warning MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS 2018 Manual PDF

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

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

tone sounds .Ift he distance fall sb elow the min-
imum ,t he distance ma ynol on ge rbes hown.
Warnin gd isplays
Warning displa yf or the front area
C
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cleD
Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle

Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
display sa re lit. You also
hear aw arning tone for
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds, and
the indicator lamp in the
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated. X
If problems persist, have Parking Assist PARKTRONIC checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
display sa re lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five sec-
onds. The Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or malfunctioning. X
Clean the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y
page 242).X
Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. X
Check to see if Parking Assist PARKTRONIC functions in ad ifferent
location.
Parking Guidance
Important safety notes Parking Guidance is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to measure
the road on both sides of the vehicle. As uitable
parking space is indicated by the parking sym-
bol. You receive steering instructions when
parking. You can also still use Active Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC ( Y
page 149).
Parking Guidance is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a
parking space. Make sure that there are no per-
sons, animals or object sint he maneuvering
area when you are maneuvering or parking.
G WARNING
If object sa re located above or below the
detection range, Active Parking Assist may
steer too early. This could cause ac ollision. There is ar isk of an accident.
Do not use Active Parking Assist in these
types of situation.
! If they cannot be avoided, drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
If Active Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated, Parking Guidance is also unavailable.
Parking Guidance may also display spaces not
suitable for parking, e.g.: R
where parking or stopping is prohibited R
in front of driveways or entrances and exits R
on unsuitable surfaces
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces: R
paralle ltot he direction of travel R
on straight roads, not bends R
that are on the same level as the road, i.e. not
on the pavement, for example. Parking Guid-
ance may not detect flat curbs152
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Parking tips: R
on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space R
parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
might be identified or measured incorrectly R
parking spaces that are partially occupied by
trailer drawbars might not be identified as
such or be measured incorrectly R
snowfall or heavy rain may lead to ap arking
space being measured inaccurately R
pay attention to the Active Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning messages during the
parking procedure ( Y
page 151)R
when transportin gal oad which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use Parking
Guidance R
never use Parking Guidance with snow chains
or an emergenc ys pare wheel fittedR
make sure that the tire pressures are always
correct. This has ad irect effect on the steer-
ing instructions R
the way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in fron ta nd
behind it and the conditions of the location. In
some cases, Parking Guidance may guide you
too far or not far enough into ap arking space.
In some cases, it may also lead you across or
ont ot he curb. If necessary, cancel the park-
ing procedure with Parking Guidance.
Detecting parking spaces
C
Detected parking space on the left
D
Parking symbol

Depending on your distance fro mt he parking
space ,t he Please Drive Backward mes-
sage will appear in the multifunctio nd isplay .X
If necessary ,r evers et owards the parking
space .T hi sisi ndicated by an arrow pointing
backwards.
Continu eb ac king up unti ly ou hear at one.
Stop –t he stop positio nh as been reached.
The arrow is white.
The Please Steer Wheel to the Right or
Please Steer Wheel to the Left mes-
sage appear sint he multifunctio nd isplay .
Backin gupi nt ot he parking space
X
Whil et he vehicl eiss tationary, tur nt he steer-
ing whee lint he specifie dd ir ection unti lt he
arrow is white and aw ar ning tone sounds.X
To bac kupi nt oap arking space: maintain
the steerin gw heel angle and back up care-
fully. X
Stop as soo na sy ou hear aw ar ning tone,
The vehicl eh as reache dt he positio ninw hi ch
yo un ee dtoc ountersteer.
The Please Steer Wheel to the Right or
Please Steer Wheel to the Left mes-
sage appear sint he multifunctio nd isplay .X
To countersteer: whil et he vehicl eiss tation-
ary, tur nt he steerin gw heel in the specified
direction unti lt he arrow is white and aw ar n-
ing tone sounds. X
To bac kupi nt oap arking space: maintain
the steerin gw heel angle and back up care-
fully. X
Stop as soo na sy ou hear aw ar ning tone ,S top
as soo na sP ar kin gA ssist PARKTRONIC
sounds the continuous warning tone ,ifn ot
before.
The Parking Guidance Finished message
appear sint he multifunctio nd isplay and a
tone sounds .Y ou ma ybea sk ed to stee rina different direction and the nc hange gear .I n
thi sc ase, furthe rd isplay sint he multifunction
displa yw il ld ir ect yo utot he fina lp osit ion.X
Maneuver if necessary. X
Alway so bs erve the warning message sd is -
played by Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONIC
( Y
page 151).
Cancelin gP arking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONI Cb ut ton on the center
consol e( Y
page 151).
Parkin gG uida nce is immediatel yc anceled
and Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Ciss wi tched
off.
Parkin gG uida nce is canceled automaticall yifi t
is no longe rp os sibl etog uide yo ui nto the park-
ing space ,orifam al functio no ccurs.
The parkin gs pa ce symbo lg oe so ut and aw ar n-
ing tone sounds.
Rea rv ie wc am era
General notes
Rear vie wc amera C is an optica lp ar kin ga nd
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind your
vehicl ew it hg uide lines in the multimedia sys-
tem.
The area behind the vehicl eisd isplayed as a
mirror image ,asint he rea rv ie wm irror.
i The text shown in the multimedia system
displa yd epen ds on the languag es etting. The
following ar ee xamples of rea rv ie wc amera
displays in the multimedia system.154
Driving system s
Dr ivi ng an dp arking

Blind Spot Assist monitors the are aupto10f t
(3.0 m) behind your vehicle and directly nex tt o
your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. For this
purpose, Blind Spot Assist uses radar sensor si n
the rear bumper.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane nex ttoy our vehicle may be
indicated, especially if the vehicles are not driv-
ing in the middle of their lane. This may be the
case if ther ea re vehicles driving at the inner
edge of their lanes.
Due to the natur eoft he system:R
warning sm ay be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders. R
warning sm ay be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, e.g. trucks, for ap ro-
longed time.
Indicator and warning display
C
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp Blind Spot Assist is not activ eats peeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp C in the exterior mirror sl ights up yellow
at speeds of up to 20 mph (3 0k m/ h) .Ats peeds
above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indicator lamp
goe so ut and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If av ehicl eisd etected within the blind spot
monitoring rang eats peeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp C on the correspond-
ing sid el ig hts up red .T hi sw ar ning is always
emitted when av ehicl ee nter st he blind spot
monitoring rang ef rom behind or from the side.
Whe ny ou overtake av ehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7m ph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goe so ut if reverse
gea rise ngaged .Int his event, Blind Spot Assist
is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning lamps
is adjuste da ut omaticall ya ccording to the ambi-
ent light.
Collisio nw arningIf av ehicl eisd etected in the monitoring rang eo f
Blind Spot Assist and yo us witch on the corre-
sponding turn signal ,ad oubl ew ar ning tone
sounds. Re dw ar ning lamp C flashes. If the turn
signal remains on, vehicles detected are indica-
ted by the flashing of red warning lamp C .
There are no further warning tones.
Switchin gonB lind Spo tA ssis tX
Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
( Y
page 171 )i sa ctivate dint he on-board
computer. X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps C in the exterio rm irrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.160
Driving systems
Driving and parking