2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS light

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

are no persons, animals or object sint he pat ho f
your vehicle when you are maneuvering or park-
ing.
! When parking ,p ay particular attention to
object sa bov eorb elow th es ensors, suc ha s
flowe rp ot sort ra iler drawbars. PARKTRONIC
does no td etect suc ho bject sw hen they are in
th ei mmediat ev icinit yoft he vehicle .Y ou
coul dd amage th ev ehicle or th eo bjects.
The sensor sm ay no td etect snow and other
object st ha ta bsor bu ltrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources suc hasana utomatic car
wash, th ec ompressed-air brakes on at ru ck
or ap neumatic drill coul dc aus eP AR KTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may no tf unction correctly on
uneven terrain.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-
matically when you: R
switch on th ei gnitionR
shif tt he transmission to position [ , ^ or
\\ R
release th ee lectric parking brake
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivate da t
speeds abov e1 1m ph (18 km/h). It is reactiva-
te datl ower speeds.
Range of th es ensors
General notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does no tt ak ei nto
accoun to bstacle sl ocated:R
below th ed etection range, e.g .p eople, ani-
mals or objects. R
abov et he detection range, e.g .o verhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loadin gr amps.
C
Sensor sint he fron tb umper, left-hand side
(example) The sensor sm ust be free from dirt ,i ce or slush.
They can otherwise no tf unction correctly. Clean
th es ensor sr egularly, taking car en ot to scratch
or damage them ( Y
page 242).
Range
Fron ts ensors
Center Approx .4 0in( approx.
10 0c m)
Corners Approx .2 4in( approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx .4 8in( approx.
12 0c m)
Corners Approx .3 2in( approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx .8 in (approx .2 0c m)
Corners Approx .6 in (approx .1 5c m)
If there is an obstacle within this range, th er el-
evan tw arning displays light up and aw arning150
Driving systems
Driving and parking

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

Important safety notes The rear vie wc amera is only an aid. It is no ta
replacemen tf or your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for saf em aneuverin ga nd parking .M ak es ur e
that there are no persons, animals or objects in
th em aneuverin ga rea when you are maneuver-
ing or parking .
Under th ef ollowin gc ircumstances, th er ear
vie wc amera will no tf unction ,orw ill function in
al imite dm anner:R
if th et ru nk lid is openR
in heav yr ain ,s no worf ogR
at night or in ver yd ark placesR
if th ec amera is exposed to ver yb right ligh tR
if th ea rea is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LE D
lighting (the display may flicker) R
if there is as udde nc ha ng eint em perature,
e.g. when driving int oah eated garage in win -
te r R
if th ec amera len sisd irt yoro bstructed.
Observ et he note sonc leaning
( Y
page 242) R
if th er ear of your vehicl eisd amaged. In this
case, hav et he camera position and setting
checke dataq ualified specialist workshop
The field of vision and other function soft he rear
vie wc amera may be restricted due to additional
accessories on th er ear of th ev ehicl e( e.g.
license plat eh older, bicycle rack) .
On vehicles wit hh eight-adjustable chassis,
leaving th es ta ndard height can result in inac-
curacie si nt he g uide lines, depending on tech -
ni
cal conditions.
i The contras toft he display may be affecte d
by th es udde np resence of sunligh toro th er
ligh ts ources, e.g. when exiting ag arage. Pay
particular attention in this situation .
i If usabilit yiss everely restricted, e.g. due to
pixel errors ,h ave th ed isplay repaire do r
replaced.
i The rear vie wc amera is protected from rain -
drops and dust by mean sofaf lap .W hen th e
rear vie wc amera is activated, this flap opens.
The flap closes again when :R
you hav ef inishe dt he maneuverin gp rocessR
you switch off th ee ng in eR
you open th et ru nk
Observ et he note sonc leaning ( Y
page 242). Fo rt echn ical reasons, th ef lap may remain
open briefly after th er ear vie wc amera has
been deactivated.
Activating/deactivating th er ea rv iew
camera X
To activate: mak es ur et ha tt he SmartKey is
in position H in th ei gnition lock.X
Mak es ur et ha tt he Activatio nbyRg ea r
function is selected in th em ultimedia system;
see th eD ig ital Owner' sM anual.X
Engage revers eg ear .
The rear vie wc amera flap opens. The multi-
media system shows th ea rea behind th ev ehi-
cle wit hg uide lines.
The imag ef ro mt he rear vie wc amera is avail-
able throughout th em aneuverin gp rocess.
To deactivate: th er ear vie wc amera deacti -
vates if you driv ef orwards as hort distances or
shif tt he transmission to ] .
The inner segments of th ew arning indicator are
displayed in red if there is ac om plete system
failure. The indicator lamp in th eP AR KTRONIC
butto nl ights up.
If th er ear system fails :R
th er ear segments are displayed in red when
reversing R
th er ear segments are no td isplayed when
driving forwards
Display sint he multimedi as ystemThe rear vie wc amera may sho wad istorted vie w
of obstacles, sho wt he mi ncorrectl yorn ot at all.
The rear vie wc amera does no ts ho wo bjects in
th ef ollowin gp ositions: R
ver yc lose to th er ear bumper R
under th er ear bumper R
in close range abov et he handle on th et ru nk
lid
! Objects no tatg round level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g. :R
th eb umper of ap arked vehicl eR
th ed rawbar of at ra ilerR
th eb all couplin gofat ra iler to wh itchR
th er ear section of an HGV R
as lante dp os tDriving systems 155
Driving and parking Z

Blind Spot Assist monitors the are aupto10f t
(3.0 m) behind your vehicle and directly nex tt o
your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. For this
purpose, Blind Spot Assist uses radar sensor si n
the rear bumper.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane nex ttoy our vehicle may be
indicated, especially if the vehicles are not driv-
ing in the middle of their lane. This may be the
case if ther ea re vehicles driving at the inner
edge of their lanes.
Due to the natur eoft he system:R
warning sm ay be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders. R
warning sm ay be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, e.g. trucks, for ap ro-
longed time.
Indicator and warning display
C
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp Blind Spot Assist is not activ eats peeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp C in the exterior mirror sl ights up yellow
at speeds of up to 20 mph (3 0k m/ h) .Ats peeds
above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indicator lamp
goe so ut and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If av ehicl eisd etected within the blind spot
monitoring rang eats peeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp C on the correspond-
ing sid el ig hts up red .T hi sw ar ning is always
emitted when av ehicl ee nter st he blind spot
monitoring rang ef rom behind or from the side.
Whe ny ou overtake av ehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7m ph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goe so ut if reverse
gea rise ngaged .Int his event, Blind Spot Assist
is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning lamps
is adjuste da ut omaticall ya ccording to the ambi-
ent light.
Collisio nw arningIf av ehicl eisd etected in the monitoring rang eo f
Blind Spot Assist and yo us witch on the corre-
sponding turn signal ,ad oubl ew ar ning tone
sounds. Re dw ar ning lamp C flashes. If the turn
signal remains on, vehicles detected are indica-
ted by the flashing of red warning lamp C .
There are no further warning tones.
Switchin gonB lind Spo tA ssis tX
Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
( Y
page 171 )i sa ctivate dint he on-board
computer. X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps C in the exterio rm irrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.160
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipmen ti ntegrate dint he vehi-
cle when driving ,y ou may be distracte df ro m
th et ra ffic situation .Y ou could also lose con-
trol of th ev ehicle. Ther eisar is kofana cci-
dent.
Only operate this equipmen tw hen th et ra ffic
situation permits. If you are no ts ur et ha tt hi s
is possible ,p ark th ev ehicl ep ayin ga ttention
to traffic condition sa nd operate th ee quip-
men tw hen th ev ehicl eiss ta tionary.
You must observ et he legal requirements for th e
country in whic hy ou are currentl yd riving when
operating th eo n-bo ard computer.
G WARNIN G
If th ei nstrumen tc luste rh as faile dorm al-
functioned, you may no tr ecognize function
restriction sins ystems relevan ttos afety. The
operating safet yofy our vehicl em ay be
impaired .T her eisar is kofana ccident.
Drive on carefully. Hav et he vehicl ec hecked
at aq ualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
The on-board computer only shows message so r
warning sf ro mc ertai ns ystems in th em ultifunc-
tion display. You should therefor em ak es ur e
your vehicl eiso perating safely at all times .
If th eo perating safet yofy our vehicl ei s
impaired ,p ull ove rass oo nasitiss af etodos o.
Contac taq ualified specialist workshop.
Fo rano verview, see th ei nstrumen tp anel illus-
tration ( Y
page 32).
Display sa nd operation
Instrumen tc luster lighting
The lighting in th ei nstrumen tc luster, in th ed is-
plays and th ec ontrols in th ev ehicl ei nterior can
be adjusted usin gt he brightness control knob.
The brightness control knob is locate dont he
botto ml ef toft he instrumen tc luste r
( Y
page 32). X
Turn th eb rightness control knob clockwise or
counter-clockwise.
If you tur nt he ligh ts witch ( Y
page 95 )t ot he
X , ` or X position ,t he brightness
will depend upon th eb rightness of th ea mbi -
en tl ight.
The ligh ts ensor in th ei nstrumen tc luste r
automatically control st he brightness of th e
multifunction display. In daylight, th ed isplays
in th ei nstrumen tc luste ra re no ti lluminated.
Speedometer with segments The segments in th es peedometer indicat e
whic hs pee dr ange is available. R
Cruis ec ontro la ctivated ( Y
page 138):
The segments ligh tupf ro mt he store ds pee d
to th em aximum speed. R
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONI Cisa ctivated
( Y
page 140):
On eort wo segments in th es et spee dr ange
ligh tu p. R
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONI Cd etects av ehicl ei n
fron tm oving mor es lowly than th es to re d
speed:
The segments between th es pee doft he vehi-
cle in fron ta nd th es to re ds pee dl igh tu p.
Tachometer
! Do no td riv eint he overrevving range, as this
could damag et he engine.
The red ban dint he tachometer indicates th e
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel suppl yisi nterrupted to protect th e
engin ew hen th er ed ban disr eached.
Outsid et emperatur ed isplayYou should pay special attention to road condi-
tion sw hen temperatures are aroun df re ezing
point.
Bea rinm in dt ha tt he outside temperature dis-
play indicates th et em perature measured and
does no tr ecord th er oad temperature.
The outside temperature display is in th em ulti-
function display ( Y
page 165).
Ac ha ng eint he outside temperature is shown in
th em ultifunction display after ad elay.Display sa nd operation 163
On-boar dc omputer and displays Z

Settings menu
Introduction Depending on the equipment installed in the
vehicle, in the Sett. menu you have the follow-
ing options: R
Changing the instrumen tc luster settings
( Y
page 172)R
Changing the light settings ( Y
page 172)R
Changing the vehicle settings ( Y
page 173)R
Changing the convenience settings
( Y
page 174)R
Restoring the factory settings ( Y
page 175)
Instrument cluster Selecting the distance unit The Display Unit Speed-/Odometer: func-
tion allow sy ou to choose whether certain dis-
play sa ppear in kilometers or miles in the mul-
tifunction display. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer: func-
tion.
The current setting km or miles appears.X
Press the v button to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for distance
applie st o:R
the digital speedometer in the Trip menuR
the odometer and trip odometer R
the trip computer R
the current consumption and the range R
navigation instructions in the Navi menuR
cruise control R
Distanc eA ssist DISTRONICR
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting permanent display
The Permanent Display: function allow sy ou
to choose whether the multifunction display
always shows the outside temperature or the
speed.
The speed display is inverse to the speedome-
ter. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.X
Press v to confirm. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Permanent Display: function.
The current setting, Outside Temperature
or Speedometer [km/h] or Speedometer
[mph] ,a ppears. X
To change the setting: press v again.
Lights Setting the daytime running lamps This function is not available in Canada. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Light submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Daytime Running Lights function.
If the Daytime Running Lights function has
been switched on, the cone of light and the

Setting the ambient lighting color X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Light submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Amb. Light Col. function.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to set the color
to SOLAR , SOLAR Orange or SOLAR Red .X
Press the v or 8 button to save the
setting.
Activating/deactivating surround light-
ing and exterior lighting delayed switch-
off X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Lights submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press d or c to select the Surround
Lighting function.
If the Surround Lighting function is activa-
ted, the multifunction display shows the light
cone and the area around the vehicle in
orange. X
Press the v button to save the setting.
Deactivating exterior lighting delayed switch-off
temporarily: X
Before leaving the vehicle, turn the SmartKey
to position