2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owners Manual

Indicator and warning display
:
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at
speeds below approximately 30 km/h. Vehi-
cles in the monitoring range are then not indi-
cated.
If Active Blind Spot Assist is activated, indi-
cator lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up
yellow up to a speed of 30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and Active Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. A warning is
always issued when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. Visual and acoustic collision warning When you switch on the turn signals to
change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the
side monitoring range, you receive a visual
and acoustic collision warning. You then hear a double warning tone and red warning
lamp :flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the flash-
ing of red warning lamp :. There are no fur-
ther warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application G
WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the sides. 222
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp :flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display ;appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
side impact in the monitoring range, a course- correcting brake application is carried out.
This is designed to help you avoid a collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h.
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds
R you clearly brake or accelerate
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake R
ESP ®
is deactivated.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 242) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 238) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of camera :
at the top of the windscreen. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a lane-correcting application of the Driving systems
223Driving and parking Z

brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane.
If you select km kmin the Display unit
Display unit
Speed-/odometer
Speed-/odometer function on the on-board
computer (Y page 239), Active Lane Keeping
Assist is activated starting at a speed of
60 km/h. If the miles
miles display unit is selected,
the assistance range begins at 40 mph.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active
Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the
risk of an accident nor override the laws of
physics. Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Lane Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continu-
ously keep your vehicle in its lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflection from other vehicles
(e.g. if the road surface is wet) R
the windscreen is dirty, misted up, dam-
aged or covered, for instance by a sticker,
in the vicinity of the camera
R no, or several, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, e.g. in a construction
area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions
on the road
Warning vibration through the steering
wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of intermittent vibration in the steer-
ing wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lanemarking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way
R the system recognises solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend
Lane-correcting brake application G
WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original lane. There is a risk of an accident. 224
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic conditions or road users. In very rare
cases, the system may make an inappropriate brake application, e.g. after intentionally driv-
ing over a solid lane marking. There is a risk of an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance to the side for
other traffic or obstacles.
In rare cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist can
recognise unclear markings or particular
structures on the roadway as solid lane mark-
ings. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction. If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display :appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
If you leave your lane under certain circum-
stances, the vehicle will brake briefly on one
side. This is intended to help you return the
vehicle to the original lane.
This function is available in the range between
60 km/h and 200 km/h.
A lane-correcting brake application can only
be made after driving over a solid, recognis- able lane marking. Before this, a warning
must have been issued by means of intermit-
tent vibration through the steering wheel. In
addition, a lane with lane markings on both
sides must be recognised. The brake applica- tion also slightly reduces driving speed.
i A further lane-correcting brake applica-
tion can only occur after your vehicle has
returned to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs
if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or
accelerate
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend
R you have switched on the turn signals
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
R ESP ®
is deactivated
R the transmission is not in position D
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been detected and displayed
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
road and traffic conditions. An inappropriate
brake application may be interrupted at any
time if:
R you steer slightly in the opposite direction
R you switch on the turn signal
R you clearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is inter-
rupted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist
R lane markings are no longer be detected Driving systems
225Driving and parking Z

Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist
X Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard
Standard orAdaptive Adaptive (Ypage 238).
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, the lines in the
assistance graphics display (Y page 237)
are shown in green. Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
If Standard
Standard is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this case, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive
Adaptive is selected, no warning
vibration occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals In
this case, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown
R you brake hard
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend 226
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Useful information
............................228
Important safety notes ....................228
Displays and operation ....................228
Menus and submenus ......................231
Display messages ............................. 247
Warning and indicator lamps ..........274 227On-board computer and displays

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). Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognise function
restrictions relevant to safety. The operating
safety of your vehicle may be impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving when operating the on-board computer.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the mul- tifunction display. You should therefore make
sure your vehicle is operating safely at all times. Otherwise, a vehicle that is not oper-
ating safely may cause an accident.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (Y
page 40). Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con- trol knob.
The brightness control knob is on the bottom
left of the instrument cluster (Y page 40).
X Turn the brightness control knob anti-
clockwise or clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependant upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not lit. Coolant temperature gauge
G
WARNING
If you open the bonnet while the engine is
overheating or while there is a fire in the
engine compartment, you could come into
contact with hot gases or other leaking ser-
vice products. There is a danger of injury.
Allow an overheating engine to cool down
before opening the bonnet. If there is a fire in the engine compartment, leave the bonnet
closed and notify the fire brigade.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 40).
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †. 228
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
The outside temperature display is in the mul- tifunction display (Y page 230).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available. R Cruise control activated (Y page 182):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R Variable SPEEDTRONIC activated
(Y page 193):
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 185):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in front and the stored speed light
up. Operating the on-board computer
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Switches on LINGUATRONIC; see the sep-
arate operating instructions
= Right control panel
? Left control panel
A Back button
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the key to position 1in the ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. Displays and operation
229On-board computer and displays Z