2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owners Manual

ing space until red guide line
:reaches
parking space marking ;.
X Keep the steering wheel in that position
and reverse carefully. Reversing with the steering wheel turned
:
Red guide line for the vehicle width includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer-
ing wheel angle (dynamic)
X Stop the vehicle when it is almost exactly in
front of the parking space.
The white lane should be as close to parallel with the parking space marking as possi-
ble. Driving to the final position
:
White guide line at current steering wheel
angle
; Parking space marking
X Turn the steering wheel to the centre posi-
tion while the vehicle is stationary. :
End of parking space
; White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel
= Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.25 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
X Reverse carefully until you have reached
the end position.
Red guide line =is then at end of parking
space :. The vehicle is almost parallel in
the parking space. ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on motorways
and trunk roads. It is active in the 80 km/h to
180 km/h range.
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical indica-
tors of fatigue or increasing lapses in con-
centration on the part of the driver, it sug-
gests taking a break.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
R your personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
R journey-related parameters, e.g. time of
day, length of journey 214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted, and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
R if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the sur-
face is uneven or if there are potholes
R if there is a strong side wind
R if you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
R if you are predominantly driving slower
than 80 km/h or faster than 180 km/h
R if you are currently using COMAND Online
or making a telephone call with it
R if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It may not
always detect fatigue or lapses in concentra-
tion until too late, or may not detect them at
all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 238).
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after
your journey has begun. You then hear an
intermittent warning tone twice and the
Attention Assist: Take a break!
Attention Assist: Take a break!
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Press the aor% button to confirm
the message.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST
still detects increasing lapses in concentra-
tion, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest. ATTENTION ASSIST is reset and starts
assessing your tiredness again when you con-
tinue your journey if:
R you switch off the engine
R you take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the
é symbol appears in the multifunction
display in the assistance graphic display. Speed Limit Assist
General notes Speed Limit Assist detects the traffic signs
with camera
:attached at the top of the
windscreen.
i Speed Limit Assist is not operational in all
countries.
Speed Limit Assist shows you detected speed
limits in the multifunction display. Data from
the navigation system is also used for this
purpose. The display appears if Speed Limit
Assist detects a traffic sign indicating a speed
limit or the end of a speed limit. If Speed Limit Assist does not detect any traffic signs, the
speed limit from the digital road map is taken
and shown in the display.
Important safety notes Speed Limit Assist is only an aid and does not
always detect traffic signs specifying the
maximum permissible speed. Traffic signs Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

always have priority over the Speed Limit
Assist display.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity of the camera
R the traffic signs are covered, for instance by
dirt, snow or trees
R the traffic signs are poorly illuminated
R there are ambiguous traffic signs, for
instance near roadworks or on multi-lane
roads
Information in the multifunction display Briefly showing detected traffic signs
X Activate the Speed Limit Assist warning
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 237).
When you activate the Speed Limit Assist
warning function, a traffic sign indicating the
speed limit or end of speed limit zone may
appear in the multifunction display. The traffic
sign appears for approximately five seconds
as soon as it is detected. Any other informa-
tion in the multifunction display is hidden for
this period. Permanently showing detected traffic
signs :
Maximum permissible speed (example)
; Maximum permissible speed for vehicles
subject to the restriction in the additional
sign (example)
= Additional character in fog
? Speed Limit Assist is available and
switched on
X Display the assistance graphic using the
on-board computer (Y page 237).
A traffic sign indicating a speed limit or the
end of a speed limit appears in the multi-
function display as soon as it is detected.
Traffic sign indicating a speed limit :is gen-
erally displayed until:
R a traffic sign indicating the end of the speed
limit is detected
R you make a turn
R you leave or enter a town
R the road type changes (e.g. motorway,
country road)
R you have travelled a certain minimum dis-
tance without the traffic sign being repea-
ted or detected again
i You can also activate Speed Limit Assist
using COMAND Online; see the separate
COMAND Online operating instructions.
The maximum permissible speed is shown
in the COMAND display. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Night View Assist Plus
General notes In addition to the illumination provided by the
normal headlamps, Night View Assist Plus
uses infrared light to illuminate the road.
Camera ;of Night View Assist Plus picks up
the infrared light and displays a black and
white image in COMAND. The image shown in COMAND corresponds to a road lit up by
main-beam headlamps. This enables you to
see the road's course and any obstacles in
good time. When pedestrian recognition is
active, pedestrians recognised by the system are visually highlighted in colour in the Night
View Assist Plus display with small frame cor-
ners.
i Infrared light is not visible to the human
eye and therefore does not dazzle. Night
View Assist Plus can therefore remain
switched on even if there is oncoming traf- fic.
In addition, thermal imaging camera :is
integrated in the radiator grille. The camera
helps detect pedestrians and animals.
Observe the notes on cleaning the thermal
imaging camera and cleaning the windscreen (Y page 572).
Important safety notes Night View Assist Plus is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. Do not rely
on the Night View Assist Plus display. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good time. Drive carefully and always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and traffic conditions.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity of the camera
R the thermal imaging camera in the radiator
grille is dirty, misted up or covered
R on bends, on hilltops or in dips
R at high outside temperatures
Night View Assist Plus cannot display objects
directly in front of or beside the vehicle. The
actual distance to objects and pedestrians
cannot be gauged accurately by looking at a
screen.
It may be the case that other objects are
marked or highlighted as well as pedestrians
and animals.
Pedestrian and animal recognition General notes
Pedestrian or animal recognition may be
impaired or inoperative if:
R pedestrians or animals are partially or
entirely obscured by other objects, e.g.
parked vehicles
R the silhouette of the pedestrian or of the
animal in the Night View Assist Plus display
is incomplete or interrupted, e.g. by pow-
erful light reflections
R pedestrians or animals do not contrast with
the surroundings
R the camera system no longer recognises
pedestrians as persons due to special
clothing or other objects
R pedestrians are not in an upright position,
e.g. sitting, squatting or lying
R animals are not recognised by the system,
e.g. because of their size or shape Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Pedestrian and animal recognition is deacti-
vated at temperatures above 32 †. The spot-
light function and automatic activation are
then no longer active.
Pedestrian recognition :
Night View Assist Plus display in the
COMAND display
; Standby symbol for active pedestrian rec-
ognition
= Highlighting
? Pedestrian recognised
Night View Assist Plus can recognise pedes-
trians using typical characteristics, e.g. the
body contours and posture of a person stand- ing upright.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated
R you are driving faster than approximately
10 km/h
R it is dark
If pedestrian recognition is active, symbol ;
appears. Persons who are detected are high-
lighted by framing =. If the pedestrian rec-
ognition system has brought a pedestrian to
your attention, look through the windscreen
to evaluate the situation.
Animal recognition
Animals can be recognised in the following
situations:
R darkness
R outside built-up areas
R below an outside temperature of 32 † Night View Assist Plus can recognise larger
animals such as deer, cows or horses using
typical characteristics.
The system does not detect:
R smaller animals, e.g. dogs and cats
R animals whose silhouette is not clearly rec-
ognisable
When detected, animals are marked with
small coloured frame corners. In contrast to
pedestrian recognition, there is no separate
standby symbol in the multifunction display.
Activating/deactivating Night View
Assist Plus Activation conditions
You can only activate Night View Assist if all of
the following conditions have been fulfilled:
R the ignition is switched on (Y page 155) or
the engine has been started
R the light switch is in the ÃorL posi-
tion
R reverse gear has not been engaged
Activating Night View Assist Plus X
Press button :.
The Night View Assist Plus display appears in the COMAND display.
i The infrared headlamps only switch on in
the dark when the vehicle is being driven at speeds of at least 10 km/h. This means
that you do not have the full visual range
while stationary and cannot check whether
Night View Assist Plus is working. The infra- 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

red headlamps are deactivated at speeds
below 5 km/h. The Night View image con-
tinues to be displayed.
Automatic activation
You can use COMAND Online to select the
Night View Assist Automatic activa‐
Night View Assist Automatic activa‐
tion tion option. The pedestrian and animal
search function remains active even when the
Night View image is not displayed. In the dark, in unlit surroundings and at speeds of more
than 60 km/h, the Night View image is auto-
matically displayed in the COMAND display as
soon as pedestrians or animals are detected.
X In COMAND Online, select automatic acti-
vation of Night View Assist Plus
(Y page 322).
Deactivating Night View Assist Plus X
Press button :.
The Night View Assist Plus display goes off in the COMAND display. Night View Assist
Plus is deactivated.
Spotlight function General notes
i The function described below is not avail-
able in all countries.
Under certain conditions, the spotlight func-
tion uses the headlamps to flash at detected
pedestrians.
The spotlight function is only active if:
R pedestrian recognition is active
R the road surface is not lit R
the driving speed is at least 60 km/h
R the "Adaptive Highbeam Assist"
(Y page 133) or "Adaptive Highbeam Assist
PLUS" function is activated
R reverse gear has not been engaged
The spotlight function is not active or is active
only to a limited extent if:
R you are driving in city traffic
R there are pedestrians located in the area of
an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle in front
Activating the spotlight function
The pedestrian detection with spotlight func- tion runs in the background. If the prerequi-
sites are met, the spotlight function uses the
headlamps to flash four short pulses at a
pedestrian detected on or near to the road
surface.
X In the light menu, select the spotlight func-
tion of Night View Assist Plus
(Y page 240).
The spotlight function does not flash at ani-
mals.
Display in the assistance graphic Pedestrian symbol
:in the assistance
graphic indicates the status of the spotlight
function. If the symbol is displayed not filled
in, the function is switched on. If the symbol is displayed filled in, the conditions for the spot-
light function are met.
Showing the assistance graphic
X In the Assist. Assist. menu, select Assistance
Assistance
graphic
graphic (Ypage 237). Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windscreen is misted up on the inside.
X Fold down camera cover (Y page 572).
X Demist the windscreen (Y page 147). The windscreen is iced up.
X De-ice the windscreen (Y page 146). The windscreen wipers are smearing the windscreen.
X Replace the wiper blades (Y page 136). The windscreen is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X Clean the windscreen (Y page 570). The windscreen has been damaged by stone impact in the cam-
era's field of vision.
X Replace the windscreen. The pedestrian and ani-
mal recognition is not
available. The infrared camera in the radiator grille is dirty.
X Use a soft cloth and water to clean the infrared camera. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 185), Active
Blind Spot Assist (Y page 220) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 223).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the area to the sides of
your vehicle which are behind the driver. A
warning display in the exterior mirrors draws
your attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the cor-
responding turn signal to change lanes, you
will also receive an optical and audible colli-
sion warning. If a risk of side impact is detec- ted, corrective braking may help you avoid a
collision. To support the course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist
also uses the forward-facing radar sensor sys-
tem.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 30 km/h.
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to detect some vehicles and is no substi-
tute for attentive driving. 220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to
vehicles:
R overtaking too closely on the side, placing
them in the blind spot area
R if the difference in the speed of approach
and overtaking is too great
As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist may nei-
ther give warnings nor intervene in such sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and maintain a safe distance at the side of the vehicle.
Radar sensors
The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers
and behind a cover in the radiator grille. Make sure that the bumpers and the cover in the
radiator grille are free of dirt, ice or slush. The
rear sensors must not be covered, e.g. by
bicycle racks or overhanging loads. Following
a severe impact or in the event of damage to the bumpers, have the function of the radar
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist may oth-
erwise no longer function properly.
Monitoring range G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not detect all
traffic situations and road users. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always make sure that there is sufficient dis-
tance to the side for other traffic or obstacles. Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 3.0 mbehind your vehicle and directly next
to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram.
The detection of vehicles may be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R poor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or
spray
Vehicles in the monitoring range will then be
indicated late or not at all.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicy-
cles, or may only detect them too late.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may be the case if there are vehicles at the edge of
their lane nearest your vehicle.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, for
example lorries, for a prolonged time. Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z