2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owners Manual

In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detec-
tion can be impaired.
Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the radar sensor settings and oper- ation checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to
the front of the vehicle.
Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer (Y page 238).
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated, the
æ symbol appears in the assistance
graphic in the multifunction display.
This function will issue a warning if:
R at a speed of around 30 km/h or more, the
distance maintained to the vehicle travel-
ling in front is insufficient for several sec-
onds.
The · distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R at a speed of approximately 7 km/h or
more, you rapidly approach a vehicle in
front.
An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so. The PRE-SAFE
®
Brake function can also brake
the vehicle automatically under the following
conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 7 km/h and 200 km/h
At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect stationary
objects. Examples of stationary objects are
stopped or parked vehicles.
i If there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto- matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle STEER CONTROL
General notes STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilisation. 78
Driving safety systemsSafety

This steering support is provided in particular
if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R the steering is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
X To activate with the key: remove the key
from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
key that is left inside the vehicle.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To switch off: unlock the vehicle with the
key or KEYLESS-GO.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R the vehicle with the emergency key ele-
ment
R the boot lid
R the bonnet
R the glove compartment
R the stowage space under the armrest
R a stowage compartment in the rear
X To turn the alarm off with the key: press
the % or& button on the key.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
X To stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The key
must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The key must be inside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off. Anti-theft systems
79Safety Z

The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that has triggered it, for
example. Tow-away protection
Function An audible and visual alarm is triggered if your
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This can occur
if the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for
example.
Activating X
Make sure that:
R the doors are closed
R the boot lid is closed
Only then is the tow-away protection
primed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
Tow-away protection is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
Deactivating X
To switch off: unlock the vehicle with the
key or KEYLESS-GO.
Tow-away protection is switched off auto-
matically.
Deactivating X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
Tow-away protection is deactivated.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until: R the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again
To prevent a false alarm, deactivate the tow-
away protection if you lock your vehicle and it:
R is being transported
R is being loaded onto a ferry or car trans-
porter, for example
R is parked on a movable surface, e.g. in a
split-level garage Interior motion sensor
Function When the interior motion sensor is primed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior. This
can occur if someone reaches into the vehicle interior, for example.
Activating X
Make sure that:
R the side windows are closed
R the stowage compartment under the
armrest is closed
This will prevent false alarms.
X Make sure that: 80
Anti-theft systemsSafety

R
the roof is closed
R the doors are closed
R the boot lid is closed
Only then is the interior motion sensor
primed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 30 second s.
i Only
for the Netherlands and Belgium:
the interior motion sensor is primed even
when the roof is open. However, the roof
should be closed so as to prevent a false
alarm.
Deactivating X
Unlock the vehicle with the key or KEY-
LESS-GO.
The interior motion sensor is automatically
deactivated.
Deactivating X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
The interior motion sensor is deactivated.
To prevent a false alarm, deactivate the inte-
rior motion sensor if you lock your vehicle
and:
R people or animals remain in the vehicle
R the side windows remain open The interior motion sensor remains deactiva-
ted until:
R the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again
i UK only:
your vehicle is equipped with a
double lock function. The doors cannot be
opened from the inside if the vehicle has
been locked with the key or with KEYLESS- GO. Deactivate the interior motion sensor
before you lock the vehicle. The doors can
then be opened from the inside after the
vehicle has been locked from the outside.
Observe the "Important safety notes"
(Y page 90). Anti-theft systems
81Safety Z

82

Useful information
..............................84
Key ....................................................... 84
Doors .................................................... 90
Boot ...................................................... 94
Side windows ...................................... 99
Roof .................................................... 103 83Opening and closing

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 34). Key
Important safety notes
United Kingdom only: G
WARNING
When the double locks are activated, the
doors can no longer be opened from the
inside. People in the vehicle can no longer get out, e.g. in hazardous situations. There is a
risk of injury.
Therefore, do not leave any people unsuper-
vised in the vehicle, particularly children, eld-
erly people or people in need of special assis-
tance. Do not activate the double lock when
people are in the vehicle.
If the vehicle has been locked from the out-
side, the double lock function is activated as
standard. It is then not possible to open the
doors from inside the vehicle. You can deac-
tivate the double-lock function by deactivat-
ing the interior motion sensor (Y page 80).
The doors can then be opened from the inside after the vehicle has been locked from the
outside. The anti-theft alarm system is trig-
gered if the door is opened from the inside.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 79).
All countries: G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children. G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the key, the key could be unintentionally turned in the
ignition lock. This could cause the engine to
be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
key. Remove any bulky keyrings before insert-
ing the key into the ignition lock.
! Keep the key away from strong magnetic
fields. Otherwise, the remote control func-
tion could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the
vicinity of powerful electrical installations. 84
KeyOpening and closing

Do not keep the key:
R
with electronic devices, e.g. a mobile
phone or another key
R with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal
film
R inside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case
This can affect the key's functionality. Key functions
:
& To lock the vehicle
; F To unlock the boot lid
= % To unlock the vehicle
X To unlock centrally: press the%but-
ton.
If you do not open the vehicle within
approximately 40 second s of unlocking:
R the vehicle is locked again
R the anti-theft system is primed again
X To lock centrally: press the&button.
The key centrally locks/unlocks: R the doors
R the boot lid
R the glove compartment
R the stowage compartment under the arm-
rest
R the stowage compartment in the rear com-
partment
R the fuel filler flap
When unlocking, the turn signals flash once.
When locking, they flash three times. You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audiblesignal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer (Y page 242).
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer (Y page 241). KEYLESS-GO
General notes Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY- LESS-GO key in the vehicle.
Locking and unlocking centrally You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry the key with you. You can combine the KEY-
LESS-GO functions with the functions of a
conventional key. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using
the & button on the key.
When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO,
the distance between the key and the corre-
sponding door handle must not be greater
than 1 m.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the key
determines whether a valid key is in the vehi- cle. This occurs, for example:
R when the external door handles are
touched
R when starting the engine
R while the vehicle is in motion Key
85Opening and closing Z