2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owners Manual

Residual heat is deactivated automatically:
R after approximately 30 minutes
R when the ignition is switched on
R if the battery voltage drops Adjusting the air vents
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain a sufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior. G
WARNING
When AIRSCARF is switched on, very hot air
can flow from the vents in the head restraints. This could result in burns in the immediate
vicinity of the air vents. There is a risk of injury.
Reduce the heater output before it becomes
too hot.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the air vents into the vehicle interior, please observe the following notes:
R keep the air inlet grille on the bonnet and in
the engine compartment on the front-
passenger side free of blockages, such as
ice, snow or leaves.
R never cover the vents or ventilation grilles
in the vehicle interior.
i You can move the adjusters for the air
vents vertically or horizontally to set the
direction of the airflow.
i Optimal climate control function is ach-
ieved by opening the air vents fully and set-
ting the adjusters to the middle position. Setting the centre air vents
X
To open the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster in one of centre air vents :anti-
clockwise.
X To close the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster in one of centre air vents :clock-
wise until it engages. Adjusting the side air vents
:
Side window demister vent
; Side air vent
X To open a side air vent: turn the adjuster
in side air vent ;anti-clockwise.
X To close a side air vent: turn the adjuster
in side air vent ;clockwise until it
engages. Adjusting the glove compartment air
vent
! Close the air vent when heating the vehi-
cle. 150
Adjusting the air ventsClimate cont
rol

At high outside temperatures, open the air
vent and activate the "cooling with air dehu- midification" function. Otherwise, temper-
ature-sensitive items stored in the glove
compartment could be damaged. :
Air vent thumbwheel
; Air vent
When automatic climate control is activated,
the glove compartment can be ventilated, for
instance to cool its contents. The level of air-
flow depends on the airflow and air distribu-
tion settings.
X To open/close: turn thumbwheel :
clockwise or anti-clockwise. Setting the blower output of the AIR-
SCARF vents G
WARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain a sufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior. G
WARNING
When AIRSCARF is switched on, very hot air
can flow from the vents in the head restraints. This could result in burns in the immediate
vicinity of the air vents. There is a risk of injury. Reduce the heater output before it becomes
too hot.
You can adjust the blower output of AIR-
SCARF vents
:using the AIRSCARF button
(Y page 117). Adjusting the air vents
151Climate control Z

152

Useful information
............................154
Running-in notes ............................... 154
Driving ............................................... 154
Automatic transmission ...................163
Refuelling ........................................... 173
Parking ............................................... 175
Driving tips ........................................ 178
Driving systems ................................ 182 153Driving and parking

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). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems,
the sensors adjust automatically while a cer-
tain distance is being driven after the vehicle has been delivered or after repairs. Full sys-
tem effectiveness is not reached until the end
of this teach-in procedure.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either
new or have been replaced only achieve opti- mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the
reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal. The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter. R
Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/ hfor
the first 1,500 km.
R Only briefly allow the engine to reach a
maximum engine speed of 4,500 rpm.
R It is advisable to select drive program Cfor
Controlled Efficiency.
i You should also observe these notes on
running-in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicle have been replaced. AMG vehicles with self-locking rear
axle differential
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle. Change the oil
after a running-in period of 3,000 km to
improve protection of the rear axle differen-
tial. This oil change prolongs the service life of
the differential. Have the oil change carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use 154
DrivingDriving and parking

loose floormats and do not place several floor-
mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles:
at low engine oil temper-
atures (below +20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to pro- tect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid
driving at full throttle when the engine is
cold. Key positions
Key g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
i If the key does not belong to the vehicle, it
can still be turned in the ignition lock. How-
ever, the ignition will not be switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
a key featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
start function and a detachable Start/Stop
button.
You can switch the engine on and off with the
Start/Stop button. The Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
key must be in the vehicle.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. This is only Driving
155Driving and parking Z

the case if you are not depressing the brake
pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
The Start/Stop button can be removed from
the ignition lock. The key can then be inserted into the ignition lock.
i You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leave the vehicle. You should, however,
always take the key with you when leaving
the vehicle. As long as the key is in the
vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the
Start/Stop button and
R electrically powered equipment can be
operated
i The engine can be switched off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO X
Insert Start/Stop button :into ignition
lock ;.
i When you insert Start/Stop button
:
into ignition lock ;, the system needs
approximately two seconds' recognition
time. You can then use Start/Stop but-
ton :. If Start/Stop button
:has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the key being
removed from the ignition.
X To switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button :once.
The power supply is switched on. You can
now activate the windscreen wipers, for
example.
i The power supply is switched off if you
press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position and the driver's door is open.
X To switch on the ignition: press Start/
Stop button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
i The power supply is switched off if you
press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position and the driver's door is open.
When you switch on the ignition, all of the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
the engine is started or if a one lights up while
you are driving, there may be a technical
problem (Y page 275).
Removing the Start/Stop button 156
DrivingDriving an
d parking

You can remove the Start/Stop button from
the ignition lock and start the vehicle as nor-
mal using the key.
X Remove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
i You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leave the vehicle. Starting the engine
Important safety notes 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
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
i The catalytic converter is preheated for
up to 30 seconds after a cold start. The
sound of the engine may change during this
time.
Starting procedure with the key X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position indicator in the
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
X Turn the key to position 3in the ignition
lock (Y page 155) and release it as soon as
the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the key into the
ignition lock. The key must be in the vehicle
and the Start/Stop button must be inserted
in the ignition lock.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position indicator in the
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
X Press the Start/Stop button once
(Y page 155).
The engine starts. Driving
157Driving and parking Z