2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS brake

If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral \\ ,e .g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a
towing system: X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock. X
Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock. X
All vehicles: switch the ignition on.X
Depress the brake peda la nd keep it
depressed. X
Engage neutral \\ .X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive positio nDX
When the vehicle is stationary ,d epres st he
brake pedal. X
Push the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance. Transmission positions E Park position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
awa yw hen stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion E ( Y
page 122) when the
vehicle is stationary .T he parking lock
shoul dn ot be used as ab rake when
parking. Alway sa ppl yt he electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
If the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock, the transmission is
locked.
The automatic transmission shifts to
E automatically: R
when the SmartKey is removed
from the ignition lock R
when the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
F or : and one of the doors
is opened
In the event of am alfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position E .H ave
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at aq ualifie ds pecialist
workshop.
F Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion F when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.124
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

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

cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. X
Appl yt he electri cp ar king brake.X
Shif tt he transmission to position ]
( Y
page 123).X
With the SmartKe y: turn the SmartKey to
position

Applyin ga ut om aticallyThe electric parking brak eisa utomatically
applie dw hen th et ra nsmission is in position ]
and : R
th ee ng in eiss witched off orR
th ed river is no tw earing as eat belt and th e
driver's door is opened
To preven tt he electric parking brak ef ro mb ein g
automatically applied, pull handle C .
The electric parking brak eisa lso engage da uto -
matically if: R
Distanc eP ilo tD ISTR ONI Cb ring st he vehicl e
to as ta ndstill orR
th eH OL Df unction is keepin gt he vehicl es ta -
tionary
In addition ,atl east on eoft he followin gc ondi -
tion sm us tbef ulfilled :R
th ee ng in eiss witched offR
th ed river is no tw earing as eat belt and th e
driver's door is opened R
there is as ystem malfunctionR
th ep owe rs upply is insufficien tR
th ev ehicl eiss ta tionary for al engthy period
The red I (US Ao nl y) or $ (Canada only)
indicator lamp in th ei nstrumen tc luste rl ights
up.
The electric parking brak eisn ot automatically
engage dift he engin eiss witched off by th eE CO
start/sto pf unction .
Releasing automatically The electric parking brak eisr elease da utomat -
ically when all of th ef ollowin gc onditi on sa re
fulfilled :R
th ee ng in eisr unnin gR
th es eat belt tongue is engage dint he belt
buckl eR
th et ra nsmission is in position [ or ^ and
you depress th ea ccelerato rp edal or shif t
from position ] to [ or ^R
if th et ra nsmission is in position ^ ,t he trunk
lid mus tbec losed If th es eat belt tongue is no te ng age dint he seat
belt buckle, th ef ollowin gc onditi on sm us tb e
fulfilled : R
th ed river's door is closed R
you mov et he transmission out of position ]
or you hav ep reviously driven at as pee d
abov e2m ph (3 km/h) R
if th et ra nsmission is in position ^ ,t he trunk
lid mus tbec losed
When th ee lectric parking brak eisr eleased,
th e $ indicator lamp goes out in th ei nstru-
men tc luster.
Eme rg ency braking The vehicl ec an also be braked during an emer-
gency by usin gt he electric parking brake. X
Whil ed riving, push handle C of th ee lectric
parking brake.
The vehicl eisb raked for as lon gast he handle
of th ee lectric parking brak eisp ressed. The
longer th ee lectric parking brak eh andle is
depressed, th eg reate rt he braking force .
During braking : R
aw arning tone sounds R
th e Releas eP arkin gB rake message
appear s R
th er ed I (US Ao nl y) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in th ei nstrumen tc luste r
flashes
When th ev ehicl eh as been braked to as ta nd -
still, th ee lectric parking brak eise ng aged.
Pa rk ing th ev ehicle for al ong periodIf you leav et he vehicl ep arked for longer than
four weeks, th eb attery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leav et he vehicl ep arked for longer than six
weeks, th ev ehicl em ay suffer damag easa
result of lack of use. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop and see k
advice .
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from aq ualified specialist work-
shop. Parking 133
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

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