2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER brake

Instrument cluste
r 27Function Page
1 SRS warning lamp
194
2 ABS warning lamp
193
3 Turn signal indicator lamp,
left
75
4
ESP
®
warning lamp 19
4 5 Turn signal indicator lamp,
right
75
6 Brake system warning lamp
194
7 Multi-function display
92
8 Total distance recorder
95
9 Trip meter
90
a Engine diagnostic warning
lamp
195
b Rev counter
90
c Seat belt warning lamp
195
d Main-beam indicator lamp
75 Function Page
e Fuel gaug
e f Fuel filler flap location indi
-
cator: the fuel filler cap is to
the rear on the right-hand
sid e g Reserve fuel warning lamp
19
7 h
Automatic transmission*
:
gearshift program display 85
j
Automatic transmission*
:
selector lever position dis-
play 85
k Status indicator, display
depends on the settings in
the on-board computer:
outside temperature
2
or
digital speedometer 96
l Speedtronic: set limit
speed
112
m Cloc
k 104 Function Page
n Speedometer
o Reset button
p Adjustment button for
instrument cluster illumina
-
tio n 90
q Adjustment button for
instrument cluster illumina
-
tio n 90
2
Vehicles in the UK: the digital speedometer is always displayed instead of the outside temperature. At a glance
* optional
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 27

Centre console
31Lower section
i
The layout of the buttons may differ
depending on the equipment in the vehicle. Function Page
1 Manual transmission: gear
lever
85
Automatic transmission*
:
selector lever 85
2 Primes/deactivates the
interior motion sensor*
54
3 Roof switch
132
4
Primes/deactivates ATA*
(anti-theft alarm system)
52
Primes/deactivates tow-
away protection*
53
5 Parking brake
83
6 Opens the stowage com-
partment/telephone com-
partment*
138
7 Selects the right-hand exte
-
rior mirro r 66
8 Folds out the exterior mir-
rors electrically
* 66 Function Pag
e 9 Selects the left-hand exte
-
rior mirro r 66
a Adjusts the exterior mirrors
66
b Selects the gearshift pro-
gram for automatic trans-
mission*
87At a glance
* optiona l
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 31

Driving safety sys
tems50 Driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information abou t
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R ESP ®
( Electronic Stability Program)
i In wintry road conditions, always use win-
ter tyres (M+S tyres) and, where necessary ,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. G
Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantl y
increased by driving too fast. This is partic-
ularly the case when cornering on wet and
slippery roads and when driving too clos e
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in thi s
section cannot reduce this risk or override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Maintain sufficient distance
from other road users and objects on the
road. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal severa l
times in quick succession (pumping) .
Depress the brake firmly and evenly. Pump-
ing the brake pedal reduces the braking
effect.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will fee
l
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
If ABS intervenes:
X Continue to depress the brake pedal wit h
force until the braking situation is over.
For full braking application:
X Depress the brake pedal with maximum
force. G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and the braking dis-
tance may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. The
risk of your vehicle skidding is then
increased in certain situations.
You should therefore always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions . BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa -
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. Safety
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 50

Driving safety sys
tems 51G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. ES
P®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ES P®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviatin g
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the scope of the laws of phys-
ics. ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away
on wet or slippery roads. ES P®
can also sta-
bilise the vehicle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster flashes, proceed as follows: R
Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir -
cumstances .
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre -
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot overrid e
the laws of physics .
! The ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0or Iin the ignition lock) if:
R the vehicle is being towed with the front
or rear axle raised
R you are having the handbrake checke d
on the brake dynamometer
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the brake system on the
front or rear axle.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly . To deactivate/activate ES
P® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ES P®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chain s
R in deep sno w
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ES P®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi -
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated .
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Safety
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 51

Driving and pa
rking 81
X
To open side windows :Pull back the roof
switch twice in rapid succession in the
direction of the arrow 1.
All side windows open.
i If you then close a side window using the
power window switch on the door, the tri-
angular rear window remains open. To
close the triangular rear window, you must
close the side window using the roof
switch.
X To close side windows :Push the roof
switch forward twice in rapid succession in
the direction of arrow 2and hold it.
The front side windows close first. Afte r
about a second, the rear triangular win-
dows close.
i If the roof is open, only the two front side
windows close.
i If the window is obstructed during clos-
ing, the closing procedure is interrupted
and it opens again slightly. Resetting the side windows
Each side window must be reset if the battery
was disconnected or discharged.
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock .
X Pull the switch upwards until the window is
closed, and hold it in this position for
another second. Driving and parking
Starting the engine
G
Risk of accident
Do not keep any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that they are
correctly secured and that there is suffi-
cient clearance for the pedals.
Objects could otherwise get between the
pedals in the event of sudden braking or
acceleration. You may then no longer be
able to brake, change gear or accelerate as
intended. This may result in an accident and
injury . G
Risk of poisoning
Never leave the engine running in enclose d
spaces. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide. Inhaling exhaust fumes consti-
tutes a health hazard and could lead to loss
of consciousness or even death.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
i If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel will be unusually long
and there will be less pedal resistance. Controls
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 81

Driving and pa
rking82
Manual transmissio
nX
Shift to neutral .
X Apply the handbrake (Y page 83).
Further information about the manual trans-
mission (Y page 85). Automatic transmission* P
Park position with selector lever lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive positio n
X Before starting, make sure Pis selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
selector lever is in position N.
Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 85).
Starting the engine i
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
You can also use the "touch-start" function.
To do this, turn the key to position 3and release it immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
X Turn the key to position 3(Y page 59) in
the ignition lock and release it as soon as
the engine is running. Pulling away
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only change into reverse gear when the
vehicle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train .
! AMG vehicles: at low engine tempera-
tures (below + 20° C), the maximum engine
speed is limited in order to protect the
engine. Avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold in order to protect the
engine and avoid inconveniences.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down. Controls
* optional
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 82

Driving and pa
rking 83
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature
(Y page 105).
Manual transmission X
Depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and
depress the accelerator pedal.
! Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
Automatic transmission *i
It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depres s
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
X Release the handbrake .
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
i Wait for the shift process to complet e
before pulling away. X
Release the brake pedal .
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Parking
G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system doe s
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Handbrake 1
Release butto n
2 Handbrake
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
On vehicles with automatic transmission* ,
the selector lever lock is released.
X Apply handbrake 2slightly.
X Press release button 1on handbrake 2
and move the handbrake down to the stop.
X The 3 indicator lamp in the instrumen t
cluster goes out. Control
s
* optional
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 83

Transmission
84
X
To apply :pull handbrake 2up firmly.
The 3 indicator lamp in the instrumen t
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb. Stopping the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then take s
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
Vehicles with manual transmissio nX
Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 59) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Vehicles with automatic transmission* X
Move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 59) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Transmission
Introduction to the transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any
objects in the driver's footwell. Make sure
that floormats or carpets are correctly
secured and that there is sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident .Cont
rols
* optional
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 84