MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class 2016 R231 Owner's Manual

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The coolant tempera-
ture gauge shows a
value above 248 ‡
(120 †). The coolant
warning lamp may also
be on and a warning
tone may sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 539). Observe the warning
notes as 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
sufficiently.
XAt coolant temperatures below 248 ‡ (120 †), drive to the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions
!If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the transmis-
sion directly from Dto R, from Rto Dor
directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in trans-
mission position Dor R, park position Pis
otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
jPark position
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
Automatic transmission159
Driving and parking
Z

The selector lever always returns to its origi-
nal position. The current transmission posi-
tionP,R, Nor Dappears in the transmission
position display in the multifunction display.
Engaging park position P
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPress the Pbutton in the center console.
iPark position Pis disengaged if you:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the selector lever forwards or back
to the first point of resistance
The transmission shifts to neutral N.
Park position Pis engaged automatically and
the electric parking brake applied:
Rif you remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock
Rif you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's or front-
passenger door
Rif you open the driver's door while traveling
at low speed in transmission position Dor
R
Under certain conditions, the automatic
transmission shifts automatically to transmis-
sion position Pif the HOLD function or
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Observe the
information on the HOLD function
(
Ypage 192) and on DISTRONIC PLUS
(
Ypage 186).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor- mation on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 155).
Shifting to neutral N
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever forwards or back to
the first point of resistance.
Remaining in neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
Using the SmartKey:
RMake sure that the ignition is switched on.
RWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
RShift to neutral N.
RRelease the brake pedal.
RIf the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
RSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
160Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

With KEYLESS-GO:
RMake sure that the ignition is switched on.
RWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
REngage park positionP.
RRelease the brake pedal.
RRemove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
RInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
RSwitch on the ignition.
RDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
RShift to neutralN.
RRelease the brake pedal.
RIf the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
RSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Shifting to transmission position D
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
Display in transmission positions P, R
and N
:Transmission position: currently selected
transmission position will be highlighted
;Drive program
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: in addition to
drive program ;being shown in the multi-
function display, the currently selected drive program is indicated in red on the drive pro-
gram selector (
Ypage 163).
Display when in transmission position D
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program
When you have selected drive program Eor S,
the transmission position is displayed in posi-
tion :. The selected gear is displayed in
position ;.
Display when in transmission position D
and drive program M
:Gear
;Drive program (M)
Automatic transmission161
Driving and parking
Z

Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into
positionPwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary (
Ypage 159). The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the SmartKey is removed from
the ignition lock, the transmission
is locked.
The automatic transmission shifts
into Pautomatically:
Rwhen the SmartKey is removed
from the ignition lock
Rwhen the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
R or Dand one of the doors is
opened
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal will allow
you to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission only to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program (Ypage 163)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
(
Ypage 162)
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
162Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Double-clutch function
Whenshiftin gdown ,th edouble-clutch func-
tion is active regardles sof th ecurrentl yselec -
te ddrive program. The double-clutch function
reduce sload chang ereaction sand is condu-
cive to asport ydrivin gstyle. The soun dgen -
erate dby th edouble-clutch function depend s
on th edrive program selected.
Kickdown
Use kickdown fo rmaximum acceleration .
XDepress theaccelerator peda lbeyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio nshift sto a
lowe rgear dependin gon th eengin espeed.
XEase of fth eaccelerator peda lonce th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmissio nshift sbac kup.
Program selector butto n
Selecting drive program
Program selecto rbutto n: allow syou to
choos ebetween differen tdrivin gcharacter-
istics.
XPress program selecto rbutto n: repeat -
edly until th elette rfo rth edesire ddrive
program appears in th emultifunction dis -
play of th espeedometer.
RE Economy: comfortable, economical
drivin g
RSSport: sport ydrivin gstyle
RM Manual: manual gearshiftin g
iThe automatic transmissionshift sto
automatic drive program Eeac htime th e
engin eis started.
iFurther information about permanen t
drive program M(
Ypage 166).
As well as this permanen tdrive program M,
you can also activat etemporar ydrive pro -
gram M(
Ypage 165).
iFurther information on th e"Automatic
drive program" (
Ypage 164).
Drive program s(Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Wit hth edrive program selecto rswitch ,you
can choos efrom arange of differen ttrans -
missio nconfiguration sor selec tth eRAC E
START drive mode.
XTur ndrive program selecto r: until th e
desire ddrive program appears in th emul-
tifunction display.
The drive program indicator on th edrive
program selecto rlights up red .
RCControlle dEfficiency: comfortable
engin eand transmissio ndesign that pro -
vides fo roptimum fue lconsumption
RS Sport: sport yengin eand transmissio n
setting s
RS+SportPlus: especially sport yengin eand
transmissio nsetting s
RMManual: manual gearshiftin g
RRS drivingmode RACESTART :optimum
acceleration dynamic sfrom astandstill
(Mercedes-AMG SL 63 only)
Automatic transmission163
Driving and parking
Z

iThe automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
iFurther information about permanent
drive program M(
Ypage 166).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 165).
iRS cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE
START, see (
Ypage 192).
AMG button (SETUP)
You can save and call up the following pre-
settings with the AMG button:
RDrive program (Ypage 163)
RSuspension tuning
XTo store: press and hold AMG button :
until you hear a tone.
XTo call up: press AMG button :.
The stored drive program is selected.
XTo display: briefly press AMG button :.
The multifunction display shows the SETUP
in the AMG menu (
Ypage 236).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
:Left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
;Right-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters (
Ypage 165).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 166).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(
Ypage 165).
iThe full range of functions for the steering
wheel paddle shifters is available only once operating temperature has been reached.
iYou can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S
Drive program Eis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rcomfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
164Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Rthe vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rsporty engine and transmission settings.
Rthe vehicle pulling away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later. the fuel consumption possibly being
higher as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters. The transmission must be in posi-
tion D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
iAs well as temporary drive program M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 163).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 166).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 164).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans- mission immediately shifts into the next gear
down or up, if permitted.
XTo shift up:
pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 164).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 164).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Disarming
If you have activated manual drive program
M , it will remain active for a certain amount of
time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of
lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
Automatic transmission165
Driving an d parking
Z

If manual drive programMhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (
Ypage 164).
or
XUse the lever to switch the transmission
position.
or
XUse the program selector button to change the drive program (
Ypage 163).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
Manual drive program
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
iAs well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(
Ypage 165).
Switching on the manual drive program
Manual drive program Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
You can select manual drive program Mwith
the program selector button or the drive pro- gram selector (Mercedes-AMG vehicles). In
manual drive program M, you can change
gear using the steering wheel paddle shifters
if the transmission is in position D. The selec-
ted gear appears in the multifunction display.
XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 163) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: turn the drive
program selector until Mappears in the
multifunction display (
Ypage 163).
Shifting gears
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 164).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 164).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
XMaximum acceleration: pull the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
iIf you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission
will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
166Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Mercedes-AMG vehicles
!In manual drive programM, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
XWhen the UPmessage is shown in the mul-
tifunction display, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is not possible
to use kickdown in manual drive program M.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 163).
XMercedes-AMG vehicles:turn the drive
program selector (
Ypage 163).
Automatic transmission167
Driving and parking
Z

Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift intosecondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
168Refueling
Driving and parking