2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SLC automatic transmission

The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43
C
Transmission positionD
Drive program
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
Engaging par kp osition P
X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal. X
Press button C .
Engaging par kp osition Pa utomaticallyPark position ] is automatically engaged if:R
you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey R
you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door R
you open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at av ery low speed
and the transmission is in position [ or ^
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position ] if the HOLD function or Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the infor-
mation on the HOLD function ( Y
page 148) and
on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC ( Y
page 144). Engaging reverse gear R
! Only move the automatic transmission to
^ when the vehicle is stationary. X
Depress the brake and keep it pressed. X
Push the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance.
The ECO start/sto pf unction is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/sto pf unction
( Y
page 119).
Shifting to neutral N
G WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake R
shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P R
start the engine
There is ar isk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, alway st ake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies to mobile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app. X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal. X
Push the selector lever forwards or back to
the first point of resistance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position ^ or [ ,t he automatic trans-
mission shifts to \\ automatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to ] automatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to ] automatically.Automatic transmission 123
Driving and parking Z

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

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

matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation All vehicles (except for Mercedes-AMG
SLC 43)
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style .T he rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshift recommendation C when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style .T he rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshift recommendation C when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Kickdown X
For maximu ma cceleration, depress the
accelerator peda lb eyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gear depending on the engine speed. X
Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
the steering whee lp addle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximu me ngine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.128
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

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 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