2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS Owners Manual

Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example,when starting the engine.
To start the vehicle without actively using theSmartKey:
Rthe Start/Stop button must be inserted inthe ignition lock.
Rthe SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Rthe vehicle must not be locked with theSmartKey or KEYLESS-GO (Ypage 74).
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phoneor another SmartKey.
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metalfoil.
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
This can impair the functionality of the KEY-LESS-GO key.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey'sremote control or with KEYLESS-GO, after ashort time:
Ryou will not be able to switch on the ignitionwith the Start/Stop button.
Ryou will not be able to start the engine withthe Start/Stop button until the vehicle isunlocked again.
The engine can be switched off while the vehi-cle is in motion by pressing and holding theStart/Stop button for three seconds. Thisfunction operates independently of the ECOstart/stop automatic engine switch-off func-tion.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
CStart/Stop button
DIgnition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all theindicator lamps in the instrument cluster lightup. Further information on situations where anindicator lamp either fails to go out after start-
ing the engine or lights up while driving(Ypage 235).
If Start/Stop buttonChas not yet beenpressed, this corresponds to the key beingremoved from the ignition.
XTo switch on the power supply:pressStart/Stop buttonConce.The power supply is switched on. You cannow activate the windshield wipers, forexample.
The power supply is switched off again if:
Rthe driver's door is opened and
Ryou press Start/Stop buttonCtwicewhen in this position
XTo switch on the ignition:press Start/Stop buttonCtwice.The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop buttonConcewhen in this position, the ignition isswitched off again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button fromthe ignition lock and start the vehicle as nor-mal using the SmartKey.
XRemove Start/Stop buttonCfrom ignitionlockD.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-ton from the ignition lock when you leave thevehicle. You should, however, always take theSmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle.As long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
Rthe vehicle can be started using the Start/Stop button
Rthe electrically powered equipment can beoperated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could:
Roperate the vehicle's equipment
Driving127
Driving and parking
Z

Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of
park position]
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended
in the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies for the Digital Vehicle Key if the
"Digital Vehicle Key" function is activated via
Mercedes me connect.
GDANGER
Combustion engines emit poisonous
exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide.
Inhaling these exhaust gases is hazardous to
health and can result in poisoning. There is a
risk of fatal injury. Therefore, never leave the
engine running an enclosed space without
adequate ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system
or parts of the engine that heat up. There is
a risk of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
The catalytic converter is preheated for up to30 seconds after a cold start. The sound of theengine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XDepress the brake pedal and keep itdepressed.
XShift the transmission to position].Transmission position display]is shownin the multifunction display.
iYou can start the engine in transmissionposition]and\\.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
To start the engine using the SmartKey insteadof KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button outof the ignition lock.
XTurn the SmartKey to positionI(Ypage 126) in the ignition lock and releaseit as soon as the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
The Start/Stop button can be used to start thevehicle manually without inserting the Smart-Key into the ignition lock. The Start/Stop but-ton must be inserted in the ignition lock andthe SmartKey must be in the vehicle. Thismode for starting the engine operates inde-pendently of the ECO start/stop automaticengine start function.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep itdepressed.
XPress the Start/Stop button once(Ypage 126).The engine starts.
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position:
orF, the vehicle could pull away sud-
denly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position:
orF, always firmly depress the brake
pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pullingaway.
The vehicle locks centrally once you havepulled away. The locking knobs in the doorsdrop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at anytime.
You can also deactivate the automatic lockingfeature (Ypage 201).
128Driving
Driving an d parking

It is only possible to shift the transmissionfrom position]to the desired position if youdepress the brake pedal. Only then is the shiftlock released.
iUpshifts take place at higher enginespeeds after a cold start. This helps the cat-alytic converter to reach its operating tem-perature more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of theelectric parking brake (Ypage 148).
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling awayforward or in reverse on an uphill gradient. Itholds the vehicle for a short time after youhave removed your foot from the brake pedal.This gives you enough time to move your footfrom the brake pedal to the accelerator pedaland to depress it before the vehicle begins toroll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on adownhill gradient
Rthe transmission is in position\\
Rthe electric parking brake is applied
RESP®is malfunctioning
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches theengine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-ped under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when thedriver wants to pull away again. The ECOstart/stop function thereby helps you toreduce the fuel consumption and emissions ofyour vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically
and you exit the vehicle, the engine is
restarted automatically. The vehicle may
begin moving. There is a risk of accident and
injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn
off the ignition and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
General notes
CECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activatedwhenever you switch on the engine using theSmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-cally by the ECO start/stop function, the

Rthe system detects that the windshield isnot fogged up when the air-conditioning sys-tem is switched on
Rthe hood is closed
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver'sseat belt is fastened
All of the vehicle's systems remain activewhen the engine is stopped automatically.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-cles):automatic engine switch-off can takeplace a maximum of four times in a row (initialstop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:the number of con-secutive automatic engine switch-offs isunlimited.
The HOLD function can be activated if theengine has been switched off automatically. Itis then not necessary to continue applying thebrakes during the automatic stop phase. Whenyou depress the accelerator pedal, the enginestarts automatically and the braking effect ofthe HOLD function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryou switch off the ECO start/stop functionby pressing the ECO button
Rin transmission position[or\\, the brakepedal is released and the HOLD function isnot active
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal
Ryou engage reverse gear^
Ryou move the transmission out of position]
Ryou switch to drive programS+
Ryou switch to drive programSorM(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Ryou unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-er's door
Rthe vehicle starts to roll
Rthe brake system requires this
Rthe temperature in the vehicle interior devi-ates from the set range
Rthe system detects moisture on the wind-shield when the air-conditioning system isswitched on
Rthe battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position]doesnot start the engine.
Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo deactivate:press ECO buttonC.Indicator lampDgoes out.
XTo activate:press ECO buttonC.Indicator lampDlights up.
If indicator lampDis off, the ECO start/stopfunction has been deactivated manually or asthe result of a malfunction. The engine willthen not be switched off automatically whenthe vehicle stops.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XTo deactivate:in drive programC, pressECO buttonC.
or
XSwitch to drive programS,S+orM(Ypage 133).Indicator lampDgoes out.
XTo activate:press ECO buttonC.Indicator lampDlights up.
130Driving
Driving an d parking

If drive programS,S+orMis active, theautomatic transmission switches to driveprogramC.
If indicator lampDis off, the ECO start/stopfunction has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. The engine willthen not be switched off automatically whenthe vehicle stops.
Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andPPSolutions
The engine does notstart.The HOLD function or Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is activa-ted.
XDeactivate the HOLD function (Ypage 165) or Active DistanceAssist DISTRONIC (Ypage 161).
XTry to start the engine again.
The engine does notstart. The starter motorcan be heard.
RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the SmartKey back to position

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andPPSolutions
The engine is not run-ning smoothly and ismisfiring.
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanicalcomponent of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-verter and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialistworkshop.
The coolant tempera-ture display shows avalue above 248 ‡(120 †). The coolantwarning lamp may alsobe on and a warningtone may sound.
The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine isno longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant tocool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 267). Observe the warning notesas you do so and add coolant if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled suf-ficiently.
XAt coolant temperatures below 248 ‡ (120 †), drive to the near-est qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving inmountainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
Notes on towing vehicles
The vehicle is not suitable for attaching towbar systems, such as those used for flat tow-ing or dinghy towing.
Attaching or using tow bar systems may resultin damage to the vehicle.
When towing a vehicle with tow bar systems,safe driving characteristics cannot be guaran-teed for the towing vehicle or the towed vehi-cle.
The vehicle/vehicle combination may swerve.
Observe the permissible towing methods(Ypage 289) and the notes on towing withboth axles on the ground (Ypage 289).
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehi-
cles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to changethe drive program. Depending on the drive pro-gram selected the following vehicle character-istics will change:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission manage-ment)
Rthe suspension
Rthe steering
Rthe curve tilting function (vehicles withActive Body Control)
Rthe control thresholds of ESP®
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-Key or the Start/Stop button, drive programCis activated. Further information about startingthe engine (Ypage 127).
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-Key, drive programCis activated. Furtherinformation about starting the engine(Ypage 127).
132DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Driving and parking

XPress DYNAMIC SELECT buttonCas manytimes as necessary until the desired driveprogram is selected.The selected drive program appears in themultifunction display. After a short period oftime, the display goes out and the symbolfor the selected drive program appears.
In addition, the current drive program set-tings are displayed briefly in the multimediasystem display.
iIn a few countries, the ECO start/stopfunction is deactivated at the factory due tothe available fuel grade. In this case, theECO start/stop function is not available inany drive program, regardless of the displayin the multimedia system display.
Available drive programs:
CComfortComfortable and economi-cal driving characteristics
SSportSporty driving characteris-tics
S+Sport PlusParticularly sporty drivingcharacteristics
IIndividualIndividual settings
EEconomy
(vehicles withadjustabledamping)
Particularly economicaldriving characteristics
CVCURVE
(vehicles withActive BodyControl)
Particularly economicaldriving characteristics withcornering function
Additional information for drive programs(Ypage 138).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
General information
Select the drive program using the DYNAMICSELECT controller.
Available drive programs:
IIndividualIndividual settings
CComfortComfort-oriented, opti-mum-economy engine andtransmission settings
SSportSporty engine and trans-mission settings
S+Sport PlusParticularly sporty trans-mission settings
RaceMaximum sportiness andengine and transmissionsettings suitable for theracetrack
Depending on the drive program selected thefollowing vehicle characteristics will change:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
RESP®
Rthe suspension
Rthe steering
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop func-tion
Rthe driver assistance systems
Rthe availability of gliding mode
Further information for automatic drive pro-gram characteristics (Ypage 138).
Additionally, in drive programIyou can config-ure the respective vehicle characteristicsusing the multimedia system. You can findinformation about this in the Digital Operator'sManual.
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-Key or the Start/Stop button, drive programCis activated. For further information aboutstarting the engine, see (Ypage 127).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)133
Driving and parking
Z

Selecting the drive program
XTurn DYNAMIC SELECT controllerCasmany times as necessary until the desireddrive program is selected.The symbol of the selected drive program isshown in the multifunction display.
In addition, the current drive program set-tings are displayed briefly in the multimediasystem display.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMICSELECT controllerClights up in red.
Additional information for drive programs(Ypage 138).
Additional settings
CECO start/stop function (Ypage 129)
DESP®(Ypage 65)