2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS ESP

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

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

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

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

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

Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
display sa re lit. You also
hear aw arning tone for
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds, and
the indicator lamp in the
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated. X
If problems persist, have Parking Assist PARKTRONIC checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
display sa re lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five sec-
onds. The Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or malfunctioning. X
Clean the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y
page 242).X
Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. X
Check to see if Parking Assist PARKTRONIC functions in ad ifferent
location.
Parking Guidance
Important safety notes Parking Guidance is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to measure
the road on both sides of the vehicle. As uitable
parking space is indicated by the parking sym-
bol. You receive steering instructions when
parking. You can also still use Active Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC ( Y
page 149).
Parking Guidance is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a
parking space. Make sure that there are no per-
sons, animals or object sint he maneuvering
area when you are maneuvering or parking.
G WARNING
If object sa re located above or below the
detection range, Active Parking Assist may
steer too early. This could cause ac ollision. There is ar isk of an accident.
Do not use Active Parking Assist in these
types of situation.
! If they cannot be avoided, drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
If Active Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated, Parking Guidance is also unavailable.
Parking Guidance may also display spaces not
suitable for parking, e.g.: R
where parking or stopping is prohibited R
in front of driveways or entrances and exits R
on unsuitable surfaces
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces: R
paralle ltot he direction of travel R
on straight roads, not bends R
that are on the same level as the road, i.e. not
on the pavement, for example. Parking Guid-
ance may not detect flat curbs152
Driving systems
Driving and parking