ESP MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 User Guide

continu etop erform thei rp rotective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of ac rash.
G WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnicall ya re no longer opera-
tiona la nd are unabl etop erform thei ri nten-
ded protective function. Thi sp oses an
increase dr is kofi njury or eve nf ata li njury.
Have pyrotechnicall yt riggere dE mergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediatel yata
qualified specialist workshop.
An electri cm otor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the sea tb el tinh az ardous
situations. Thi sp rocedure is reversible.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or ai rb ag sa re deployed, yo uw il lh ea rab an g,
and some powder may also be released .T he
u restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rar ec ase sw il lt he bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute ah ealth hazard ,b ut it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in peopl ew it h
asthma or othe rr espiratory problems. Provided
it is saf etodos o, yo us houl dl ea ve the vehicle
immediatel yoro pe nt he window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contai np erchlorate material,
which may require specia lh an dling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observe dd ur ing disposal .InC alif ornia, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Metho dofo perationDuring the firs ts tag eofac ollision, the restraint
system control uni te valuates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as: R
duration R
direction R
intensity
Base dont he evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control uni tt riggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during af ronta lo r
rea rc ollision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if: R
the ignition is switched on R
the components of the restraint system are
operational .Y ou can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
( Y
page 38) R
the sea tb el tb uc kle tongu eh as engaged in
the bel tb uc kle of the respectiv es eat
If the restraint system control uni td etects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activate di ndepend-
ently of each othe rinc ertain fronta lc ollision
situations: R
Front ai rb ag sasw el lasd river' sa nd front-
passenger knee bags
The front-passenger front ai rb ag is activate do r
deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front
ai rb ag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG indicator lamps ( Y
page 39).
You rv ehicle ha st wo-stage front ai rb ag s. In the
firs td eployment stage, the front ai rb ag is filled
with propellant gas. The front ai rb ag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of prop el-
l
ant ga sifas econd deployment threshol di s
reached within af ew milliseconds.
The activation threshol doft he Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the ai rb ag sisd etermined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at variou sp oints in
the vehicle .T hi sp rocess is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shoul dt ake place in good
time at the star toft he collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determine db y: R
the distribution of force sd ur ing the collisionR
the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehicle R
the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle ha sc ollided
Factor sw hich can only be see na nd measured
afte rac ollision ha so ccurred do not play ad eci-
siv er ol eint he deployment of an ai rb ag .N or do
they provid eani ndication of ai rb ag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deforme dc onsiderably ,w it h-
ou tana ir ba gb eing deployed. Thi sist he case if
only parts which are relativel ye as il yd eformedOccupan ts afety 51
Safety Z

are affected and th er at eofd eceleratio nisn ot
high .C onversely, air bags may be deployed even
though th ev ehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is th ec as ei f, for example, ver yr igid
vehicle part ss uc hasl ongitudinal body mem-
bers are hit ,a nd sufficient deceleratio no ccurs
as ar esult.
If th er estraint system control unit detect sas ide
impac torift he vehicle roll so ver, th ea pplicable
component soft he restraint system are
deployed independently of each other depend-
ing on th ea pparent type of accident.R
Sid ei mpac ta ir bag on th es ide of impact,
independently of th eE me rgenc yT ensioning
Devic ea nd th eu se of th es eat belt on the
driver' ss eat
The side impac ta ir bag on th ef ront -
passenger side deploys unde rt he following
conditions: -
th eO CS system detect st ha tt he front-
passenger seat is occupied or -
th es eat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
th eb elt buckle of th ef ront-pa ssenger seatR
Head bag on th es ide of impact, independ-
ently of th eu se of th es eat belt and inde-
pendently of whether th ef ront-pa ssenger
seat is occupied R
Emergenc yT ensioning Devices, if th es ystem
determine st ha td eploymen tc an offer addi-
tional protection in this situation R
Head bags on th ed river' sa nd front-
passenger side in certain situations when the
vehicle roll so ve r, if t h es ystem
determines
that deploymen tc an offer additional protec-
tio ntot ha tp rovided by th es eat belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The differen ta ir bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How th ea ir bag system work sisd etermined
by th es everit yoft he acciden td etected,
especially th ev ehicle deceleratio nora ccel-
eration and th ea pparent type of accident:R
Frontal collision R
Sid ei mpactR
Rollover NECK-PR Oh ea dr estraints
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The function of th eh ead restraint may be
impaired if you: R
attach object ss uc hasc oat hanger stot he
head restraints, for example R
use head restraint covers
If you do so, th eh ead restraint sc anno tf ulfill
their intended protective function in th ee vent
of an accident. In addition ,o bject sa ttached
to th eh ead restraint sc oul de ndanger other
vehicle occupants. Ther eisani ncreased risk
of injury.
Do no ta ttach any object stot he head
restraint sa nd do no tu se head restraint cov-
ers.
Method of operation NECK-PRO head restraint sr educ et he likelihood
of head and chest injuries .T he NECK-PRO head
restraint sont he driver' sa nd front-passenger
seat sa re moved forwards and upwards in the
even tofar ear-en dc ollision of ac ertain severity.
This provides bette rh ead support.
If th eN EC K-PRO head restraint sh ave been trig-
gered in an accident, you must reset th eN EC K-
PRO head restraint sont he driver’s and front-
passenger seat ( Y
page 53) .O th erwise, the
additional protection will no tbea vailabl eint he
even tofa nother rear-en dc ollision .Y ou can rec-
ognize when NECK-PRO head restraint sh ave
been triggered by th ef ac tt ha tt he yh ave moved
forwards and can no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Ben zr ecommend st ha ty ou have the
NECK-PRO head restraint sc he cked for func-
tionalit yataq ualified specialist workshop after
ar ear-en dc ollision.52
Occupant safety
Safety

Child restraint system The use of seat belt sa nd child restraint systems
is required by law in: R
all 50 states R
th eU .S .t erri toriesR
th eD istrict of ColumbiaR
all Canadian provinces
You can obtain further informatio na bout the
correc tc hi ld restraint system from any author-
ize dM ercedes-Ben zC enter.
G WARNING
If th ec hi ld restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on as uitable seat ,itc anno tp rotect as
intended. The child canno tt he nber estrained
in th ee vent of an accident, heav yb raking or
sudde nc ha nges of direction .T her eisa n
increased ris kofi njury, possibly eve nf atal.
Mak es ure that you observ et he child restraint
system manufacturer' si nstallatio ni nstruc-
tions and th en otes on use. Pleas ee ns ure,
that th eb ase of th ec hi ld restraint system is
always restin gc ompletely on th es eat cush-
ion .N ever plac eo bjects, e.g .c ushions, under
or behin dt he child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems wit ht he original cover
designe df or them. Only replace damaged
covers wit hg enuine covers.
G WARNING
If th ec hi ld restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is no ts ecured, it can com el oos ei n
th ee vent of an accident, heav yb raking or a
sudde nc ha ng eind irection .T he child
restraint system coul dbet hr own about ,s tr ik-
ing vehicle occupants .T her eisani ncreased
ris kofi njury, possibly eve nf atal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, eve nift he ya re no tb ein gu sed. Make
sure that you observ et he child restraint sys-
te mm anufacturer' si nstallatio ni nstructions.
Further informatio nons to win go bjects, luggage
and loads securely can be foun du nde r“ Stowi ng
options/stowage compartments”
( Y
page 219). G WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securin gs ys-
tems whic hh ave been damaged or subjected
to al oad in an acciden tc an no longer protect
as intended. The child canno tt he nb e
restraine dint he event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudde nc ha nges of direction .T here
is an increased ris kofi njury, possibly even
fatal.
Replac ec hi ld restraint systems whic hh ave
been damaged or subjected to al oad in an
acciden tass oon as possible. Hav et he secur-
ing systems on th ec hi ld restraint system
checked at aq ualified specialist workshop,
before you install ac hi ld restraint system
again.
The securin gs ystem of child restraint systems is
th es eat belt system.
i If you install ac hi ld restraint system on the
front-passenger seat ,bes ure to observ et he
instruction sa nd safety note sont he "Occu-
pan tC lassificatio nS yste m( OCS)"
( Y
page 45). Ther ey ou will also fin di nforma-
tio nond eactivatin gt he front-passenger front
air bag.
All child restraint systems must mee tt he fol-
lowin gs ta ndards: R
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safet yS ta ndards
21 3a nd 225 R
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safet yS ta ndards
21 3a nd 210.2
Confirmation that th ec hi ld restraint system cor-
responds to th es ta ndards can be foun dona n
instruction label on th ec hi ld restraint system.
This confir mation can also be foun di nt he instal-
lation instruction st ha ta re included wit ht he
child restraint system.
Observ et he warning labels in th ev ehicle inte-
rior and on th ec hi ld restraint system.
Child restraint system on th ef ro nt-
passenge rs eat
General notes
If you install ac hi ld restraint system on the
front-passenger seat ,a lways observ et heChildren in th ev ehicle 55
Safety Z

instructions and safet yn otes on the "Occupant
Classification System (OCS)" ( Y
page 45).
You can thus avoid the risk st hat could arise as
ar esult of: R
an incorrectly categorized perso nint he front-
passenger seat R
the unintentional deactivatio noft he front-
passenger front air bag R
the unsuitable positionin goft he child
restraint system, e.g. too clos etot he dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install ar earward-
facin gc hild restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenge rf ront air bag is deactivated.
Only if the PASSENGER AI RB AG OFF indicator
lamp is permanently lit ( Y
page 39) is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer' si nstallation and operating instruc-
tions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If you secur eac hild in af orward-facin gc hild
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat,
always move the front-passenge rs eat as far
back as possible .T he entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushio noft he front-passenge rs eat. The back-
rest of the child restraint system must lie as flat
as possible against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat. The child restraint system must
not touc ht he roof or be subjected to al oad by
the head restraint .A djust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position accord-
ingly. Always make sure that the shoulder belt
strap is correctly routed fro mt he front-
passenger seat belt guide to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system. The shoul-
der belt strap must be routed forward and down
fro mt he front-passenge rs eat belt guide.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer' si nstallation and operating instruc-
tions. Pets in th ev ehicle
G WARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, the yc ould press buttons or
switches, for example.
As ar esult ,t he yc ould: R
activat ev ehicle equipmen ta nd become
trapped, for example R
activat eord eactivat es ystems, thereby
endangerin go ther road users
Unsecure da nimals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the even tofana ccident or sud-
den steerin gorb raking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is ar isk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secur ea nimals properly during
the journey, e.g. use as uitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems In this section, you will fin di nformation about
the followin gd rivin gs afet ys ystems:R
AB S( A nti-lock B raking S ystem)
( Y
page 57) R
BA S( B rake A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 57)R
Activ eB rak eA ssist ( Y
page 58)R
Adaptive brak el ight s( Y
page 60)R
ESP ®
( E lectronic S tability P rogram)
( Y
page 60) R
EB D( E lectronic B ra ke force D istribution)
( Y
page 63) R
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ( Y
page 63)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gs tyle or if you are
inattentive, the drivin gs afet ys ystems can nei-
the rr educ et he risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics .D ri vin gs afet ys ystems are
merely aids designed to assist driving.56
Driving safety systems
Safety

You are responsible for maintainin gt he distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for
braking in good time, and for stayin ginl ane.
Always adapt your drivin gs tyle to suit the pre-
vailing road and weather condition sa nd main-
tain as afe distance from the vehicle in front.
Drive carefully.
The drivin gs afet ys ystems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contac tb etwee nt he tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tir et re ad depth se tc .int he "Wheels and tires"
section ( Y
page 260).
In wintry drivin gc onditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, sno wc hains.
Only in this way will the drivin gs afet ys ystems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Genera li nformationAB Sr egulates brak ep ressure in such aw ay that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steerin gt he vehicle when
braking.
The % AB Sw arnin gl amp in the instrument
cluster light supw hen the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engin eisr unning.
AB Sw ork sf rom as peed of about 5m ph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surfac ec onditions.
AB Sw ork sons lippery surfaces, even when you
only brak eg ently.
Important safet yn otes
i Observe the "Importan ts afet yn otes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 56).
G WARNING
If AB Sism alfunctioning, the wheels could
lock when braking. The steerabilit ya nd brak-
ing characteristics would be severely affec-
ted. There is an increased danger of skidding
and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have AB Sc hecked imme-
diately at aq ualified specialis tw orkshop.
When AB Sism alfunctioning, other systems,
including drivin gs afet ys ystems, will also becom ei noperative .O bserve the information
on the AB Sw arnin gl amp ( Y
page 204) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrumen tc luster ( Y
page 179).
Brakes X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depres st he
brak ep edal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over. X
To make af ull brake application: depress
the brak ep edal with full force.
If AB Si ntervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brak ep edal.
The pulsatin gb rak ep edal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and function sasa
reminder to tak ee xtra care while driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
Genera li nformationBA So perates in emergenc yb raking situations.
If you depres st he brak ep edal quickly, BAS
automatically boost st he braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safet yn otes
i Observe the "Importan ts afet yn otes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 56).
G WARNING
If BA Sism alfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergenc yb raking situation is
increased. There is ar isk of an accident.
In an emergenc yb raking situation, depress
the brak ep edal with full force. AB Sp revents
the wheels from locking.
Braking X
Keep the brak ep edal firmly depressed until
the emergenc yb raking situation is over.
AB Sp revent st he wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual onc ey ou
release the brak ep edal. BA Sisd eactivated.Driving safet ys ystems 57
Safety Z

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

When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP ®
( Y
page 257).
If the

Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivatedIf ESP ®
is deactivate da nd on eorm or ew heels
start to spin ,t he

X
To deactivate ESP ®
: press button C until
the

Locking/unlockin gc entrallyYou can start ,l oc koru nlock th ev ehicle using
KEYLESS-GO .Todot hi s, you onl yn ee dc arry the
SmartKey with you. You can combine th ef unc-
tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of ac onven-
tional SmartKey. Unloc kt he vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO ,f or instance, and loc kitu sin gt he
7 button on th eS ma rtKey.
The driver' sd oor and th ed oor at whic ht he han-
dle is used, must bot hbec losed. The SmartKey
must be outside th ev ehicle .W hen locking or
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO ,t he distance
between th ek ey and th ec orresponding door
handle must not be greater than 3ft(1m ).
Ac heck whic hp eriodicall ye stablishe sar adio
connectio nb etween th ev ehicle and th eS ma rt-
Key determine sw hether av alid SmartKey is in
th ev ehicle .T his occurs, for example:R
when starting th ee ngineR
while driving R
when th ee xternal door handles are touched
X
To unlock th ev ehicle: touch th ei nner sur-
fac eoft he door handle.X
To lock th ev ehicle: touch sensor surface C
or D .
Mak es ure that you do not touch th ei nner
surface of th ed oor handle.X
Convenience closing feature: touch
recesse ds ensor surface D for an extended
period.
Further informatio nont he convenience clos-
ing feature ( Y
page 76).
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use aS ma rtKey for an
extended perio doft ime, you can deactivate the
KEYLESS-GO function of th ek ey. The SmartKey
will then use ver yl ittle power ,t he reb yc onserv- ing battery power .F or th ep urposes of activa-
tion/deactivation, th ev ehicle must not be
nearby. X
To deactivate: pres st he 7 button on the
SmartKey twic einr apid succession.
The battery check lamp ( Y
page 68 )oft he
SmartKey flashes twic eb riefly and light su p
once, then KEYLESS-GO is deactivated. X
To activate: pres sa ny button on th eS ma rt-
Key.
or X
Inser tt he SmartKey int ot he ignitio nl ock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associate df eatures
are available again.
Changing th es ettings of th el ocking
system You can change th es ettings of th el ockin gs ys-
tem .T his mean so nl yt he driver' sd oor ,t he lock-
able stowage compartments in th ev ehicle inte-
rior and th ef uel filler flap are unlocked when the
vehicle is unlocked. This is useful if you fre-
quently travel alone. X
To change th es etting: pres sa nd hold down
the 6 and 7 buttons simultaneously
for about six second su ntil th eb attery indica-
to rl amp ( Y
page 68 )f lashes twice.
If th es ettin goft he lockin gs ystem is changed
within th es ignal range of th ev ehicle ,p ressing
the 7 or 6 button: R
locks or R
unlock st he vehicle
The SmartKey now function sasf ollows:X
To unlock: pres st he 6 button once.X
To unlock centrally: pres st he 6 button
twice. X
To lock centrally: pres st he 7 button.
The KEYLESS-GO function is changed as fol-
lows: X
To unlock th ed ri ver's door: touch th ei nner
surface of th ed oor handle on th ed river's
door. X
To unlock centrally: touch th ei nner surface
of th ed river or front-passenger door handle. X
To lock centrally: touch th eo uter sensor
surface on one of th ed oor handles.66
SmartKey
Opening and closing