light MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 Repair Manual

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The yellow $ warning lamp lights up and th er ed I (US Ao nl y)
or $ (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tp ossibl etoa pply th ee lectric parking brak em anually.X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position ] .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
' (US Ao nl y)
M (Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level There is no te no ugh brak ef luid in th eb rak ef luid reservoir .
In addition ,t he ' (US Ao nl y) or M (Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in th ei nstrumen tc luste ra nd aw arning tone sounds.
G WARNIN G
The braking effec tm ay be impaired.
There is ar is kofana ccident.X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions. Do no tc ontinue drivin g
under any circumstances. X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .X
Do no ta dd brak ef luid .T his does no tc orrect th em alfunction .
& Check Brake Pad Wea r The brak ep ads/linings hav er eached their wear limit.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
S Inoperative On eorm or em ain features of th em brace system are malfunctioning .X
Hav et he mbrace system checke dataq ualified specialist work-
shop.
PRE-SAFE Inopera‐
tiv e See Operator' s
Manual Importan tf unction sofP RE-SAF E ®
hav ef ailed. Al lo th er occupant
safet ys ystems ,e .g .a ir bags ,r emain available.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
Active Brake Assist
Functions Currently
Limite dS ee Opera‐
tor's Manual Active Brake Assis tist em porarily inoperative.
Possibl ec auses are: R
The radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagneti cr adiation emitted by nearby TV or radi os ta tion so r
other source sofe lectromagneti cr adiation .R
The system is outside th eo perating temperature range.R
The on-boar dv oltag eist oo low.
Whe nt he causes state da bov enol onger apply, th ed isplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis tiso perational again .
If th ed isplay message does no td isappear :X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Restart th ee ng ine.184
Display messages
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Active Brake Assist
Functions Limite d
See Operator' sM an ‐
ual Active Brake Assis tisu navailable due to am alfunction .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
Radar Sensor s Dirty
See Operator' sM an ‐
ual The radar sensor system is malfunctioning .
Possibl ec auses are: R
Dirt on sensor sR
Heavy rain or snow R
Whe nd rivin goni nter-urban roads without traffic or infrastructure,
e.g. in desert-like area s
At least on ed rivin gs ystem or drivin gs afet ys ystem is malfunctioning
or is temporarily unavailable :R
Active Brake Assis tR
Distanc eP ilo tD ISTR ONI C
Once th ec aus eoft he problem is no longer present, th ed rivin ga nd
drive safet ys ystems will be available again .T he display message dis-
appears.
If th ed isplay message does no td isappear :X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 131).X
Switc ho ff th ee ng ine.X
Clean all sensor s( Y
page 242).X
Restart th ee ng ine.
The display message disappears.
u SRS Malfunction Ser ‐
vic eR equired The restrain ts ystem is malfunctioning .T he u warning lamp also
lights up in th ei nstrumen tc luster.
G WARNIN G
The air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices may either be triggered
unintentionally or, in th ee vent of an accident, may no tbet ri ggered .
There is an increased ris kofi njury.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
Fo rf urther information about th er estrain ts ystem, see ( Y
page 38) .
u Front Lef tM alfunc‐
tio nS ervic e
Required or Front
Right Malfunction
Servic eR equired The restrain ts ystem has malfunctioned at th ef ront on th el ef torr ight .
The u warning lamp also lights up in th ei nstrumen tc luster.
G WARNIN G
The air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices may either be triggered
unintentionally or, in th ee vent of an accident, may no tbet ri ggered .
There is an increased ris kofi njury.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages 18 5
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
u Lef tS id eC urtai n
Airbag Malfunction
Servic eR equired or
Right Sid eC urtai n
Airbag Malfunction
Servic eR equired There is am alfunction in th el eft-han da nd/o rr ight-hand head bag.
The u warning lamp also lights up in th ei nstrumen tc luster.
G WARNIN G
The lef torr ight head bag may either be triggered unintentionally or, in
th ee vent of an accident, may no tbet ri ggered .
There is an increased ris kofi njury.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.186
Display messages
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
lamp remain sl it or goe so ut depend sonh ow OCS classifies th eo cc u-
pant.
If th ec onditi on sa re no tf ulfilled ,t he system is no to perating correctly.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
Observ et he additional information on OCS ( Y
page 46).
Lights Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
I Check Lef t Low Bea m
(Example) The correspondin gb ulb is faulty.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
or X
Chec kw hether you are permitte dtor eplace th eb ulb yourself
( Y
page 99).
LE Dl igh ts ources: th ed isplay message for th ec orre spondin gl amp
only appear sw hen all th eL ED sint he lamp hav ef ailed.
I Active Headlamps
Inoperative The active ligh tf unction is faulty.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
I Malfunction See
Operator' sM anual The exterio rl ighting is malfunctioning .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
I Aut oL am pF unction
Inoperative The ligh ts ensor is defective. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
I Switch Off Lights The lights are still switched on when you leav et he vehicle. Aw arning
tone also sounds. X
Turn th el igh ts witch to position X .
Adaptive Highbeam
Assist Currently
Unavailable See
Operator' sM anual Adaptive Highbea mA ss is tisd eactivated and temporarily inoperative.
Possibl ec auses are: R
The windshield in th ec amera' sf ield of vision is dirty.R
Visibilit yisi mpaire dd ue to heav yr ain ,s no worf og .X
Clean th ew indshield.
If th es ystem detects that th ec amera is full yo perational again ,t he
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Now Available message is displayed.
Adaptive Highbea mA ss is tiso perational again .
Adaptive Highbeam
Assist Inoperative Adaptive Highbea mA ss is tisf aulty.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .Display messages 18 9
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays Z

General notes The multimedia system section in this Opera-
tor's Manua ld escribes the basi cp rinciples for
operation. More information can be found in the
Digital Operator's Manual.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
municatio ne quipment integrated in the vehi-
cle when driving, you may be distracted from
the traffic situation. You could also lose con-
trol of the vehicle .T here is ar isk of an acci-
dent.
Only operate this equipment when the traffic
situation permits. If you are not sure that this
is possible, park the vehicle paying attention
to traffic conditions and operate the equip-
ment when the vehicle is stationary.
You must observe the lega lr equirements for the
country in which you are currently driving when
operating the multimedia system.
The multimedia system calculates the route to
the destination withou tt aking the following into
account, for example: R
traffic lights R
stop and yield signs R
parking or stopping restrictions R
road narrowing R
other road and traffic rule sa nd regulations
The multimedia system may give incorrect nav-
igation recommendations if the actual street/
traffic situation does not correspond with the
digital map's data.
For example: R
ad iverted route R
the road layout or the direction of ao ne-way
street has been changed
For this reason, you must alway so bserve road
and traffic rule sa nd regulations during your
journey. Roa da nd traffic rule sa nd regulations
alway sh ave priority over multimedia system
driving recommendations. Navigation announcements are intended to
direct you whil ed riving withou td iverting your
attention from the road and driving.
Please alway su se this feature instead of con-
sulting the map display for directions. Looking
at the icons or map display can distract you from
traffic conditions and driving, and increase the
risk of an accident.
This equipment complies with FCC radiation
exposure limits set forth for uncontrolled equip-
ment and meets the FCC radi of requency (RF)
Exposure Guidelines in Supplement CtoO ET65.
This equipment has very low level sofRFe nergy
that is deeme dtoc omply withou tm aximum
permissive exposure evaluation (MPE). How-
ever, it is recommended to insta l l it at ad istance
of at least 8i nches (approx. 20 cm) betwee nt he
radiation source and ap erson's body (not
including limb ss uch as hands, wrists, feet and
legs).
G WARNING
Modifications to electronic components, their
software as wel lasw iring 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 jeopardize the operating safety of
the vehicle .T here is an increase dr isk of an
accident and injury.
Never tamper with the wiring as wel lase lec-
tronic components or their software .Y ou
shoul dh ave all work to electrica la nd elec-
tronic equipment carried out at aq ualified
specialist workshop.
Function restrictions
For safety reasons, some functions are restric-
ted or unavailable whil et he vehicle is in motion.
You wil ln otice this, for example, because either
you wil ln ot be abl etos elect certain menu items
or am essag ew il la ppear to this effect.Function restrictions 211
Multimedia system Z

sole can otherwise be damaged by the con-
centrated and reflected sunlight.
Cup holder in the center console X
To open: slide cover D back.X
To remove the insert: slide catch C inwards
on both sides in the direction of the arrow. X
Remove the cup holder insert upwards. X
To re-install the insert: place the insert in
the stowage space. X
Slide catch C outwards in the direction of the
arrow until it engages.
You can remove the cup holder insert for clean-
ing. Clea nw ith clear, lukewarm water only.
Bottle holder Observe the "Important safety notes" in the
"Stowage compartments" section ( Y
page 219).
! Make sure that any bottles weighing more
than 1.1 lb(0.5 kg) that are stored in the bottle
holder, rest on the vehicle floor. The bottle
holder could otherwise be damaged. X
Press the outer edge of button C and slide in
the direction of the arrow until the bottle fits
into the opening. X
Insert the bottle into the bottle holder.
The bottle holder is suitable for bottles with a
capacity of 25 fl. oz. (0.7 l) to 54 fl. oz. (1.5 l).
The bottle holde rd oe sn ot secur et he bottles; it
merel yp revents the mf ro mt ipping over.
Sun visors
Overview
G WARNING
If the mirro rc ove roft he vanity mirro risf olded
up when the vehicl eisinm otion, yo uc ould be
blinded by incident light. There is ar is kofa n
accident.
Alway sk ee pt he mirro rc ove rf olde dd ow n
whil ed riving.
C
Mirro rl ig htD
Bracket

X
Reac hi nt ot he gap, pull hoo dc atch handle D
up and lift hoo d C .
If you lift th eh oo dbya pproximately 15 in
(40 cm), th eh oo diso pened and held open
automatically by th eg as-filled strut .
Closin gt he hoodX
Lowe rt he hoo da nd let it fall from ah eight of
approximately 8in( 20 cm).X
Chec kt ha tt he hoo dh as engage dp roperly.
If th eh oo dc an be raised slightly, it is no t
properly engaged. Open it again and close it
wit hal ittl em or ef orce .
Engine oil
Notes on th eo il levelDependin gony our driving style, th ev ehicl e
consumes up to 0. 9USq t( 0.8 liters )ofo il pe r
60 0m iles (1,000 km). Th eo il cons umption may
be higher than th is when th ev eh icle is ne wori f
you frequently driv eath igh engin es peeds.
Depen din gont he engine, th eo il dipst ick may be
in ad ifferent location.
When checking th eo il leve l:R
park th ev eh icle on al eve ls urfaceR
th ee ng in es hould be swit ched off for appr ox-
imately fiv em in ute sift he engin eisatn orma l
operatin gt em pe ratureR
if th ee ng in eisn ot at normal operatin gt em -
perature, e.g .ift he engin ew as on ly started
brie fly, wait about 30 minute sb efore carrying
out the measurement Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick
G WARNING
Certain component sint he engine compart-
ment ,s uch as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Workin gint he engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Only touch the following component sd escri-
bed.
Example X
Pull oil dipstick C out of the dipstick guide
tube. X
Wipe off oil dipstick C .X
Slowly slide oil dipstick C into the guide tube
to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark

! Lock the car if you wash it in an automatic
car wash. Otherwise, the vehicle might be
damaged.
! Never clean your vehicle in aT ouchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If you have your vehicle cleaned in ah igh-
pressure automatic car wash, small amounts
of water may enter the vehicle.
! Make sure that the automatic transmission
is in position N when washing your vehicle in
at ow-through car wash. The vehicle could be
damage dift he transmission is in another
position.
! Make sure that: R
the side windows and the roof are com-
pletely closed R
the climate control blower is switched off R
the windshiel dw iper switch is at position 0
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can clean the vehicle at an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Preferably clean the vehicle at automatic car
washes that use textile washing elements with-
out brushes. This prevents fine scratches from
forming on the paintwork and film.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshiel da nd the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on the windshield.
i Vehicles with decorative film: select aw ash
program without hot wax at the automatic car
wash.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at speciall ye quipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in each country. X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight. X
Use as oft sponge to clean.X
Use am ild cleaning agent, such as ac ar
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz. X
Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with ag en-
tle jet of water. X
Do not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlet or the edges of decorative foils. X
Use plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently. X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with ac hamois.X
Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work or the decorative foils.
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as
soon as possible when driving in winter.
Powe rw ashers
G WARNING
The water jet from ac ircular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nent sd amage dint his way may fail unexpect-
edly .T here is ar isk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis component sr eplaced imme-
diately.
! Vehicles with decorative foil: parts of your
vehicle are covered with decorative foil. Main-
tain ad istance of at least 27.5 in (70 cm)
between the foil-wrappe dp arts of the vehicle
and the nozzle of the high pressure cleaner.
Information abou tt he correct distance is
available from the equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around when
cleaning your vehicle.
The water temperature of the high-pressure
cleaner must not exceed 140 °F (60 °C).
! Alway sm aintain ad istance of at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and the
power washer nozzle. Information abou tt he
correct distance is available from the equip-
ment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around when
cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following: R
tires R
door gaps, roof gaps, joints, etc. R
electrical components R
battery R
plug-type couplings R
lights Care 239
Maintenance and care Z

R
seals R
trim R
ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical component sc an
lead to leaks or failures.
! Do not use high-pressure cleaners if the
tank recess is open while you clean it. This
can cause damage to the seals or other com-
ponents.
Cleaning the paintwork
! Do not affix: R
stickers R
films R
magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by
corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit aq ualified specialist workshop.X
Remove dirt immediately ,w here possible,
while avoiding rubbing too hard. X
Soak insect remains with insect remover and
rinse off the treated areas afterwards. X
Soak bird droppings with water and rinse off
the treated areas afterwards. X
Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin, oils,
fuels and greases by rubbing gently with a
cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighter
fluid. X
Use tar remover to remove tar stains. X
Use silicone remover to remove wax.
If water no longer forms "beads" on the paint
surface, use the paint care products recommen-
ded and approved by Mercedes-Benz .T his is the
case approximately every three to five months,
depending on the climate conditions and the
care product used.
If dirt has penetrated the paint surface or if the
paint has become dull ,t he paint cleaner recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz
should be used.
Do not use these care products in the sun or on
the hood while the hood is hot. X
Use as uitable touch-up stick, e.g. MB Touch-
Up Stick ,tor epair slight damage to the paint-
work quickly and provisionally. Matt ef inish care
! Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to shine.
! The following can give the paint ag lossy
appearance and thus reduce the matt effect: R
Rubbing hard with unsuitable agents R
Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax, for the
purpose of paintwork care. These products
are only suitable for high-gloss surfaces. Their
use on vehicles with matte paintwork leads to
considerable surface damage or, more spe-
cifically ,tos hiny, spotted areas.
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Only use automatic car washes which cor-
respond to the latest technological stand-
ards. Never use wash programs which finish
by treating the vehicle with hot wax.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has ac lear
matte finish. This will help you to avoid damage
to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels with
ac lear matte finish.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the decorative film
! The following may have an effect on the ser-
vice life and coloring of decorative film: R
sunlight R
temperature, e.g. hot-air fan R
weather conditions R
stone impacts and dirt R
chemical cleaning agents R
greasy substances
! Do not use any types of polish on matt dec-
orative film. Polishing surfaces covered with
film gives it as hiny finish.
! Do not treat matt or structured decorative
film with wax. This may lead to marks that
cannot be removed.240
Care
Maintenance and care

Alway ss wi tch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield.
! Do not pull the wipe rb lade .O therwise, the
wipe rb lade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wipe rb lade st oo ofte na nd do
not ru bt hem too hard. Otherwise, the graph-
ite coating could be damaged .T hi sc ould
cause wipe rn oise.
! Hol dt he wipe ra rm securel yw he nf olding
back. The windshield could be damaged if the
wipe ra rm smacks against it suddenly.X
Fol dt he windshield wipe ra rm sa wa yf rom the
windshield. X
Carefully clean the wipe rb lade sw it had am p
cloth. X
Fol dt he windshield wipe ra rm sb ac ka gain
before switching on the ignition.
Cleanin gt he exterior lighting
! Onl yu se cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
which ar es ui tabl ef or plastic light lenses.
Unsuitabl ec leaning agents or cleaning cloths
could scratch or damage the plastic light len-
ses. X
Clea nt he plastic lenses of the exterio rl ig hts
with aw et sponge and am il dc leaning agent,
e.g .M ercedes-Benz car shampo oorc leaning
cloths.
Cleanin gt he mirro rt urn signals
! Onl yu se cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
tha ta re suitabl ef or plastic lenses .U nsuitable
cleaning agents or cleaning cloths could
scratch or damage the plastic lenses of the
mirror turn signals. X
Clea nt he plastic lenses of the mirror turn sig-
nal sint he exterio rm irror housing using aw et
sponge and mil dc leaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benz car shampo oorw it hc leaning
cloths.
Cleanin gt he sensors
! If yo uc lean the sensors with ap ower
washer, make sure tha ty ou kee pad is tance
of at leas t1 1.8 in (30 cm )b et ween the vehicle
and the powe rw as he rn ozzle. Information abou tt he correct distance is availabl ef rom
the equipment manufacturer.
X
Clea ns ensors C of the driving system sw it h
water, car shampo oa nd as of tc loth.
Cleanin gt he rear view camera
! Do not clean the camera lens and the area
around the rea rv ie wc amera with ap ower
washer.
X
Ope nt he camera fla p( Y
page 155).X
Use clean water and as of tc loth to clean
camera lens C .
The camera fla pc loses: R
if the ignition is switched off R
if the camera system is deactivated R
starting at vehicl es peed sa bo ve 6.2 mph
(10 km/h)242
Care
Maintenance and care