2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS ESP

Publication details
Internet Further information about Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and about Daimler AG can be found on the
following websites:
http://www.mbusa.com (USA only)
http://www.mercedes-benz.ca (Canada only)
Editorial office ©
Daimler AG: not to be reprinted, translated or
otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, with-
out written permission from Daimler AG.
Vehicle manufacturer Daimler AG
Mercedesstraße 137
70327 Stuttgart
GermanySymbols Registered trademarks: R
Bluetooth ®
is a registered trademark of Blue-
tooth SIG Inc. R
DTS™ is a registered trademark of DTS, Inc. R
Dolby ®
and MLP™ are registered trademarks
of DOLBY Laboratories. R
BabySmart™, ESP ®
and PRE-SAFE ®
are reg-
istered trademarks of Daimler AG. R
HomeLink ®
is a registered trademark of John-
son Controls. R
iPod ®
and iTunes ®
are registered trademarks
of Apple Inc. R
Logic7 ®
is a registered trademark of Harman
International Industries. R
Microsoft ®
and Windows media ®
are regis-
tered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. R
SIRIUS ®
is a registered trademark of Sirius
XM Radio Inc. R
HD Radio™ is a registered trademark of iBiq-
uity Digital Corporation. R
Gracenote ®
is a registered trademark of
Gracenote, Inc. R
ZAGAT Survey ®
and related brands are regis-
tered trademarks of Zagat Survey, LLC.
In this Operator's Manual you will find the fol-
lowing symbols:
G WARNING
Warning notes make you aware of dangers
which could pose a threat to your health or
life, or to the health and life of others.
H Environmental note
Environmental notes provide you with infor-
mation on environmentally aware actions or
disposal.
! Notes on material damage alert you to dan-
gers that could lead to damage to your vehi-
cle.
i Practical tips or further information that
could be helpful to you.
X This symbol indicates an instruction
that must be followed.
X Several of these symbols in succession
indicate an instruction with several
steps. ( Y
page) This symbol tells you where you can find
more information about a topic.
YY This symbol indicates a warning or an
instruction that is continued on the next
page.
Dis‐
play This text indicates a message on the
multifunction display/multimedia dis-
play.
As at 28.03.2017

Callin gup( on-board computer) .... .1 78
Driving systems ............................ .1 93
Engine ............................................ 190
General notes ................................ 177
Hiding (on-board computer) ........... 178
KEYLESS-GO .................................. 202
Lights ............................................. 189
Safety systems .............................. 179
SmartKey ....................................... 201
Tire s. .............................................. 196
Vehicle .......................................... .1 98
Distanc eP ilot DISTRONIC
Activating ....................................... 142
Calling up as pee d. ........................ 143
Cruise control lever ....................... 142
Displa yM essage ............................ 195
Displays in the instrument cluster .. 145
Driving tip s. ................................... 146
Function/note s. ............................ 140
Important safety notes .................. 141
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 145
Stopping ........................................ 144
Storing as peed .............................. 143
Switching off .................................. 146
Warning lamp ................................. 209
Distance recorder
see Odometer
see Tri po dometer
Distance warnin g( wa rning lamp) .... 209
Distance warnin gf unction
Function/note s. ............................... 58
Doors
Automati cl oc king (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 173
Automati cl oc king (switch) ............... 71
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey ). ...................................... 65
Control panel ................................... 37
Displa ym essage ............................ 200
Emergency locking ........................... 72
Emergency unlocking ....................... 72
Important safety notes .................... 70
Opening (fro mi nside ). ..................... 71
Overview .......................................... 70
Drinking and driving ......................... 134
Drive program
Automati ct ransmissio n. ................ 125 Displa y. .......................................... 122
SETUP (on-board computer,
Mercedes-AM Gv ehicles) ............... 175
Driver's door
see Doors
Drivin ga broad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 238
Drivin gonf loo de dr o
ads .................. 138
Drivin gs afety system
Active Brake Assist .......................... 58
Drivin gs afety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 57
ADAPTIV EB RAK E. ............................ 63
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 59
Adaptive brake lights ....................... 60
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 57
Distance warning function ............... 58
EBD (electroni cb rake force distri-
bution) ............................................. 63
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 60
Important safety information ........... 56
Overview .......................................... 56
Drivin gs ystem
AMG sports suspension
(Mercedes-AM GS LC 43) ............... 149
Drivin gs ystems
Adaptive Damping System ............. 149
ATTENTIO NA SSIST ........................ 158
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 159
Cruise control ................................ 138
Displa ym essage ............................ 193
DISTRONIC PLU S. .......................... 140
HOLD function ............................... 148
Lane Keeping Assist ...................... 161
Lane Tracking packag e. ................. 159
Parking Guidance ........................... 152
PARKTRONIC ................................. 149
Rear vie wc amera .......................... 154
Drivin gt ips
Automati ct ransmission ................. 125
Brakes ........................................... 136
Break-in perio d. ............................. 115
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC ............. 146
Downhil lg radient ........................... 136
Drinking and driving ....................... 134
Driving in winter ............................. 138
Driving on floode dr oads ................ 1388
Index

Driving on we tr oads ...................... 138
Exhaus tc heck ............................... 134
Fuel ................................................ 134
Genera l. ......................................... 134
Hydroplaning ................................. 138
Icy roa ds ur faces ........................... 138
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 137
Snow chains .................................. 262
Subjecting brakes to al oa d. .......... 136
We tr oa ds ur face ........................... 136
DVD video
Operating (on-boar dc omputer) ..... 169
se ea ls oD igita lO pe rator' sM an -
ua l. ................................................. 211
DYNAMIC SELECT button .................. 121
E EASY-ENTRY feature
Activating/deactivating ................. 174
Function/note s. ............................... 89
EASY-EXIT feature
Crash-responsiv e. ............................ 90
Function/note s. ............................... 89
Switching on/of f. .......................... 174
EBD (electroni cb rake forc ed istri-
bution)
Displa ym essage ............................ 181
Function/note s. ............................... 63
EC Od isplay
Function/note s. ............................ 135
On-board compute r. ...................... 166
EC Os tart/sto pf unction
Automati ce ngine start .................. 119
Automati ce ngine switch-off .......... 119
Deactivating/activating ................. 120
Genera li nformation ....................... 119
Important safety notes .................. 119
Introduction ................................... 118
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Emergency
Automati cm easures afte rana cci-
dent ................................................. 53
Emergenc yr elease
Driver's doo r. ................................... 72
Trunk ............................................... 74 Vehicl e. ............................................ 72
Emergenc ys pare wheel
Genera ln otes ................................ 286
Important safety notes .................. 285
Removing ....................................... 286
Storage location ............................ 286
Stowing .......................................... 286
Technical data ............................... 286
Emergenc yT ensionin gD ev ices
Activation ......................................... 50
Emission sc on trol
Service and warranty information .... 24
Engine
Check Engine warning lamp ........... 207
Displa ym essage ............................ 190
ECO start/stop function ................ 118
Engine number ............................... 290
Irregula rr unning ............................ 120
Jump-starting ................................. 253
Starting problems .......................... 120
Starting the engine with the
SmartKey ....................................... 118
Starting with KEYLESS-GO ............. 118
Switching off .................................. 131
Tow-starting (vehicle ). .................... 258
Engine electronics
Note s. ............................................ 288
Problem (malfunction) ................... 120
Engine oil
Adding ........................................... 235
Ad di tives ........................................ 293
Checking the oi ll ev el ..................... 234
Checking the oi ll ev el using the
dipstick .......................................... 234
Displa ym essage ............................ 191
Filling capacity ............................... 293
Genera ln otes ................................ 292
Note sa bout oi lg rade s. .................. 292
Note sono il level/consumption .... 234
Temperature (on-board computer,
Mercedes-AM GS LC 43) ................ 175
Entering an address
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 211
ESP ®
(Electroni cS tability Pro-
gram)
AMG menu (on-board computer) ... 175
Characteristics ................................. 61 Index 9

From inside the vehicle (central
unlocking button) ............................. 71
Upshift indicator
(on-board computer, Mercedes-
AMG SLC 43) ................................ .1 75
USB devices
Connecting to the Medi aI nter-
face ............................................... 218
VVehicle
Correct use ...................................... 27
Data acquisition ............................... 28
Display message ............................ 198
Electronics ..................................... 288
Equipment ....................................... 24
Individua ls ettings .......................... 172
Limited Warranty ............................ .2 8
Loading .......................................... 271
Locking (in an emergency) ............... 72
Locking (SmartKey) .......................... 65
Lowering ........................................ 284
Maintenance .................................... 25
Parking for al ong perio d. ............... 133
Pulling awa y. .................................. 118
Raising ........................................... 281
Reporting problems ......................... 27
Securing from rolling away ............ 281
Tow-starting ................................... 256
Towing away .................................. 256
Transporting .................................. 258
Unlocking (i nane mergency) ........... 72
Unlocking (SmartKey ). ..................... 65
Vehicl ed at a. .................................. 295
Vehicl eb attery
see Battery (vehicle)
Vehicl ed ata ....................................... 295
Vehicl ed imensions ........................... 295
Vehicl ee mergenc yl oc king ................ 72
Vehicl ei dentificatio nn umber
see VIN
Vehicl ei dentificatio np late .............. 289
Vehicl et oo lk it .................................. 245
Video
Operating the DVD ......................... 169
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 211 VIN
Sea t. .............................................. 290
Type plate ...................................... 289
W Warning and indicator lamps
ABS ................................................ 204
Active Brake Assist ........................ 209
Brake Assist ................................... 209
Brakes ........................................... 204
Check Engine ................................. 207
Coolant .......................................... 207
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC ............. 209
Distance warning ........................... 209
ESP ®
.............................................. 205
ESP ®
OFF ....................................... 206
Fue lt ank ........................................ 207
Genera ln otes ................................ 202
Parking brake ................................ 206
PASSENGER AIR BAG ...................... 39
Reserve fue l. .................................. 207
Restraint system ............................ 206
Sea tb el t. ....................................... 203
SPOR Th an dling mod e. .................. 206
Tire pressure monitor .................... 210
Warning triangle ................................ 244
Warranty .............................................. 24
Washer fluid
Displa ym essage ............................ 201
Weather display (COMAND)
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 211
Wheel and tire combinations
Tires ............................................... 284
Wheel bolt tightenin gt orque ........... 284
Wheel chock ...................................... 281
Wheels
Changing aw heel .......................... 280
Checking ........................................ 260
Cleaning ......................................... 241
Emergency spare whee l. ................ 285
Important safety notes .................. 260
Information on driving .................... 260
Interchanging/changing ................ 280
Mounting an ew whee l. .................. 283
Mounting aw heel .......................... 281
Overview ........................................ 26020
Index

Protecting the environment
General notes
H Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of compre-
hensive environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
that form the basis of our existence on this
planet to be used sparingly and in am anner
that takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tire wear are affected
by these factors: R
operating condition sofy our vehicleR
your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions: R
avoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption. R
always make sure that the tire pressures
are correct. R
do not carry any unnecessary weight. R
remove roof racks once you no longer need
them. R
ar egularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals. R
always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style: R
do not depress the accelerator pedal when
startin gt he engine.R
do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary. R
drive carefully and maintain as afe distance
from the vehicle in front. R
avoid frequent, sudden acceleration and
braking. R
change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to

Operating safety
Important safet yn otes
G WARNING
If you do not have the prescribed service/
maintenanc ew ork or any required repairs
carried out, this can result in malfunctions or
system failures. There is ar isk of an accident.
Always have the prescribed service/mainte-
nanc ew ork as well as any required repairs
carried out at aq ualified specialist workshop.
G WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is ar isk
of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
chec kt he vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
G WARNING
Modifications to electronic components, their
software as well as wiring can impair their
function and/or the function of other net-
worked components. In particular, systems
relevant to safety could also be affected. As a
result, these may no longer function as inten-
ded and/or jeopardiz et he operatin gs afety of
the vehicle. There is an increased risk of an
acciden ta nd injury.
Never tamper with the wiring as well as elec-
tronic component sort heir software. You
should have all work to electrical and elec-
tronic equipment carried out at aq ualified
specialist workshop. ! There is ar isk of damage to the vehicle if: R
the vehicle becomes stuck ,e .g. on ah igh
curb or an unpaved road R
you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, as peed bump or ap othole in the roadR
ah eavy objec ts trikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situation sl ike this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components damaged in this way can unex-
pectedly fail or, in the case of an accident, no
longer withstand the loads they are designed
to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust
system, they can catc hf ire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuin gy our jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired,
pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Declarations of conformity
Vehicle components which receive
and/or transmit radio waves USA: "The wireless devices of this vehicle com-
ply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the two following two conditions :1 )
These devices may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and 2) These devices must accept any
interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation .C hanges
or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for complianc ec ould void the
user’s authorit ytoo perate the equipment."
Canada: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions :( 1) These devices may
not cause interference, and (2) These devices
must accept any interference, including inter-
ference that may cause undesired operation of
the device."26
Operating safety
Introduction

The vehicle is read out by employees of the ser-
vice network (including the manufacturer) using
special diagnostic testers. More detailed infor-
mation is obtained from it, if required.
After am alfunction has been rectified, the infor-
mation is deleted from the malfunction memory
or is continually overwritten.
When operating the vehicle, situations are con-
ceivable in which this technical data, in connec-
tion with other information (if necessary, under
consultation with an authorized expert), could
be traced to ap erson.
Examples include: R
accident reports R
damage to the vehicle R
witness statements
Further additional functions that have been con-
tractually agreed upon with the customer allow
certain vehicle data to be conveyed by the vehi-
cle as well. The additional functions include, for
example, vehicle location in case of an emer-
gency.
COMAND/mbrace (Canada: TELEAID) If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle's
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain sit-
uations, and the location of the vehicle may be
compiled through COMAND or the mbrace sys-
tem.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual or the Digital Operator's
Manual and/or the mbrace Terms and Condi-
tions.
Event dat ar ecordersThis vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose of
an ED Ristor ecord, in certain crash or near
crash-lik es ituations, such as an air bag deploy-
ment or hittin gar oad obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how av ehicle's systems
performed. The ED Risd esigned to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems
for as hort period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The ED Rint his vehicle is designed to record
such data as: R
How various systems in your vehicle were
operating R
Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened R
How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and R
How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide ab etter under-
standin goft he circumstances in which acci-
dents and injuries occur. NOTE: ED Rd ata are
recorded by your vehicle only if an on-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by
the ED Ru nder normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age and acci-
dent location) are recorded. However, other par-
ties, such as law enforcement could combine
ED Rd ata with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during ac rash investi-
gation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the ED Risn eeded
to read data that is recorded by the EDR, and
special equipment is required. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment ,c an read the information by accessing the
vehicle or the EDR.
ED Rd ata may be used in civil and criminal mat-
ters as at ool in accident reconstruction, acci-
dent claims and vehicle safety. Sinc et he Crash
Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to extract
data from the ED Risc ommercially available,
Mercedes-Benz USA ,L LC ("MBUSA") expressly
disclaims any and all liability arising from the
extraction of this information by unauthorized
Mercedes-Benz personnel.
MBUSA will not share ED Rd ata with others
without the consen toft he vehicle owners or, if
t he vehicle is leased, without the consen toft he
lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law enforce-
ment ;byf ederal, state or local government; in
connection with or arising out of litigation involv-
ing MBUSA or its subsidiaries and affiliates; or,
as required by law.
Warning: The ED Risac omponent of the
Restraint System Module. Tampering with, alter-
ing, modifying or removing the ED Rc omponent
may result in am alfunction of the Restraint Sys-
tem Module and other systems.
Stat el aws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-empted.Data stored in the vehicle 29
Introduction Z

could be adversel ya ffected. Thi sp oses an
increase dr is kofi njury or eve nf ata li njury.
You shoul do nly us es ea tc over st hat have
bee na pp roved for the respectiv es ea tb y
Mercedes-Benz.
Sid ei mpact ai rb ag s C deploy next to the outer
bolster of the sea tb ac krest.
Whe nd eployed, the sid ei mpact ai rb ag offers
additiona lt hora xp rotection. However, it does
not protect the: R
Head R
Neck R
Arms
If the restraint system control uni td etects as ide
impact, the sid ei mpact ai rb ag is deployed on
the sid eonw hich the impact occurs.
The sid ei mpact ai rb ag on the front-passenger
sid ed eploy su nder the following conditions:R
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger sea ti so ccupied orR
the sea tb el tb uc kle tongu eise ngaged in the
bel tb uc kle of the front-passenger seat
If the bel tt ongu eise ngaged in the bel tb uc kle,
the sid ei mpact ai rb ag on the front-passenger
sid ed eploy sifana pp ropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case ,d eployment is independent
of whether the front-passenger sea ti so ccupied
or not. Head air bags
Hea db ag s C deploy in the are aoft he sid ew in -
dow satt he front.
Whe nd eployed, the hea db ag enhances the
level of protectio nf or the head. However, it does
not protect the: R
chest R
arms
If the restraint system control uni td etects as ide
impact, the hea db ag is deployed on the sid eo n
which the impact occurs.
If the system determine st hat they can offer
additiona lp rotectio ntot hat provided by the
sea tb elt, ah ea db ag may be deployed in other
accident situations ( Y
page 50).
The hea db ag on the front-passenger side
deploy su nder the following conditions: R
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger sea ti so ccupied orR
the sea tb el tb uc kle tongu eise ngaged in the
bel tb uc kle of the front-passenger seat
If the bel tt ongu eise ngaged in the bel tb uc kle,
the hea db ag on the front-passenger side
deploy sifana pp ropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case ,d eployment is independent
of whether the front-passenger sea ti so ccupied
or not.
Occupan tC la ssificatio nS ystem
(OCS)
Introduction
The Occupant Classification System (OCS) cat-
egorize st he person in the front-passenger seat.
Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front ai rb ag and front-passenger knee ba ga re
either enabled or deactivated.Occupan ts afety 45
Safety Z