automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 Owners Manual

Assistance men u( on-boar dc om-
puter) .................................................. 170
ASSYS TP LUS
Dis playin gas ervic em essage ........ 237
Hiding as ervic em essage .............. 237
Resetting th es ervic ei nterval dis-
play ................................................ 237
Se rvice message ............................ 237
Spe cial servic er equirements ........ .2 38
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Activating/deactivating ................... 64
Function .......................................... .6 4
Switching off the alarm .................... 64
ATTENTIO NA SSIS T
Activating/deactivating ................. 171
Displa ym essage ............................ 193
Function/note s. ............................ 158
Audi om en u( on -board computer) .... 168
Audi os ystem
see Digital Operator's Manual
Authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
see Qualifie ds pecialist workshop
Authorized workshop
see Qualifie ds pecialist workshop
AUTO lights
Displa ym essage ............................ 189
see Lights
Automatic car was h( ca re) ............... 238
Automatic engine start (ECO start/
sto pf unction) .................................... 119
Automatic engine switch-off (ECO
start/sto pf unction) .......................... 119
Automatic headlamp mode ................ 95
Automatic transmission
Accelerator peda lp osition ............. 125
Changing gea r. .............................. 125
Displa ym essage ............................ 198
Drive progra m. ............................... 125
Drive progra md is play .................... 122
Driving tip s. ................................... 125
DYNAMIC SELECT button .............. 121
Emergency running mod e. ............. 129
Eng ag
ing drive position .................. 124
Engaging neutral ............................ 123
Engaging park position automati-
cally ............................................... 123
Engaging reverse gea r. .................. 123 Engaging the park position ............ 123
Gearshift recommendation ............ 128
Kickdow n. ...................................... 125
Manua ls hifting .............................. 126
Oil temperature (on-board com-
puter, Mercedes-AM GS LC 43) ...... 175
Overview ........................................ 122
Problem (malfunction) ................... 129
Pulling away ................................... 118
Selector lever ................................ 122
Starting the engine ........................ 117
Steering whee lp addl es hifters ...... 126
Transmission position display ........ 122
Transmission positions .................. 124
Automatic transmissio ne mer-
genc ym ode ....................................... 129
B Back button ....................................... 212
BAS (Brake Assist System) ................. 57
Battery (SmartKey)
Checking .......................................... 68
Important safety notes .................... 67
Replacing ......................................... 68
Battery (vehicle)
Charging ........................................ 253
Displa ym essage ............................ 191
Important safety notes .................. 251
Jump starting ................................. 253
Overview ........................................ 251
Belt
see Sea tb el ts
Bel tw arning ......................................... 42
Blind Spo tA ssis t
Activating/deactivating ................. 171
Displa ym essage ............................ 194
Notes/function .............................. 159
Bluetooth ®
Searching for am obil ep hone ........ 215
Searching for am obil ep hone
(device manager ). .......................... 216
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 211
Telephony ...................................... 215
Brake Assist System
see BAS (Brake Assist System) Index 5

G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they coul ds et it in motion by, for example:R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicl ee quip-
ment and become trapped. There is ar isk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway st ake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
G WARNING
If persons, particularl yc hildren are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme hea to r
cold, there is ar isk of injury ,p ossibly even
fatal .N ever leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
G WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularl yont he metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is ar isk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you ,a lway se nsure that the child restraint
system is not expose dtod irect sunlight. Pro-
tect it with ab lanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been expose dtod irect
sunlight, let it cool dow nb efore securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicl eo ccupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly .P articular attention must be pai dt o
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
( Y
pag e4 0) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts ( Y
pag e4 1).
Ab ooster seat may be necessary to achieve
prope rs eat bel tp ositioning for children over
40 lbs (18 kg )u ntil they reach ah eight where a three-point seat bel tc an be properly fastened
without ab ooster seat.
Special seatbelt retractor
G WARNING
If the seat bel tisr eleased while driving, the
child restraint system wil lnol onger be
secure dp roperly .T he special seat bel tr etrac-
tor is disable da nd the inertia real draw sina
portion of the seat belt. The seat bel tc annot
be immediatel yr efastened. There is an
increased risk of injury ,p ossibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicl ei mmediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat bel tr etractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
The seat bel tont he front-passenger's side is
equipped with as pecial seat bel tr etractor.
When activated, the special seat bel tr etractor
ensure st hat the seat bel tc annot slacken once
the child seat is secured.
Installing ac hild restraint system: X
Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. X
Pul lt he seat bel ts moothly out of the belt
loop. X
Engage seat bel tt ongue in bel tb uckle.
Activating the special seat bel tr etractor:X
Pul lt he seat bel to ut full ya nd let the inertia
reel retract it again.
Whil et he seat bel tisr etracting, you should
hear ar atcheting sound .T he special seat belt
retractor is enabled. X
Push the child restraint system dow nsot hat
the seat bel tist ight and does not loosen.
Removing the child restraint system and deac-
tivating the special seat bel tr etractor:X
Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. X
Press the release button of the seat belt
buckle ,h old the bel tt ongue and guide it back
toward st he bel tl oop.
The special seat bel tr etractor is deactivated.54
Children in the vehicle
Safety

Important safety notes
G WAR NING
Adaptive Brake Assist canno ta lways clearly
iden tif yo bj ect sa nd co mple xt ra ff ic situa-
tions.
In suc hc ases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:R
interven eu nnecessar ilyR
no ti ntervene
Ther eisar is kofana cc iden t.
Always pay careful attentio ntot he traff ic sit-
uation and be read yt ob rake. Terminate the
interventio ninan on-cri tical driv ing situation.
G WAR NING
Adaptive Brake Assist does no tr eact:R
to peop le or animalsR
to oncomin gv eh icle sR
to crossing traff icR
when cornering
As ar esult, th eA da pt ive Brake Assist may not
interven eina ll critical conditions. Ther eisa
ris kofana cc iden t.
Always pay careful attentio ntot he traff ic sit-
uation and be read yt ob rake.
Always adapt your spee dtos uit th ep re vailin g
road and traff ic conditions.
Due to th en ature of th es ystem, particularly
co mpli cated but non-critical driv ing conditions
may also caus eB ra ke Assist to intervene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is no ta vailab le due to a
malfunctio nint he radar sensor system, the
brak es ystem remains availab le wit hf ull brake
boostin ge ffect and BA S.
Adaptive brak el ights
i Observ et he "Im portan ts afety notes" sec-
tio n( Y
page 56).
If you brak es harply from as pee dofm or et ha n
50 km /h or if braking is assiste dbyB AS or
Brake Assist wit hC ross-Traffic Assist ,t he brake
lamps flas hr apid ly. In th is way, traff ic traveling
behin dy ou is warned in an eve nm or en ot ic eable
manner. If you brak es harply from as pee dofm or et ha n
70 km /h to as ta ndstill, th eh azard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If th eb rakes
are applie da gain ,t he brak el amps light up con-
tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatical ly if you travel faster than 10 km/h.
You can also switch off th eh azard warning
lamps usin gt he hazard warning button
( Y
page 97).
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observ et he "Importan ts afety notes" sec-
tio n( Y
page 56).
ESP ®
monitors driving stabilit ya nd traction ,i .e .
power transmission between th et ires and the
road surface.
If ESP ®
detect st ha tt he vehicle is deviating from
th ed irection desired by th ed river, on eorm ore
wheel sa re braked to stabiliz et he vehicle .T he
engin eo utput is also modifie dtok ee pt he vehi-
cle on th ed esired course wit hin physical limits.
ESP ®
assists th ed river when pullin ga way on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize
th ev ehicle durin gb raking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observ et he "Importan ts afety notes" sec-
tio n( Y
page 56).
ET St ra ction control is part of ESP ®
.
ET Sb rakes th ed riv ew heel si nd ivid ually if they
spin .T his enables you to pull away and acceler-
ate on slippery surfaces, for example if th er oad
surface is slippery on on es ide .Ina ddit ion ,m ore
driv et or que is transferred to th ew heel or
wheel sw it ht ra ction.
ET Sr emains active when you deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctionin gitw ill no tp rovide
any vehicle stabilization .T her eisani ncreased
ris kofs ki ddin gorofana ccident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Hav eE SP ®
checked at aq ualified specialist
worksho p.60
Driving safety systems
Safety

SmartKey
Important safety notes
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 PR
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, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applie stom obile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app.
G WARNING
If you attach heavy or large object stot he
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a
risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large object stot he
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
insertin gt he SmartKey into the ignition lock.
! Keep the SmartKey away from stron gm ag-
netic fields. Otherwise, the remote control
function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the vicin-
ity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey: R
with electronic devices, e.g. am obile phone
or another SmartKey R
with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil R
inside metallic objects, e.g. am etal case
This can affect the functionality of the Smart-
Key. SmartKey functions
C
7 Locks the vehicleD
T Unlock st he trunk lid

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The engine cannot be
started using the Smart-
Key. The on-board voltage is too low. X
Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work: X
Check the starter battery and charge it if necessary ( Y
page 253).
or X
Jump-start the vehicle ( Y
page 253).
or X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle. The vehicle is locked. X
Unlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again.
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged. X
Check the SmartKey battery ( Y
page 68) and replace it if necessary
( Y
page 68).
If this does not work: X
Start your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
There is interference from ap owerful source of radio waves.X
Start your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
You have lost aS mart-
Key. X
Have the SmartKey deactivated at aq ualified specialist workshop.X
Report the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers. X
If necessary, have the locks changed as well.
You have lost the
mechanical key. X
Report the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers. X
If necessary, have the locks changed as well.
The side windows cannot
be opened or closed
using the convenience
opening/closing fea-
ture. The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged. X
Check the SmartKey battery ( Y
page 68) and replace it if necessary
( Y
page 68).
Doors
Important safety notes
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.70
Doors
Opening and closing

As soo na st he ignition is switched on, al lt he
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up .F urther informatio nons it uations where an
indicator lamp either fails to go ou ta fte rs tarting
the engine or lights up whil ed riving
( Y
page 204).
If Start/Stop button C ha sn ot ye tb ee n
pressed, thi sc orrespond stot he key being
remove df rom the ignition.X
To switc hont he power supply: press
Start/Stop button C once.
The powe rs uppl yiss wi tched on. Yo uc an now
activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The powe rs uppl yiss wi tched off agai ni f:R
the driver's door is opene da ndR
yo up ress Start/Stop button C twice when
in thi sp ositionX
To switc hont he ignition: press Start/Stop
button C twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If yo up ress Start/Stop button C once when
in thi sp osit ion, the ignition is switched off
again.
Removing the Start/Sto pb uttonYo uc an remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicl easn ormal
using the SmartKey. X
Remove Start/Stop button C from ignition
lock D .
Yo udon ot have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when yo ul eave the
vehicle. Yo us hould, however, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the Sma rtKe y isint h
e vehicle:R
the vehicl ec an be started using the Start/
Stop button R
the electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If children ar el ef tu nsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
operate the vehicle's equipment. Additionally, children could set the vehicl ei n
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake R
shift the automatic transmission ou tofp ar k
position P R
start the engine
There is ar is kofana ccident and injury.
Never leav ec hildren or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
Whe nl eavi ng the vehicle, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou and lock the vehicle. This
also applie stom obil ep hones if the "Digital
Ca rK ey in smartphone "f un ctio ni sa ctivated
via the Mercedes me connect we ba pp .
G WARNING
Combustion engine se mi tp oiso nou se xhaust
gases such as carbo nm onoxide. Inhaling
thes ee xhaus tg as es lead stop oiso ning. There
is ar is koff ata li njury .T herefore neve rl eave
the engine running in enclose ds paces with-
ou ts uf ficient ventilation.
G WARNING
Flammabl em at erial si ntroduced through
environmenta li nfluence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaus ts ys tem or
parts of the engine tha th ea tu p. There is ar isk
of fire.
Carry ou tr egular checks to make sure that
ther ea re no flammabl ef oreig nm at erial si n
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
During ac ol ds tart, the engine runs at higher
speed stoe nabl et he catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature .T he sound of
the engine ma yc hange during thi st ime.
Automati ct ransmission X
Depres st he brake peda la nd kee pi t
depressed. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .
Transmission positio nd is play ] is shown in
the multifunctio nd is play.Driving 117
Driving an dp arking Z

i You can star tt he engin eint ra nsmission
position ] and \\ .
Starting procedur ew ith th eS martKeyTo star tt he engin eu sing the SmartKey instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button out
of the ignition lock. X
Turn the SmartKey to position I in the igni-
tion lock ( Y
page 116 )a nd release it as soon
as the engin eisr unning.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start th ee ngineThe Start/Stop button can be used to star tt he
vehicle manually without insertin gt he SmartKey
int ot he ignition lock .T he Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for
startin gt he engin eo perates independently of
the ECO start/sto pa utomatic engin es tar tf unc-
tion. X
Depress the brak ep edal and keep it
depressed. X
Press the Start/Stop button once
( Y
page 116).
The engin es tarts.
Pulling away
Genera ln otes
G WARNING
If the engin es peed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
ar isk of an accident.
When engagin gt ra nsmission position D or R ,
always firmly depres st he brak ep edal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
! Change gear in good tim ea nd avoid spin-
nin gt he wheels. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle lock sc entrally onc ey ou have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time. You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature ( Y
page 173).
It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position ] to the desired position if you
depres st he brak ep edal. Only the nist he shift
lock released.
i Upshifts tak ep lace at higher engin es peeds
afte rac old start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brak e( Y
page 133).
Hill start assist Hill star ta ssist helps you when pulling away
forwar dorinr everse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for as hor tt im ea fte ry ou have
removed your foot from the brak ep edal. This
gives you enough tim etom ove your foot from
the brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal and to
depres sitb efor et he vehicle begins to roll.
G WARNING
After as hor tt ime, hill star ta ssist will no lon-
ger brak ey our vehicle and it could roll away.
There is ar isk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brak ep edal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill star ta ssist is not active if: R
you are pulling away on al evel road or on a
downhill gradient R
the transmission is in position \\R
the electric parking brak eisa ppliedR
ESP ®
is malfunctioning
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/sto pf unction switches the
engin eo ff automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engin es tarts automatically when the driver
want stop ull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.118
Driving
Driving and parking

drive program, regardless of the display in the
multimedia system display.
In urban traffic and stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended.
Available drive programs:
C Comfort Comfortable and economi-
cal driving characteristics
S Sport Sport yd riving characteris-
tics
S+ Sport Plus Particularly sport yd riving
characteristics
I Individual Individual settings
E Economy Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 125).
Automatic transmission
Important safet yn otes
G WARNING
If the engin es peed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
G WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is ar isk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parkin gp osition P .P reven tt he parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions
! If the engin es peed is too high or the vehicle
is in motion ,don ot shift the automatic trans-
mission directly from [ to ^ ,f rom ^ to [
or directly to ] .
Do not open the driver' sd oor while the vehi-
cle is in motion .Atl ow speeds in transmission
position [ or ^ ,o therwise park position ]
is engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
]
Park position ^
Reverse gear \\
Neutral [
Drive
The selector lever always return stoi ts original
position .T he curren tt ransmission position ] ,
^ , \\ or [ is shown in the transmission posi-
tion display in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
All vehicles (except for Mercedes-AMG
SLC 43)
C
Transmission position
D
Gear

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