transmission MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 Owner's Guide

Safety systems Warning/
indicator
lamp Q Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
'M
Q ' (USA only) or M (Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is
lit while the engine is running. Aw arning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is ar isk of an accident.X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances. X
Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y
page 131).X
Do not add brake fluid. Adding more will not correct the malfunction. X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop.X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
'
Q USA only: the red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The multifunction display also shows ad isplay message with the & symbol.
The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop.
%
Q The yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ABS (anti-lock braking system) is malfunctioning.
If there is an additional warning tone, the EBD (electronic brake force distribution)
is malfunctioning.
Other driving systems and driving safety systems may also malfunction.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above. The front and rear wheels could therefore lock if you brake hard, for exam-
ple.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking
distance in an emergency braking situation can increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident. X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display. X
Drive on carefully. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
If the ABS control unit is faulty, there is also ap ossibility that other systems, such
as the navigation system or the automatic transmission, will not be available.204
Warning and indicator lamps
On-board computer and displays

Calibratin gt he compassX
Mak es ure that there is sufficient spac ef or
you to driv einac ircle without impedin gt ra f-
fic.
In order to calibrat et he compass correctly, do
th ef ollowing: R
calibrat et he compass in th eo pen and no ti n
th ev icinity of steel structures or high-voltage
transmission lines. R
switch off electrical consumers suc hast he
climate control, windshield wiper sorr ear win-
dow defroster. R
close all door sa nd th et ru nk lid.X
Switch on th ei gnition.X
Push ar oun dp en int oo pening

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

rubbish. They must be col-
lected separately and dis-
posed of in an environmen-
tall yr esponsible recycling
system.
Dispose of batterie sina n
environmentally responsi-
ble manner. Take dis-
charge db atterie stoaq uali-
fied specialist workshop or
to ac ollection point for
used batteries.
! Have the battery checked regularl yata
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service interval sint he Mainte-
nance Booklet or contact aq ualified specialist
workshop for more information.
! Always have work on batterie sc arrie do ut at
aq ualified specialist workshop.
Shoul di t, in exceptiona lc ircumstances, be
absolutel yn ecessary to disconnect the 12-
volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-
lowing: R
Secure the vehicl etop revent it from rolling
away. R
Switch off the ignition. R
Disconnect the negative terminal first and
then the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position ]
after disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been done, install the bat-
tery and replace the cover of the positive ter-
minal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.
Ris kofe xplosion.
Fire, open flame sa nd smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact
with skin, eye sorc lothing.
Wea rs uitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apro na nd face-
guard. Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clea rw ater. Contact ap hysician
if necessary.
Wea re ye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batterie sw hich have
been tested and approved for you rv ehicl eb y
Mercedes-Benz. These batterie sp rovide
increase di mpact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life ,itm ust alway sbes uffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicl eb attery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop .Y ou can also
charge the battery with ac harge rr ecommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Contact aq ualified special-
ist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicl em ainl yf or
short trips or if you leave it standing idl ef or a
lengthy period. Consult aq ualified specialist
workshop if you wis htol eave you rv ehicle
parked for al ong perio doft ime.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrica lc onsumers.
The vehicl ew il lt hen use very little energy ,t hus
conserving battery power.
If the powe rs upply has been interrupted ,e .g. if
you reconnect the battery ,y ou wil lh ave to:R
reset the function for automatically folding
the exterior mirrors in/out by folding the mir-
rors out once ( Y
pag e9 1)R
set the clock
On vehicles with am ultimedia system, the
time is set automatically.252
Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance

G WARNING
During the charging process ,ab attery produces hydrogen gas. If as hort circui to ccurs or sparks
are created ,t he hydrogen gas can ignite. There is ar isk of an explosion.R
Make sure that the positive terminal of ac onnected battery does not come into contact with
vehicl ep arts.R
Never place metal objects or tools on ab attery.R
It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminal sw hen connecting
and disconnecting ab attery.R
When jump-starting, make sure that the battery pole sw ith identical polarity are connected.R
It is particularl yi mportant to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables. R
Never connect or disconnect the battery terminal sw hile the engine is running.
G WARNING
Ad ischarged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicl eorc harging the battery ,g ase sc an escap ef rom the battery .T here is ar isk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter coul db e
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
If the indicator/warning lamp sdon ot light up at low temperatures, it is very likel yt hat the dis-
charge db attery has frozen. In this case, you may neither charge the battery nor jump-start the
vehicle. The service life of at hawed-out battery may be shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired ,p articularl yatl ow temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at aq ualified
specialist workshop.
Do not start the vehicl eu sing ar api dc harging device. If you rv ehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another vehicl eorf rom as econd battery using jumper cables.
Observe the following points: R
The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible ,j ump-
start the vehicl eu sing as econd battery or aj ump-starting device.R
You may only jump-start the vehicl ew hen the engine and exhaust system are cold.R
Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first. R
Only jump-start from batterie sw ith a12Vv oltag er ating.R
Only use jumper cables which have as ufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.R
If the battery is full yd ischarged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected for
af ew minutes before attempting to start. This charge st he battery slightly.R
Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that: R
The jumper cables are not damaged. R
Bare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while the jumper
cables are connected to the ba ttery.R
The jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan. X
Secure the vehicl ebya pplying the electric parking brake.X
Shift the transmission to position ] .254
Jump-starting
Breakdown assistance

Towin ga nd tow-starting
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When towing or tow-startin ga nothe rv ehicle
and its weight is greate rt ha nt he permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the: R
the towing ey ec ould detach itselfR
the vehicle/trailer combinatio nc ould roll-
over.
There is ar is kofana ccident.
When towing or tow-startin ga nothe rv ehicle,
its weight shoul dn ot be greate rt ha nt he per-
missibl eg ross weight of your vehicle.
Detail sont he permissibl eg ross vehicl ew eigh t
of your vehicl ec an be found on the vehicl ei de n-
tification plate ( Y
page 289).
! When Activ eB rake Assist, Distance Pilot
DISTRONI Cort he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated,
the vehicl eb rakes automaticall yinc ertain
situations.
To avoi dd amag etot he vehicle, deactivate
these system sint he following or similar sit-
uations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
! Onl ys ecur et he tow rop eort ow ba ratt he
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicl ec ould be
damaged.
! Do not us et he towing ey ef or recovery, this
could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover
the vehicl ew it hac rane.
! When towing ,p ul la wa ys lowly and
smoothly. If the tractiv ep ower is too high, the
vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-typ ee quipment .T h is
could damage the vehicle.
! When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO ,u se the key instea doft he Start/Stop
button. The automatic transmission ma yo th-
erwis es hift to position ] when yo uo pe nt he
driver's or front-passenge rd oo r, which could
damage the transmission. ! Make sure tha tt he electri cp ar kin gb rake is
released .Ift he electri cp ar kin gb rake is faulty,
visit aq uali fied specialis tw or kshop.
! The vehicl ec an be towed am ax imum of
30 miles (50km). The towing spee dof30m ph
(50 km/h )m us tn ot be exceeded.
If the vehicl eh as to be towed mor et han
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicl em us tb e
raised and transported.
! If yo ut ow or tow-start anothe rv ehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missibl eg ross vehicl ew eigh tofy ou rv ehicle.
It is better to have the vehicl et ransporte dt han
to have it towed away.
The automatic transmission must be in position
\\ when the vehicl eisb ei ng towed away.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
canno tt ur nt he SmartKe ytop osit ion H in
the ignition lock. R
canno ts hift the automatic transmission to
position \\ .
Deactivate the automatic locking featur eb ef o re
th
e vehicl eist owed ( Y
page 173) .Y ou could
otherwis ebel oc ked ou tw he np us hing or towing
the vehicle.
Installing/removin gt he towin ge ye
Installing the towin ge ye
G WARNING
The exhaust tai lp ip em ay be ver yh ot. There is
ar is kofb ur ns when removing the rea rc over.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe .T ak ep ar ticular
car ew he nr emoving the rea rc over.256
Towin ga nd tow-starting
Breakdow na ssistance

The bracket sf or the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
at the rear, behind the covers. X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit ( Y
page 245).X
Press the mark on cover C inwards in the
direction of the arrow. X
Take cover C off the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Attach cover C to the bumper and press until
it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing av ehicle with both axles on
the ground
G WARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steerin gw heel lock has been engaged. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing the
vehicle with at ow cable or at ow bar.
The automatic transmission shifts to position
] automatically when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position \\ when towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following points: X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 97). X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the Smart-
Key instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y
page 116). X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the transmission to position \\ .X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Leave the SmartKey in position H in the igni-
tion lock.
In order to signal ac hange of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. When you reset
the combination switch, the hazard warning
flashers start flashing again.
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
( Y
page 256).
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the rear axle raised.
Intervention by ESP ®
could otherwise dam-
age the brake system.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
vehicle/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even roll over.Towing and tow-starting 257
Breakdown assistance Z

Transporting the vehicle
Vehicle sw it ha utomatic transmission
! When the vehicl eisl oaded for transport, the
front and rea ra xles must be stationar ya nd on
the same transportatio nv ehicle. Positioning
ove rt he connectio np oi nt of the transport
vehicl eisn ot permitted .T he drive train may
otherwis ebed amaged .
Al lv eh icles
! Yo um ay onl ys ecur et he vehicl ebyt he
wheels ,n ot by parts of the vehicl es uc ha s
axl eors teerin gc omponents. Otherwise, the
vehicl ec ould be damaged.
The towing ey ec an be used to pull the vehicle
onto at railer or transporte rf or transporting pur-
poses. X
Turn the SmartKe ytop osit ion H in the igni-
tio nl oc k.X
Shift the transmission to position \\ .
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded: X
Prevent the vehicl ef ro mr olling away by
applying the electri cp ar kin gb rake.X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Turn the SmartKe ytop osit ion

An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates its
correct direction of rotation.
Storin gw heelsStore wheels tha ta re not being used in ac ool,
dry and preferably dark place .P rotect the tires
from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel.
Mounting aw heel
Preparin gt he vehicleX
Stop the vehicl eons olid ,n on-slippery and
level ground. X
Apply the electri cp ar king brake manually.X
Bring the front wheels into the straight-ahead
position. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Switch off the engine. X
Vehicles withou tK EYLESS -GO: remove the
SmartKe yf rom the ignition lock.X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the driv-
er' sd oo r.
The vehicl ee le ctronics now have status 0 .
Thi sist he same as the SmartKe yh av ing been
removed. X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
( Y
page 116). X
If included in the vehicl ee quipment ,r emove
the tire-change tool kit from the vehicle. X
Safeguar dt he vehicl ea gain st rolling away.
i Due to difference sinv ehicl ee quipment ,n ot
al lv ehicles ar ee quippe dw it hat ire-change
tool kit. For informatio nonw hi ch tool sa re
required to perfor maw heel change on your
vehicle, consult an authorize dM ercedes-
Benz Center.
Necessary tire-changing tool sc an include, for
example: R
Jack R
Wheel chock R
Lu gw rench Securin gt he vehicle to preven titf rom
rolling away
If your vehicl eise quippe dw it haw heel chock, it
can be found in the tire-change tool kit
( Y
page 245).
The folding whee lc hoc ki sana ddit ional safety
measure to prevent the vehicl ef rom rolling
away ,f or exampl ew he nc hanging aw heel .X
Fol db ot hp la te su pwar ds C .X
Fol do ut lowe rp la te D .X
Guid et he lugs on the lowe rp la te full yi nto the
openings in base plate

ing. Be sure to observe the manufacturer' sS up-
plemen tw hen installing.
Deviation sw ith respect to frequenc yb ands,
maximum transmission output sora ntenna
positions must be approved by Mercedes-Benz.
The maximum transmission output (PEAK) at the
base of the antenn am ust not exceed the fol-
lowing values:
Frequency band Maximum
transmission
output
Short wave
3-54M Hz 100 W
4mw aveband
74 -88M Hz 30 W
2mw aveband
144 -1 74 MHz 50 W
Trunked radio system/
Tetra
380 -4 60 MHz 10 W
70 cm waveband
400 -4 60 MHz 35 W
Mobile communications
(2G/3G/4G) 10 W
The followin gc an be used in the vehicle without
restrictions: R
RF transmitters with am aximum transmis-
sion output of up to 100 mW R
RF transmitters with transmitter frequencies
in the 380 -4 10 MHz waveban da nd am axi-
mum transmission output of up to 2W
(trunked radio/Tetra) R
Mobile phones (2G/3G/4G)
There are no restrictions when positionin gt he
antenn aont he outside of the vehicle for the
followin gw avebands:R
Trunked radio system/Tetra R
70 cm waveband R
2G/3G/4G Identification plates
Vehicle identification plate with vehi-
cle identification number (VIN) X
Open the driver's door.
You will see vehicle identification plate C .
Example: vehicle identification plate (USA only)
C
VIN D
Vehicle model
Example: vehicle identification plate (Canada only)
C
VIN
D
Paint code
i The data shown on the vehicle identification
plate is used only as an example. This data is
differen tf or ever yv ehicle and can deviateIdentification plates 289
Technica ld at a Z