2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS steering wheel

The blueWindicator lamp in the instru-ment cluster lights up when the high-beamheadlamps are switched on.
XTo switch off the high-beam headlamps:move the combination switch back to itsnormal position.The blueWindicator lamp in the instru-ment cluster goes out.
Hazard warning lamps
XTo switch on the hazard warning lamps:press buttonC.All turn signals flash. If you now switch on aturn signal using the combination switch,only the turn signal lamp on the correspond-ing side of the vehicle will flash.
XTo switch off the hazard warning lamps:press buttonC.
The hazard warning lamps automaticallyswitch on if:
Ran air bag is deployed or
Rthe vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speedof above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to astandstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-cation.
iThe hazard warning lamps still operate ifthe ignition is switched off.
Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the illu-mination of the road over a wide angle in thedirection you are turning, enabling better visi-bility in tight bends, for example. The corner-
ing light function can only be activated whenthe low-beam headlamps are switched on.
Active:
Rif you are driving at speeds below 25 mph(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal orturn the steering wheel
Rif you are driving at speeds between 25 mph(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turnthe steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a shorttime, but is automatically switched off after nomore than three minutes.
Cornering light function with traffic circlefunction:
The cornering light function is activated onboth sides before entering a traffic circlethrough an evaluation of the current GPS posi-tion of the vehicle. It remains active until afterthe vehicle has left the traffic circle. In thisway, pedestrians crossing the road, for exam-ple, are illuminated by your vehicle in goodtime.
Active light function
The active light function is a system thatmoves the headlamps according to the steer-ing movements of the front wheels. In thisway, relevant areas remain illuminated whiledriving. This allows you to recognize pedes-trians, cyclists and animals sooner.
Active:when the lights are switched on.
Vehicles with Lane Keeping Assist: the activelight function evaluates the course of the lanein which you are driving and pre-emptivelycontrols the active light function.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes
You can use this function to set the headlampsto change between low beam and high beamautomatically. The system recognizes vehicleswith their lights on, either approaching fromthe opposite direction or traveling in front ofyour vehicle, and consequently switches theheadlamps from high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-beamheadlamp range depending on the distance tothe other vehicle. Once the system no longer
Exterior lighting111
Lights and windshield wipers
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GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could
affect, for example, the power steering and
the brake boosting effect. You will require
considerably more effort to steer and brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake
can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident.
Release the parking brake fully before driv-
ing off.
!Do not warm up the engine while station-ary. Pull away immediately. Avoid highengine speeds and full throttle until theengine has reached its operating tempera-ture.
In vehicles with automatic transmission,engage positions P and R only when thevehicle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drivewheels when pulling away on slippery roads.You could otherwise damage the drive train.
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles:at low engineoil temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), themaximum engine speed is restricted inorder to protect the engine. To protect theengine and maintain smooth engine opera-tion, avoid driving at full throttle when theengine is cold.
Key positions
SmartKey
ZTo remove the SmartKey
GPower supply for some consumers, suchas the windshield wipers
HIgnition (power supply for all consumers)and drive position
ITo start the engine
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the ignitionlock even if it is not the correct SmartKeyfor the vehicle. The ignition is not switchedon. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped witha SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO start function and a detachable Start/Stopbutton.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in theignition lock and the SmartKey must be in thevehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button intothe ignition lock, the system needs approx-imately two seconds recognition time. You canthen use the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several timesin succession corresponds to the different keypositions in the ignition lock. This is only thecase if you are not depressing the brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press theStart/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-ately.
A check which periodically establishes a radioconnection between the vehicle and theSmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
126Driving
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DNeutral
Do not shift the transmission toDwhile driving. The automatictransmission could otherwise bedamaged.
No power is transmitted from theengine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal will allowyou to move the vehicle freely, e.g.to push it or tow it.
If ESP®is deactivated or faulty: shiftthe transmission to positionDifthe vehicle is in danger of skidding,e.g. on icy roads.
!Coasting in neutral\\maycause damage to the drive train.
:Drive
The automatic transmissionchanges gear automatically. Allforward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts through theindividual gears automatically when it is intransmission position[. This automatic gearshifting behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond thepressure point.The automatic transmission shifts to a lowergear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once thedesired speed is reached.The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive programCis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently inforward and reverse gears, unless the accel-erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rlow fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rthe suspension exhibits comfortable damp-ing settings.
Rthe steering exhibits comfortable steeringcharacteristics.
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
iSelect this drive program for difficult roadconditions, e. g. snow and ice or wet roadsurfaces.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive programSis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-istics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmis-sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits firm damping set-tings.
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Rthe steering exhibits sporty steering charac-teristics.
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive programS+is characterized by the fol-lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-ing characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmis-sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firmdamping settings (vehicles with adaptivedamping system).
Rthe suspension exhibits firm damping set-tings (vehicles with Active Body Control).
Rthe steering exhibits sporty steering charac-teristics.
RESP®emphasizes the vehicle's own over-steering and understeering characteristics.This enables a more active driving style. Thisdrive program requires increased driver
interaction. Further information about ESP®
(Ypage 66).
iOnly select this drive program if the roadconditions are good, e.g. the road is dry andthe route ahead is clearly visible.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive programIthe following properties ofthe drive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission manage-ment)
Rthe suspension
Rthe steering
Rthe control thresholds of ESP®
Information about configuring drive programIwith the multimedia system can be found inthe Digital Operator's Manual.
Vehicles with adaptive damping system:
drive program E (Economy)
Drive programEis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently inforward and reverse gears, unless the accel-erator pedal is depressed fully.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rthe suspension exhibits comfortable damp-ing settings.
Rthe steering exhibits comfortable steeringcharacteristics.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is discon-nected from the drive train. The vehicle useskinetic energy and consumes less fuel(coasting mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Vehicles with Active Body Control:
CURVE drive program
TheCURVEdrive program is characterized bythe following:
Rincreased driving comfort on bends.
Rthe vehicle tilts actively into the bend. Fur-ther information on the curve tilting function(Ypage 169).
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently inforward and reverse gears, unless the accel-erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rcomfortable suspension setting.
Rthe steering exhibits comfortable steeringcharacteristics.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting upsooner. This results in the vehicle beingdriven at lower engine speeds and thewheels being less likely to spin.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is discon-nected from the drive train. The vehicle uses
Automatic transmission139
Driving an d parking
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kinetic energy and consumes less fuel(coasting mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
RACE drive program
iThe RACE drive program may not be usedon normal roads. RACE must only be activa-ted and used on dedicated race circuits, noton public roads.
TheRACEdrive program is characterized bythe following:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristicssuitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximumsportiness.
Rthe gearshift recommendation gives youinformation for slowly warming up the driveassemblies and for adopting a fuel-efficientdriving style (Ypage 141). You can followthe gearshift recommendations at all timesand shift gear accordingly using the steeringwheel paddle shifters. On the basis of thegearshift recommendation, using the steer-ing wheel paddle shifters, you can optimizethe drive train and engine operating mode atany time.
Rif you have selected a gear manually, thiswill be maintained until the vehicle speedincreases or decreases dramatically.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmis-sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firmdamping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
RESP®switches to SPORT handling mode.ThetSPORT handling mode warninglamp in the instrument cluster lights up. TheSPORT Handling ModeSPORT Handling Modemessage appears inthe multifunction display. Observe theimportant safety notes for the SPORT han-dling mode (Ypage 68).
RESP®only improves driving stability to alimited degree. The engine's torque is only
restricted to a limited degree and the drivewheels can spin. Further information about
ESP®(Ypage 68).
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive programS+is characterized by the fol-lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-ing characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmis-sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firmdamping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive programSis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-istics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmis-sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firmdamping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive programCis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently inforward and reverse gears, unless the accel-erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability,for example on slippery road surfaces.
140Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rgliding mode is available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is available.
RESP®provides the optimum compromisebetween traction and stability. Further infor-
mation about ESP®(Ypage 66).
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive programIthe following properties ofthe drive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
RESP®
Rthe suspension
Information about configuring drive programIwith the multimedia system can be found inthe Digital Operator's Manual.
iTo permanently select the gears in driveprogramIusing the steering wheel paddleshifters, select theM(manual) setting forthe transmission.
Manual gear shifting
General notes
You can change gear yourself using the steer-ing wheel paddle shifters. The transmissionmust be in position[to do this.
Depending on which steering wheel paddleshifter is pulled, the automatic transmissionimmediately shifts into the next gear down orup, if permitted.
To use manual shifting, you have two options:
Rtemporary setting
Rpermanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-function display will show the current gearinstead of transmission position[.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gearswill be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to[.
XPull steering wheel paddle shifterCorD.
The temporary setting is active for a certainamount of time. Under certain conditions, theminimum amount of time is extended, e.g. inthe case of lateral acceleration, during overrunmode or when driving on steep terrain.
XTo deactivate:pull steering wheel paddleshifterDand hold it in place.
or
XUse the lever to switch the transmissionposition.
or
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-cles):use the DYNAMIC SELECT button tochange the drive program.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles:use theDYNAMIC SELECT controller to change thedrive program.
Permanent setting
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Automatic transmission141
Driving and parking
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XTo activate:shift the selector lever to[.
XPress buttonC.
XTo deactivate:press buttonC.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to[.
XPress buttonC.
XTo deactivate:press buttonC.
or
XIf position D (automatic transmission) isselected for the transmission in drive pro-gramI: shift to drive programIwith theDYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo shift up:pull steering wheel paddleshifterD.The automatic transmission shifts up to thenext gear.
If the maximum engine speed in the cur-rently engaged gear is reached and you con-tinue to accelerate, the automatic transmis-
sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-vent engine damage.
XTo shift down:pull steering wheel paddleshifterC.The automatic transmission shifts down tothe next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-ing.
If the engine were to exceed the maximumengine speed when shifting down, the auto-matic transmission protects against enginedamage by not shifting down.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
!If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-vated, the automatic transmission does notshift up automatically even when the enginelimiting speed for the current gear isreached. When the engine limiting speed isreached, the fuel supply is cut to preventthe engine from overrevving. Always makesure that the engine speed does not reachthe red area of the tachometer. There is oth-erwise a risk of engine damage.
XTo shift up:pull steering wheel paddleshifterD.The automatic transmission shifts up to thenext gear.
XTo shift down:pull steering wheel paddleshifterC.The automatic transmission shifts down tothe next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-ing.
If the engine were to exceed the maximumengine speed when shifting down, the auto-matic transmission protects against enginedamage by not shifting down.
142Automatic transmission
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Shift recommendation
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
The gearshift recommendations assist you inadopting an economical driving style. The rec-ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
XShift to recommended gearDaccording togearshift recommendationCwhen shownin the multifunction display of the instru-ment cluster.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The gearshift recommendations assist you inadopting an economical driving style. The rec-ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
XShift to recommended gearDaccording togearshift recommendationCwhen shownin the multifunction display of the instru-ment cluster.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-vated, the automatic transmission does not
shift up automatically even when the enginelimiting speed for the current gear isreached. When the engine limiting speed isreached, the fuel supply is cut to preventthe engine from overrevving. Always makesure that the engine speed does not reachthe red area of the tachometer. There is oth-erwise a risk of engine damage.
CGear indicator
DUpshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-function display.
XWhen theUPUPmessage appears in the multi-function display, pull on the right-handsteering wheel paddle shifter.
Kickdown
XFor maximum acceleration, depress theaccelerator pedal beyond the pressurepoint.The automatic transmission shifts to a lowergear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed isreached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears usingthe steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-mission shifts up to the next gear when themaximum engine speed is reached. This pre-vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:kickdown is onlypossible in the temporary setting.
Automatic transmission143
Driving and parking
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