page 146).
If Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd et ects tha tt he
vehicl einf ront is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
unti litiss tationary. Once your vehicl eiss tationary, it remains sta-
tionar ya nd yo udon ot nee dtod ep ress the
brake.
i After at ime ,t he electri cp ar kin gb rake
secures the vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specifie dm inimu md is -
tance ,y ou rv ehicl ew il lc ome to as tandstil la t
as uf ficient distance behind the vehicl ei n
front. The specifie dm i nimu md is tance is set
using the contro lont he cruis ec ontro ll ev er.
When Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cisa ctivated,
the transmission is shifted automaticall yt o
position ] if: R
the driver's sea tb el tisn ot fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off ,u nless it is auto-
maticall ys wi tched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electri cp ar kin gb rake secures the vehicle
automaticall yifD istance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci s
activated when the vehicl eiss tationar ya nd:R
as ys tem malfunctio no ccurs.R
the powe rs uppl yisn ot sufficient.
If am al functio no ccurs, the transmission may
also shift to position ] automatically.
Settin gas peedKee pinm in dt ha titm ay take ab rief moment
unti lt he vehicl eh as accelerated or braked to
the spee ds et. X
To adjus tt he se ts peed in 1m ph incre-
ments (1 km/ hi ncrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C to the pressure
point for ah igher speed, or down D for a
lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced. X
To adjust th es et speed in 5m ph incre-
ment s( 10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up C past the
pressur ep oint for ah igher speed, or down D
for al ower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced.144
Driving systems
Driving and parking

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive rint he
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicl eisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele da nd the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ul la way.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is am alfunction in the system or in
the voltag es upply.R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator peda lort he brake
pedal, e.g. by av ehicl eo ccupant.R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse sh ave
been tampere dw ith.R
the battery is disconnected
There is ar isk of an accident.
If you wis htoe xit the vehicle, alway st urn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoi dd amage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
pag e1 48). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled: R
the vehicl eiss tationary. R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function. R
the driver's door is closed or you rs eat bel ti s
fastened. R
the electric parking brake is released. R
the transmission is in position [ , ^ or \\ .R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake peda lf urther
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake peda lt he first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivatin gt he HOLD functionThe HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position [ or ^ .R
you shift the transmission to position ] .R
you apply the brakes again with ac ertain
amount of pressure until HOLD disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you secure the vehicl eu sing the electric park-
ing brake. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After at ime, the electric parking brake
secure st he vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.148
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
= See Operator' sM an ‐
ual The battery is no tb ein gc ha rged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
Possibl ec auses are: R
ad efective alternato rR
at or np oly-V-belt R
am alfunction in th ee lectronics
! Do no tc ontinue driving. The engin ec ou ld otherwise overheat.X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely and switch off th ee ng ine, pay-
ing attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .
= Sto pV ehicl eS ee
Operator' sM anual The battery is no longer bein gc ha rged and th ec onditi on of charg ei s
to ol ow.
Aw arning tone also sounds. X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely and switch off th ee ng ine, pay-
ing attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Observ et he instruction sint he = See Operator' sM anual
display message .X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Onl yS elect Par k
(P) Whe n Vehicl e is
Stationar y The vehicl eism oving .X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position ] .
Apply Brake to
Select R You hav ea ttempte dtos hift from position [ to position ^ .X
Depress th eb rak ep edal .X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position ^ .
Servic e Required Do
Not Shift Gears
Visit Dealer You canno tc ha ng et he transmission position due to am alfunction .
Aw arning tone also sounds.
If transmission position [ is selected:X
Drive to aq ualified specialist workshop without shifting th et ra ns -
mission from position [ .
If position ^ , \\ or ] is selected:X
Notify aq ualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
Reversing Not Possi‐
ble Servic e Required You can no longer shift to transmission position ^ due to am alfunc -
tion .
Transmission position s ] , \\ or [ continu etobea vailable.
Aw arning tone also sounds. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
Transmission Mal ‐
function Sto p Am alfunction has occurred in th em echanical transmission compo -
nents.
Aw arning tone also sounds. The transmission shift sa utomatically to
position \\ . X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position ] .X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Notify aq ualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
Sto pV ehicl eL eave
Engine Runnin g Wai t
Transmission Cool‐
ing The transmission has overheated. Pullin ga way can be temporarily
impaire dorn ot possible.X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions. Do no tc ontinue drivin g
under any circumstances. X
Wait until th ed isplay message disappear sb efore pullin ga way.
Auxiliary Batter y
Malfunction The auxiliary battery for th ea utomatic transmission is no longer bein g
charged. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop at th en ex to pportunity.X
Unti lt hen, always shift th et ra nsmission to position ] before you
switch off th ee ng ine.X
Befor el eaving th ev ehicle, apply th ee lectric parking brake.Display messages 19 9
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays Z

! Lock the car if you wash it in an automatic
car wash. Otherwise, the vehicle might be
damaged.
! Never clean your vehicle in aT ouchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If you have your vehicle cleaned in ah igh-
pressure automatic car wash, small amounts
of water may enter the vehicle.
! Make sure that the automatic transmission
is in position N when washing your vehicle in
at ow-through car wash. The vehicle could be
damage dift he transmission is in another
position.
! Make sure that: R
the side windows and the roof are com-
pletely closed R
the climate control blower is switched off R
the windshiel dw iper switch is at position 0
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can clean the vehicle at an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Preferably clean the vehicle at automatic car
washes that use textile washing elements with-
out brushes. This prevents fine scratches from
forming on the paintwork and film.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshiel da nd the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on the windshield.
i Vehicles with decorative film: select aw ash
program without hot wax at the automatic car
wash.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at speciall ye quipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in each country. X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight. X
Use as oft sponge to clean.X
Use am ild cleaning agent, such as ac ar
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz. X
Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with ag en-
tle jet of water. X
Do not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlet or the edges of decorative foils. X
Use plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently. X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with ac hamois.X
Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work or the decorative foils.
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as
soon as possible when driving in winter.
Powe rw ashers
G WARNING
The water jet from ac ircular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nent sd amage dint his way may fail unexpect-
edly .T here is ar isk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis component sr eplaced imme-
diately.
! Vehicles with decorative foil: parts of your
vehicle are covered with decorative foil. Main-
tain ad istance of at least 27.5 in (70 cm)
between the foil-wrappe dp arts of the vehicle
and the nozzle of the high pressure cleaner.
Information abou tt he correct distance is
available from the equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around when
cleaning your vehicle.
The water temperature of the high-pressure
cleaner must not exceed 140 °F (60 °C).
! Alway sm aintain ad istance of at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and the
power washer nozzle. Information abou tt he
correct distance is available from the equip-
ment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around when
cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following: R
tires R
door gaps, roof gaps, joints, etc. R
electrical components R
battery R
plug-type couplings R
lights Care 239
Maintenance and care Z

Battery (vehicle)
Important safety notes Specia lt ool sa nd expert knowledg ea re required
when working on the battery ,e .g .r emova la nd
installation. Yo us houl dt herefore have al lw or k
involving the battery carrie do ut at aq uali fied
specialist workshop.
G WARNING
Wor kc arrie do ut incorrectly on the battery
can lead ,f or example, to as hort circui ta nd
thu sd amag et he vehicl ee le ctronics .T hi sc an
lead to functio nr estrictions applying to
safety-relevant systems, e.g .t he lighting sys-
tem, the ABS (anti-lock braking system )ort he
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program). The oper-
ating safety of your vehicl em ay be restricted.
Yo uc ould lose contro loft he vehicle, for
example: R
when braking R
in the event of abrupt steering maneuvers
and/or when the vehicle's speed is not
adapted to the roa dc onditions
There is ar is kofana ccident.
In the event of as hort circui tora similar inci-
dent, contact aq uali fied specialist workshop
immediately. Do not drive any further .Y ou
shoul dh av ea ll work involving the battery car-
rie do ut at aq uali fied specialist workshop.
For further informatio na bout ABS and ESP ®
,
see ( Y
page 57 )a nd ( Y
page 60).
G WARNING
Electrostati cb uild -u pc an lead to the creation
of sparks, which could ignite the highl ye xplo-
sive gases of ab at tery .T here is ar is kofa n
explosion.
Before handling the battery ,t ouch the vehicle
body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highl yf lammabl eg as mixture form sw he n
charging the battery as well as when jump-start-
ing. Alway sm ak es ur et ha tn either yo un or the bat-
tery is electrostaticall yc harged. Ab uild -u po f
electrostatic charge can be caused ,f or exam-
ple: R
by wearing clothing made from synthetic
fibers R
du etof rictio nb et ween clothing and seats R
if yo up us horp ul lt he battery across the car-
pe toro the rs yn theti cm at erialsR
if yo uw ip et he battery with ac loth
G WARNING
During the charging process ,ab at tery produ-
ces hydrogen gas. If as hort circui to ccurs or
sparks are created ,t he hydrogen ga sc an
ignite .T here is ar is kofane xplosion.R
Make sure tha tt he positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicl ep ar ts.R
Never place meta lo bj ects or tool sonab at -
tery. R
It is important tha ty ou observe the descri-
be do rder of the battery terminal sw he n
connecting and disconnecting ab at tery.R
Whe nj ump-starting ,m ak es ur et ha tt he
battery pole sw it hi de ntical polarity are
connected. R
It is particularly important to observe the
describe do rder when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables. R
Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminal sw hile the engine is running.
G WARNING
Battery aci disc austic .T here is ar is kofi njury.
Avoi dc ontact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhal ea ny battery gases .Don ot lean over
the battery .K ee pc hildren away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery aci di mmediatel yw it h
plenty of clean water and see km edica la tten-
tion.
H Environmental note
Batterie sc ontain pollu-
tants .Itisi llegal to dispose
of them with the householdBattery (vehicle) 251
Breakdo wn assis tance Z

rubbish. They must be col-
lected separately and dis-
posed of in an environmen-
tall yr esponsible recycling
system.
Dispose of batterie sina n
environmentally responsi-
ble manner. Take dis-
charge db atterie stoaq uali-
fied specialist workshop or
to ac ollection point for
used batteries.
! Have the battery checked regularl yata
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service interval sint he Mainte-
nance Booklet or contact aq ualified specialist
workshop for more information.
! Always have work on batterie sc arrie do ut at
aq ualified specialist workshop.
Shoul di t, in exceptiona lc ircumstances, be
absolutel yn ecessary to disconnect the 12-
volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-
lowing: R
Secure the vehicl etop revent it from rolling
away. R
Switch off the ignition. R
Disconnect the negative terminal first and
then the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position ]
after disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been done, install the bat-
tery and replace the cover of the positive ter-
minal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.
Ris kofe xplosion.
Fire, open flame sa nd smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact
with skin, eye sorc lothing.
Wea rs uitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apro na nd face-
guard. Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clea rw ater. Contact ap hysician
if necessary.
Wea re ye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batterie sw hich have
been tested and approved for you rv ehicl eb y
Mercedes-Benz. These batterie sp rovide
increase di mpact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life ,itm ust alway sbes uffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicl eb attery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop .Y ou can also
charge the battery with ac harge rr ecommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Contact aq ualified special-
ist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicl em ainl yf or
short trips or if you leave it standing idl ef or a
lengthy period. Consult aq ualified specialist
workshop if you wis htol eave you rv ehicle
parked for al ong perio doft ime.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrica lc onsumers.
The vehicl ew il lt hen use very little energy ,t hus
conserving battery power.
If the powe rs upply has been interrupted ,e .g. if
you reconnect the battery ,y ou wil lh ave to:R
reset the function for automatically folding
the exterior mirrors in/out by folding the mir-
rors out once ( Y
pag e9 1)R
set the clock
On vehicles with am ultimedia system, the
time is set automatically.252
Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance

Charging th eb attery
G WARNING
During chargin ga nd jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from th eb attery. Ther eisa
ris kofane xp losion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilatio nw hile chargin ga nd jump-starting.
Do no tl ean ove rab attery.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic .T her eisar is kofi njury.
Avoid contac tw it hs ki n, eyes or clothing .D o
no ti nhale any battery gases .Don ot lean over
th eb attery. Keep childre na way from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean wate ra nd seek medical atten-
tion.
G WARNING
Ad ischarged battery can freez eatt em pera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing th ev ehicle or chargin gt he battery, gases
can escape from th eb attery. Ther eisar is ko f
an explosion. Allow th ef roze nb attery to thaw out before
chargin gitorj ump-starting.
! Only use battery chargers wit ham aximum
chargin gv oltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge th eb attery usin gt he jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-startin gc onnection poin tisint he
engin ec ompartment.
If th ei ndicator/warning lamps do no tl ight up at
low temperatures, it is ver yl ikely that th ed is-
charge db attery has frozen .Int hi sc ase, you
may neither charge th eb attery no rj ump-start
th ev ehicle .T he servic el ife of at ha wed-out bat-
tery may be shorter. The starting characteristics
can be impaired, particularly at low tempera-
tures. Hav et he thawed-out battery checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Read th eb attery charger's operatin gi nstruc-
tions before chargin gt he battery.X
Open th eh ood. X
Connect th eb attery charge rtot he positive
terminal and ground poin tint he same order
as when connecting th ed onor battery in the
jump-startin gp rocedure ( Y
page 253).
Jump-starting For th ej ump-startin gp rocedure, use only th ej ump-startin gc onnection poin tint he engin ec om-
partment, consisting of ap ositiv et ermi nal and ag round point.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic .T her eisar is kofi njury.
Avoid contac tw it hs ki n, eyes or clothing .Don ot inhale any battery gases .Don ot lean ove rt he
battery. Keep childre na way from batteries .W ash away battery acid immediately wit hp lenty of
clean wate ra nd seek medical attention.
G WARNING
During chargin ga nd jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from th eb attery. Ther eisar isk
of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient ven-
tilatio nw hile chargin ga nd jump-starting. Do no tl ean ove rab attery.Jump-starting 253
Breakdown assistance Z