2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS wheel

specialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out the
work required.
Overview :c hanging bulbs/bulb types
Halogen headlamps
C
Low-beam headlamp: H7 55 WD
High-beam headlamp: H7 55 W
Changing the front bulbs
Removing/mounting the cove rint he
front wheel housing
X
To remove: switch off the lights.X
Turn the front wheels inwards. X
Slide cover C up and remove it.X
To install: reinsert cover C and slide it down
until it engages. Low-beam headlamp s( haloge nh ead-
lamps) X
Remove the cover in the front wheel housing
( Y
page 100). X
Turn housing cover C counter-clockwise and
pull it out. X
Push bar D upwards. X
Remove connector

Where possible, avoid spinnin gt he drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
Key positions
SmartKey
Z
To remove the SmartKeyG
Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipersH
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive positionI
To start the engine
i The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition
lock even if it is not the correct SmartKey for
the vehicle. The ignition is not switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with a
SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
start function and ad etachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in the
vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into the
ignition lock, the system needs approximately
two seconds recognition time. You can then use
the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times in
succession corresponds to the differen tk ey
positions in the ignition lock. This is only the
case if you are not depressing the brake pedal. If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button ,t he engine start si mmedi-
ately.
Ac heck which periodically establishes ar adio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether av alid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs ,f or example, when
starting the engine.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey: R
the Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock. R
the SmartKey must be in the vehicle. R
the vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO ( Y
page 65).
Do not keep the SmartKey: R
with electronic devices, e.g. am obile phone
or another SmartKey. R
with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil. R
inside metallic objects, e.g. am etal case.
This can impair the functionality of the KEY-
LESS-GO key.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey's
remot ec ontrol or with KEYLESS-GO, after a
short time: R
you will not be able to switch on the ignition
with the Start/Stop button. R
you will not be able to start the engine with the
Start/Stop button until the vehicle is
unlocked again.
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for three seconds. This function
operates independently of the ECO start/stop
automatic engine switch-off function.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
C
Start/Stop button
D
Ignition lock116
Driving
Driving and parking

i You can star tt he engin eint ra nsmission
position ] and \\ .
Starting procedur ew ith th eS martKeyTo star tt he engin eu sing the SmartKey instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button out
of the ignition lock. X
Turn the SmartKey to position I in the igni-
tion lock ( Y
page 116 )a nd release it as soon
as the engin eisr unning.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start th ee ngineThe Start/Stop button can be used to star tt he
vehicle manually without insertin gt he SmartKey
int ot he ignition lock .T he Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for
startin gt he engin eo perates independently of
the ECO start/sto pa utomatic engin es tar tf unc-
tion. X
Depress the brak ep edal and keep it
depressed. X
Press the Start/Stop button once
( Y
page 116).
The engin es tarts.
Pulling away
Genera ln otes
G WARNING
If the engin es peed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
ar isk of an accident.
When engagin gt ra nsmission position D or R ,
always firmly depres st he brak ep edal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
! Change gear in good tim ea nd avoid spin-
nin gt he wheels. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle lock sc entrally onc ey ou have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time. You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature ( Y
page 173).
It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position ] to the desired position if you
depres st he brak ep edal. Only the nist he shift
lock released.
i Upshifts tak ep lace at higher engin es peeds
afte rac old start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brak e( Y
page 133).
Hill start assist Hill star ta ssist helps you when pulling away
forwar dorinr everse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for as hor tt im ea fte ry ou have
removed your foot from the brak ep edal. This
gives you enough tim etom ove your foot from
the brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal and to
depres sitb efor et he vehicle begins to roll.
G WARNING
After as hor tt ime, hill star ta ssist will no lon-
ger brak ey our vehicle and it could roll away.
There is ar isk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill star ta ssist is not active if: R
you are pulling away on al evel road or on a
downhill gradient R
the transmission is in position \\R
the electric parking brak eisa ppliedR
ESP ®
is malfunctioning
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/sto pf unction switches the
engin eo ff automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engin es tarts automatically when the driver
want stop ull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.118
Driving
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

R
the suspensio ne xhibits fir md am ping set-
ting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damping system
or AMG sports suspension). R
the steering exhibits sporty steering charac-
teristics.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program S+ is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics. 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. R
the suspensio ne xhibits particularly firm
damping setting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive
damping syste morA MG sports suspension).R
the steering exhibits sporty steering charac-
teristics. R
the ECO start/sto pf un ctio ni sn ot available.
Drive program I( In dividual)In drive program I the following propertie soft he
drive progra mc an be selected:R
the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment) R
the suspensio n( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damp-
ing syste morA MG sports suspension)R
the steering R
the availability of the ECO start/sto pf un ction
Informatio na bout configurin gd rive program I
with the multimedia syste mc an be found in the
Digita lO pe rator' sM an ual.
Drive program E( Econom y)Drive program E is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ee xhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls away mor eg en tly in forward
and revers eg ears ,u nles st he accelerator
peda lisd ep resse df ully.R
the vehicl eh as improved drivin gs tability, for
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds ur faces.R
optimal fuel consumption resulting fro mt he
automatic transmission shiftin gups ooner. Th ev ehicl eisd riven in the lo we ngine speed
range and the wheels ar el es sl ik el ytos pi n.R
the suspensio ne xhibits comfortabl ed am ping
setting s( vehicle sw it ha dapt ive damping sys-
tem or AMG sports suspension). R
durin gd ec eleration, the engine is disconnec-
ted fro mt he drive train. Th ev ehicl eu se s
kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode). R
the steering exhibits comfortabl es teering
characteristics.
Manual gear shifting
General notes Yo uc an change gear yourself using the steering
whee lp addl es hifters. Th et ransmission must be
in position [ to do this.
Depending on which steering whee lp addl e
shifter is pulled ,t he automatic transmission
immediatel ys hifts into the next gear down or
up ,ifp er mitted.
To us em an ua ls hifting, yo uh av et wo options:R
temporary setting R
permanent setting
If yo ua ctivate manua lg ears hifting, the multi-
functio nd isplay will sho wt he current gear
instea doft ransmission position [ .
If manua lg ears hiftin gisd ea ctivated ,t he gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
X
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Pull steering whee lp addl es hifter C or D .
The temporary setting is active for ac ertain
amount of time. Under certai nc onditions ,t he
minimum amount of tim eise xtended, e.g .int he126
Automati ct ransmission
Driving an dp arking

case of latera la cceleration, during overrun
mod eorw he nd riving on stee pt errain.X
To deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D and hol ditinp la ce.
or X
Use the lever to switch the transmission posi-
tion.
or X
Use the DYNAMI CS ELECT button to change
the drive program.
Permanen ts et tingX
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Press button C .X
To deactivate: press button C .
Shiftin gg ea rs
Al lv ehicle s( exce pt for Mercedes-AMG
SLC 43)
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. If the maximum engine speed in the currently
engaged gea risr eached and yo uc ontinu et o
accelerate ,t he automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts up in order to prevent engine
damage. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts dow nt o
the next gear.
Automati cd ow ns hifting occurs whe nc oast-
ing.
If the engine were to excee dt he maximum
engine speed whe ns hifting down, the auto-
mati ct ransmission protects against engine
damag ebyn ot shifting down.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43
! If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-
vated, the automatic transmission doe sn ot
shift up automaticall ye ve nw he nt he engine
limiting speed for the current gea risr eached.
Whe nt he engine limiting speed is reached,
the fue ls up pl yisc ut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Alway sm ake sure that the
engine speed doe sn ot reach the red are ao f
the tachometer .T here is otherwise ar is ko f
engine damage.
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts dow nt o
the next gear.
Automati cd ow ns hifting occurs whe nc oast-
ing.
If the engine were to excee dt he maximum
engine speed whe ns hifting down, the auto-Automatic transmission 127
Drivin ga nd parking 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