2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS stop start

D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to D
whil ed riving .T he automatic trans-
mission could otherwis ebed am -
aged.
No powe rist ransmitted fro mt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake peda lw il la llow
yo utom ov et he vehicl ef reely, e.g .t o
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position D if
the vehicl eisind an ge rofs kidding,
e.g .oni cy roads.
! Coasting in neutral \\ may
cause damage to the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Driving tips
Changin gg ea rThe automatic transmission shifts throug ht he
individual gear sa ut omaticall yw he nitisint rans-
mission position [ .T hi sa ut omatic gear shift-
ing behavio risd et ermine db y:R
the selecte dd rive programR
the positio noft he accelerator pedalR
the roa ds peed
Accelerator peda lp ositionYour style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle :e ar ly upshiftsR
mor et hrottle :l at eu ps hifts Kickdown Use kickdow nf or maximum acceleration. X
Depres st he accelerator peda lb eyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gear depending on the engine speed. X
Eas eo ff the accelerator peda lo nce the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Drive programs
Drive program C( Co mfort)In urba nt raffi ca nd stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended.
Driv ep rogram C is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ed elivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away mor eg en tly in forward
and revers eg ears ,u nless the accelerator
peda lisd ep resse df ully.R
the vehicl eh as improved driving stability, for
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds ur faces.R
optima lf ue lc onsumption resulting fro mt he
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisd riven in the lo we ngine speed
range and the wheels ar el es sl ik el ytos pi n.R
th es us pension exhibits comfortabl ed am ping
settings (adaptive damping system onl yi n
vehicles with AMG RIDE CONTROL sports
suspension). R
the steering exhibits comfortabl es teering
characteristics.
Drive program S( Sp ort)Driv ep rogram S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits sporty driving character-
istics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away in first gear. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibl yb ei ng higher
as ar esul toft he later automatic transmission
shift points.Automati ct ransmission 125
Driving an dp arking Z

Problems with the transmission Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checked at aq ualified specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only partly possible to engage the gears, or the transmission is in
position \\ . X
Stop the vehicle. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Switch off the engine. X
Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine. X
Shift the transmission to position [ or ^ .X
Have the transmission checked at aq ualified specialist workshop
immediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is ar isk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling.
G WARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is ar isk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come
into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following: R
Wash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water. R
If fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay. R
If fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay .Don ot induce vomit-
ing. R
Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
G WARNING
Electrostatic buildu pc an create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is ar isk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildu pi s
thereby discharged.
Do not get into the vehicle again during the refu-
eling process. Otherwise, electrostatic charge
could build up again.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Do not switch on the ignition
if you accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel system.
Even small amounts of the wrong fuel could
result in damage to the fuel system and the
engine. Notify aq ualified specialist workshop
and have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely. Refueling 129
Driving and parking Z

Drivin gt ip s
General notes
Important safet yn otes
G WARNING
If you switch of ft he ignition whil ed riving,
safety-relevant function sa re only available
wit hl imitations, or no tata ll. Thi sc ou ld affect,
fo re xa mple, th ep owe rs te erin ga nd th eb rake
boostin ge ffect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake .T here is ar is k
of an accident.
Do no ts witch of ft he ignition whil ed riving.
G WARNING
If you operat em ob ile communication equip -
men tw hen driving, you may be distracted
from th et ra ffic situation .Y ou could also los e
contro loft he vehicle. There is ar is kofa n
accident.
Only operat et hi se quipmen tw hen th ev ehicle
is stationary.
Observ et he lega lr equirements fo rt he country
in whic hy ou are driving. Some jurisdiction sp ro -
hibi tt he driver from usin gam ob ile phone whil e
drivin gav ehicle.
If you mak eac al lw hil ed riving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operat et he telephon e
when th et ra ffic situation permits. If you are
unsure ,p ull over to as af el ocation and stop
befor eo peratin gt he telephone.
Bear in min dt ha tatas peed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), th ev ehicle cover sa
distanc eo f4 4f t( approximately 14 m) per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly –s ave fuelObserve the following tips to save fuel: R
The tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure. R
Remove unnecessary loads. R
Warm up the engin eatl ow engin es peeds.R
Avoid frequen ta cceleration or braking.R
Observe the servic ei ntervals in the Mainte-
nanc eB ooklet or in the servic ei nterval dis- play. Have all the maintenanc ew ork carried in
accordance with Daimler AG regulations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
G WARNING
Drinkin ga nd driving and/or takin gd rugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even as mall amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of as erious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is ar isk of fatal injury. Therefor en ever leave
the engin er unning in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficien tv entilation.
Certain engin es ystems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous component sine xhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications .A lways have
work on the engin ec arried out at aq ualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Ben zC enter for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at aq ualified specialist
workshop.
The engin es ettings must not be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
servic ew ork must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Ben zs ervic er equirements. Details can be found
in the Maintenance Booklet.134
Driving tips
Driving and parking

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

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

When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is automatically shifted to position ]
if: R
the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and: R
as ystem malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is not sufficient.
If am alfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs ,t he transmission may also be shifted
into position ] automatically.
Adaptive damping system
General notes
i Mercedes-AMG SLC 43: the adaptive
damping system is called AMG RIDE CON-
TROL sports suspension.
As uspension with the adaptive damping system
provides improved driving comfort and contin-
uously controls the calibration of the dampers.
The damping characteristic sa dapt to the cur-
rent operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the selected drive program ( Y
page 121).
Selecting the Comfort or Economy drive
programs In the Comfort and Economy drive programs,
the driving characteristic sofy our vehicle are
more comfortable. Select one of these drive
programs if you favor am ore comfortable driv-
ing style. Also select these drive programs when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
In urban traffic and stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Comfort or Economy drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tunin gi n
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive program
when employing as porty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C as many
times as necessary until the Sport drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode The firmer suspension settings in the Sport
Plus drive program ensure even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employing
as porty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads or, ideally ,w hen driving on closed race
circuits. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Sport Plus drive program is
selected.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasound. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensor sint he
fron tb umper and four sensor sint he rear
bumper. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC visually
and audibly indicates the distanc eb etween your
vehicle and an object.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is
not ar eplacemen tf or your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking and
exitin gap arking space. Make sure that thereDriving systems 149
Driving and parking Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The yellow $ warning lamp lights up and th er ed I (US Ao nl y)
or $ (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tp ossibl etoa pply th ee lectric parking brak em anually.X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position ] .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
' (US Ao nl y)
M (Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level There is no te no ugh brak ef luid in th eb rak ef luid reservoir .
In addition ,t he ' (US Ao nl y) or M (Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in th ei nstrumen tc luste ra nd aw arning tone sounds.
G WARNIN G
The braking effec tm ay be impaired.
There is ar is kofana ccident.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
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .X
Do no ta dd brak ef luid .T his does no tc orrect th em alfunction .
& Check Brake Pad Wea r The brak ep ads/linings hav er eached their wear limit.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
S Inoperative On eorm or em ain features of th em brace system are malfunctioning .X
Hav et he mbrace system checke dataq ualified specialist work-
shop.
PRE-SAFE Inopera‐
tiv e See Operator' s
Manual Importan tf unction sofP RE-SAF E ®
hav ef ailed. Al lo th er occupant
safet ys ystems ,e .g .a ir bags ,r emain available.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
Active Brake Assist
Functions Currently
Limite dS ee Opera‐
tor's Manual Active Brake Assis tist em porarily inoperative.
Possibl ec auses are: R
The radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagneti cr adiation emitted by nearby TV or radi os ta tion so r
other source sofe lectromagneti cr adiation .R
The system is outside th eo perating temperature range.R
The on-boar dv oltag eist oo low.
Whe nt he causes state da bov enol onger apply, th ed isplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis tiso perational again .
If th ed isplay message does no td isappear :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
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Restart th ee ng ine.184
Display messages
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays