brake MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 Owner's Guide

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you driv eons alted roads ,al ayer of salt resi-
due may for mont he brak ed isc sa nd brake
pads. This can result in as ignificantly longer
braking distance. R
In orde rtop revent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
th et ra ffic conditions.R
Carefully depress th eb rak ep edal and the
beginnin ga nd end of aj ou rney.R
Maintain ag reater distanc etot he vehicle
ahead.
Servicing th eb rakes
! The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow, if:R
if th er ed brak ew arning lamp light supi n
th ei nstrumen tc luster andR
you hear aw arning tone while th ee ngine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow due to
brak ep ad wear or leaking brak el ines.
Hav et he brak es ystem checked immediately.
Consult aq ualifie ds pecialist workshop to
arrange this.
! As th eE SP ®
system operates automatically,
th ee ngine and th ei gnitio nm ust be switched
off (th eS ma rtKey must be in position

Drivin gonw et road s
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to ac ertai nd ept ho n
th er oa ds urface, there is ad anger of hydro-
planin go cc urring.
Fo rt hi sr eason ,int he event of heav yr ain or in
condition sinw hic hh ydroplaning may occur ,
you mus td rive in th ef ol lowin gm anner:R
lowe ry our speedR
avoid rut sR
avoid sudden steerin gm ov ementsR
brake carefully
Drivin gonf looded road s
! Do no td rive through floode da reas. Chec k
th ed ept hofa ny water befor ed rivin gt hrou gh
it .D ri ve slowly through standin gw ater. Oth-
erwise ,w ater could ente rt he vehicle interio r
or engin ec om partment. It can then damage
th ee ng ine's or automatic transmission' s
electronic components. It can also be sucke d
in by th ee ng ine's air intake connection and
cause engin ed amage.
Winte rd ri vin g
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lipper yr oa ds urfac ei n
an attempt to increase th ee ng ine's braking
effect ,t he drive wheels could los et he ir grip.
There is an increase dd anger of skidding and
accidents .
Do no ts hift down fo ra dditional engin eb rak-
in gonas lipper yr oa ds urface.
G DANGER
If th ee xh aus tp ipe is blocke dora dequat e
ventilation is no tp ossible, poisonous gases
suc hasc arbon monoxide (CO) may ente rt he
vehicle. Thi sist he case, e.g. if th ev ehicle
becomes trappe dins no w. There is ar is ko f
fatal injury.
If you leav et he engin eort he auxiliar yh eatin g
running ,m ak es ur et he exhaus tp ipe and are a
around th ev ehicle are clear of snow. To
ensur eana dequat es upply of fresh air, ope na window on th es id eoft he vehicle that is no t
facin gi nt ot he wind.
Hav ey our vehicle winter-proofed at aq ualified
specialis tw orkshop at th eo ns et of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yr oa ds ur -
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration ,s te erin ga nd
braking maneuvers .Don ot use cruise control.
If th ev ehicle threatens to skid or canno tb e
stopped when movin gatl ow speed:X
Shift th et ra nsmissio ntop osition \\ .
The outsid et em perature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gd evic ea nd
is therefore unsuitable fo rt ha tp urpose.
Changes in th eo utsid et em perature are dis -
playe da fter as hort delay.
Indicated temperature sj us ta bov et he freezin g
poin tdon ot guarantee that th er oa ds urfac ei s
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your drivin gs ty le. Always
adapt your drivin gs ty le and drive at as peed to
suit th ep revailin gw eather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tion sw hen temperature sa re around freezin g
point.
Fo rm or ei nformat ion on drivin gw it hs no w
chains, see ( Y
page 262).
Fo rm or ei nformat i on on drivin gw i t hs ummer
tires ,s ee ( Y
page 262).
Observ et he note sint he "Winte ro peration "s ec -
tion ( Y
page 262).
Drivin gs ystems
Cruis ec ontro l
General notes Cruise contro lm aintain sac onstan tr oa ds peed
fo ry ou. It brake sa utomatically in order to avoid
exceedin gt he set speed. On lon ga nd steep
downhill gradients, especially if th ev ehicle is
laden, you mus ts elec tal owe rg ear in goo dt im e.
By doin gs o, you will mak eu se of th eb raking
effect of th ee ng ine. Thi sr elieves th el oad on th e
brake syste ma nd prevents th eb rake sf ro m
overheatin ga nd wearin gt oo quickly.
Use cruise contro lo nl yifr oa da nd traffic con-
dition sm ak eita ppropriat etom aintain as te ady138
Driving systems
Driving an dp arking

Do not us eD istance Assist DISTRONI Co nr oads
with stee pg radients.
As Distance Assist DISTRONI Ct ransmits radar
waves ,itc an resemble the rada rd et ectors of
the responsibl ea ut horities. Yo uc an refer to the
relevant chapte rint he Operator' sM an ua li f
questions ar ea sk ed abou tt his.
i USA only: Thi sd ev ic eh as been approved by
the FCC as a" Vehi cula rR adar System" .T he
rada rs ensor is intende df or us einana ut o-
motive rada rs ys tem only. Removal ,t amper-
ing ,ora lt ering of the devic ew il lv oi da ny war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC .D o
not tampe rw it h, alter, or us eina ny non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to thi sd ev ice
could voi dt he user' sa ut hority to operate the
equipment.
i Canad ao nly: Thi sd ev ic ec omplies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operatio ni s
subject to the following two conditions:
1. Thi sd ev ic em ay not cause interference,
and
2. Thi sd ev ic em us ta ccep ta ny interference
received, including interferenc et ha tm ay
cause undesired operatio noft he device.
Removal ,t ampering, or altering of the device
will voi da ny warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tampe rw it h, alter, or us eina ny non-
approved way.
Any unau thorized modification to thi sd ev i ce
could voi dt he user' sa ut hority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot react to:R
people or animals R
stationar yo bj ects on the road, e.g .s topped
or parked vehicles R
oncomin gv ehicles and crossing traffic
As ar esult, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay
neithe rg iv ew ar nings nor intervene in such
situations. There is ar is kofana ccident.
Alway sp ay carefu la ttentio ntot he traffi cs it -
uatio na nd be ready to brake. G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc anno ta lway s
clearly identify othe rr oa du se rs and complex
traffi cs it uations.
In such cases, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay :R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neithe rg iv eaw ar ning nor intervene R
accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is ar is kofana ccident.
Continu etod rive carefull ya nd be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC
warns you.
G WARNING
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cb rakes your vehicle
with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If thi sd ec eleratio ni sn ot suffi-
cient, Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca le rts you
with av isua la nd acoustic warning. There is a
ris kofana ccident.
Apply the brakes yoursel fint hese situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cort he
HOLD functio ni sa ctivated ,t he vehicle
brakes automaticall yinc ertain situations.
To avoi dd amag etot he vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca nd the HOLD
functio nint he following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
If yo uf ai ltoa dapt your drivin gs tyle ,D istance
Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc an neithe rr educe the ris ko f
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc anno tt ake into
account road, weather or traffi cc onditions. Dis-
tance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ciso nl yana id .Y ou are
responsibl ef or the distance to the vehicl ei n
front, for vehicl es peed, for braking in good time
and for staying in your lane.Driving system s 141
Dr ivi ng an dp arking Z

Changing lanes If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
change to th eo vertakin gl ane ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONIC support sy ou if:R
you are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/ h)R
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci sm ai ntaining the
distance to av ehicl einf rontR
yo us wi tch on the appropriate tur ns ig nalR
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot currently
detect ad an ge rofc ollision
If these conditions ar ef ul filled ,y ou rv ehicl ei s
accelerated .A cceleratio nw il lbei nterrupte di f
changing lanes take st oo long or if the distance
between your vehicl ea nd the vehicl einf ront
become st oo small.
i When yo uc hange lanes ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONI Cm onitors the left lane (o nl ef t-
hand-driv ev ehicles) or the right lane (o nr ight-
hand-driv ev ehicles).
Stopping
G WARNING
If yo ul eave the vehicl ew he nitiso nl yb ei ng
braked by Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC, it could
rol la wa yi f:R
there is am al functio nint he system or in
the voltag es upply.R
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci ss wi tched off
using the cruis ec ontro ll ev er ,e .g .b yav ehi-
cle occupant or fro mo ut side the vehicleR
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses ar et am-
pered with. R
the battery is disconnected R
the vehicl eisa ccelerated ,e .g .b yav ehicle
occupant.
There is ar is kofana ccident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ca nd secur et he
vehicl ea gain st rolling away.
Furthe ri nformatio nond ea ctivating Distance
Pilo tD ISTRONI C( Y
page 146).
If Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd et ects tha tt he
vehicl einf ront is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
unti litiss tationary. Once your vehicl eiss tationary, it remains sta-
tionar ya nd yo udon ot nee dtod ep ress the
brake.
i After at ime ,t he electri cp ar kin gb rake
secures the vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specifie dm inimu md is -
tance ,y ou rv ehicl ew il lc ome to as tandstil la t
as uf ficient distance behind the vehicl ei n
front. The specifie dm i nimu md is tance is set
using the contro lont he cruis ec ontro ll ev er.
When Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cisa ctivated,
the transmission is shifted automaticall yt o
position ] if: R
the driver's sea tb el tisn ot fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off ,u nless it is auto-
maticall ys wi tched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electri cp ar kin gb rake secures the vehicle
automaticall yifD istance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci s
activated when the vehicl eiss tationar ya nd:R
as ys tem malfunctio no ccurs.R
the powe rs uppl yisn ot sufficient.
If am al functio no ccurs, the transmission may
also shift to position ] automatically.
Settin gas peedKee pinm in dt ha titm ay take ab rief moment
unti lt he vehicl eh as accelerated or braked to
the spee ds et. X
To adjus tt he se ts peed in 1m ph incre-
ments (1 km/ hi ncrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C to the pressure
point for ah igher speed, or down D for a
lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced. X
To adjust th es et speed in 5m ph incre-
ment s( 10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up C past the
pressur ep oint for ah igher speed, or down D
for al ower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced.144
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cc an detect vehicles
when cornerin gisl im ited. Your vehicl em ay
brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicle st raveling on ad ifferen tl in e
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay not detect vehi-
cle sw hi ch ar en ot drivin gint he middl eoft heir
lane. The distance to the vehicl einf ront will be
too short.
Othe rv eh icle sc ha ngin gl anes
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ch as not detecte dt he
vehicl ec utting in yet. The distance to thi sv ehi-
cle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ch as not ye td et ected
the vehicl einf ront on the edge of the road
because of its narrow width .T he distance to the
vehicl einf ront will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot brake for
obstacle sors tationar yv ehicles. If, for example,
the detecte dv ehicl et urns ac orne ra nd an
obstacle or stationar yv ehicl eisr evealed, Dis-
tance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cw il ln ot brake for them.
Crossin gv eh icles
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cm ay mistakenly
detect vehicles tha ta re crossing your lane.
If yo ua ctivate Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cu nder
the following conditions, the vehicl ec ould pull
away unintentionally: R
at traffi cl ig hts with crossing traffic, for exam-
ple R
if there is av ehicl einf ront after ac rossing
with the HOLD functio na ctivatedDriving system s 147
Dr ivi ng an dp arking Z

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive rint he
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicl eisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele da nd the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ul la way.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is am alfunction in the system or in
the voltag es upply.R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator peda lort he brake
pedal, e.g. by av ehicl eo ccupant.R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse sh ave
been tampere dw ith.R
the battery is disconnected
There is ar isk of an accident.
If you wis htoe xit the vehicle, alway st urn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoi dd amage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
pag e1 48). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled: R
the vehicl eiss tationary. R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function. R
the driver's door is closed or you rs eat bel ti s
fastened. R
the electric parking brake is released. R
the transmission is in position [ , ^ or \\ .R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake peda lf urther
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake peda lt he first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivatin gt he HOLD functionThe HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position [ or ^ .R
you shift the transmission to position ] .R
you apply the brakes again with ac ertain
amount of pressure until HOLD disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you secure the vehicl eu sing the electric park-
ing brake. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After at ime, the electric parking brake
secure st he vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.148
Driving systems
Driving and parking

When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is automatically shifted to position ]
if: R
the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and: R
as ystem malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is not sufficient.
If am alfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs ,t he transmission may also be shifted
into position ] automatically.
Adaptive damping system
General notes
i Mercedes-AMG SLC 43: the adaptive
damping system is called AMG RIDE CON-
TROL sports suspension.
As uspension with the adaptive damping system
provides improved driving comfort and contin-
uously controls the calibration of the dampers.
The damping characteristic sa dapt to the cur-
rent operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the selected drive program ( Y
page 121).
Selecting the Comfort or Economy drive
programs In the Comfort and Economy drive programs,
the driving characteristic sofy our vehicle are
more comfortable. Select one of these drive
programs if you favor am ore comfortable driv-
ing style. Also select these drive programs when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
In urban traffic and stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Comfort or Economy drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tunin gi n
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive program
when employing as porty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C as many
times as necessary until the Sport drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode The firmer suspension settings in the Sport
Plus drive program ensure even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employing
as porty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads or, ideally ,w hen driving on closed race
circuits. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C repeat-
edly until the Sport Plus drive program is
selected.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasound. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensor sint he
fron tb umper and four sensor sint he rear
bumper. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC visually
and audibly indicates the distanc eb etween your
vehicle and an object.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is
not ar eplacemen tf or your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking and
exitin gap arking space. Make sure that thereDriving systems 149
Driving and parking Z

are no persons, animals or object sint he pat ho f
your vehicle when you are maneuvering or park-
ing.
! When parking ,p ay particular attention to
object sa bov eorb elow th es ensors, suc ha s
flowe rp ot sort ra iler drawbars. PARKTRONIC
does no td etect suc ho bject sw hen they are in
th ei mmediat ev icinit yoft he vehicle .Y ou
coul dd amage th ev ehicle or th eo bjects.
The sensor sm ay no td etect snow and other
object st ha ta bsor bu ltrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources suc hasana utomatic car
wash, th ec ompressed-air brakes on at ru ck
or ap neumatic drill coul dc aus eP AR KTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may no tf unction correctly on
uneven terrain.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-
matically when you: R
switch on th ei gnitionR
shif tt he transmission to position [ , ^ or
\\ R
release th ee lectric parking brake
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivate da t
speeds abov e1 1m ph (18 km/h). It is reactiva-
te datl ower speeds.
Range of th es ensors
General notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does no tt ak ei nto
accoun to bstacle sl ocated:R
below th ed etection range, e.g .p eople, ani-
mals or objects. R
abov et he detection range, e.g .o verhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loadin gr amps.
C
Sensor sint he fron tb umper, left-hand side
(example) The sensor sm ust be free from dirt ,i ce or slush.
They can otherwise no tf unction correctly. Clean
th es ensor sr egularly, taking car en ot to scratch
or damage them ( Y
page 242).
Range
Fron ts ensors
Center Approx .4 0in( approx.
10 0c m)
Corners Approx .2 4in( approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx .4 8in( approx.
12 0c m)
Corners Approx .3 2in( approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx .8 in (approx .2 0c m)
Corners Approx .6 in (approx .1 5c m)
If there is an obstacle within this range, th er el-
evan tw arning displays light up and aw arning150
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Standard If Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for ac ertain
period of time R
ad riving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS ,B AS or ESP ®
Adaptive When Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for ac ertain
period of time R
ad riving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP ®
R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown R
you brake hard R
you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly R
you cut the corner on as harp bend
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system recognizes certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if: R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend R
the road has very wide lanes, e.g. af reewayR
the system recognizes solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if: R
the road has narrow lanes R
you cut the corner on ab end162
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Accepting ac allIf someon ec all sy ou when you are in th e Tel
menu, ad isplay message appear sint he multi-
function display.
You can accept ac all at any time regardless of
th em en us elected.X
Press th e a butto nont he steering whee l
to accept an incoming call .
Rejects or end sac allX
Press th e v butto nont he steering whee l
to rejec tore nd ac all .
Selecting an ent ry in th ep ho ne bookX
Press th e Y or e butto nont he steering
whee lt os elect th e Tel menu.X
Press th e c , d or v butto nt o
switch to th ep hone book .X
Authoriz ea ccess to th ep hone book on th e
phone .X
Press d or c to select th en ames on e
after th eo th er .
or X
To star tr ap id scrolling: press and hold
th e d or c butto nf or longer than on e
second.
The names in th ep hone book are displayed
quickl yo ne after th eo th er .
Rapid scrollin gs to ps when you release th e
butto norr eac ht he en doft he list .X
If only one telephone number is store df or
an ame: press th e a or v butto nt o
start dialing.
or X
If there is mor et ha no ne number for a
particular name: press th e a or v
butto ntod isplay th en umbers.X
Press th e c or d butto ntos elect th e
number you want to dial. X
Press th e a or v butto ntos ta rt dialing.
or X
To exit th et elephone book : press th e v
or 8 button. Redialing The on-board computer saves th el ast names or
number sd ialed in th er edial memory.X
Press th e Y or e butto nont he steering
whee lt os elect th e Tel menu.X
Press th e a butto ntos witch to th er edial
memory. X
Press th e c or d butto ntos elect th e
desired nam eorn umber .X
Press th e a or v butto ntos ta rt dialing.
or X
To exit th er edial memory : press th e v
or 8 button.
Assistance menu
Int rod uction Dependin gony our vehicle's equipment, in th e
DriveAssist menu, you hav et he followin g
options: R
Displaying th ea ssistanc eg raphic
( Y
page 170) R
Activating/deactivating Active Brake Assis t
( Y
page 171) R
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION ASSIST
( Y
page 171) R
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot Assis t
( Y
page 171) R
Activating/deactivating Lan eK eepin gA ss is t
( Y
page 171)
Displaying th ea ssistance graphic170
Menu sa nd submenus
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays