2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER brake

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action, which provides better grip.
R ETS is still active.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available; it
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 70).76
Driving safety syste
msSafety

G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 275) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 250). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has the HOLD function (Y page 196) and
hill start assist (Y page 158). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available on vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead, and reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically as
well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE ®Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you also brake. Automatic
emergency braking cannot prevent a colli-
sion. There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake 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 be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

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

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

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The engine can no lon-
ger be started using the key. The on-board voltage is too low.
X Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
X Check the starter battery and charge it if necessary
(Y page 584).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 586).
or
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine can no lon-
ger be started using
KEYLESS-GO. The key
is in the vehicle. The vehicle is locked.
X Unlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again. There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
X Start your vehicle with the key in the ignition lock. Doors
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 could:
R open doors, thereby endangering other per-
sons or road users
R get out and be struck by oncoming traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
In addition, the children could also set the
vehicle in motion, for example, if they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start 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 and animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Keep the keys out of the reach of children. 90
DoorsOpening and closing

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 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.
Unlocking and opening the doors
from the inside
! The side windows will not open/close if
the battery is discharged or if the side win- dows have iced up. It will then not be pos-
sible to close the door. Do not attempt to
force the door to close. You could other-
wise damage the door or the side window.
For all countries except the United King-
dom: you can open a door from inside the
vehicle even if it has been locked.
If the vehicle has previously been locked with the key or with KEYLESS-GO, opening a door
from the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarmsystem. Switch off the alarm (Y page 79).
United Kingdom only: if the vehicle has
been locked with the key from the outside,
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). Doors
91Opening and closing Z

The hazard warning lamps switch on auto-
matically if:
R an airbag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a
speed of above 70 km/h and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off auto-
matically if the vehicle reaches a speed of
above 10 km/ha gain after a full brake appli-
cation.
i The hazard warning lamps continue to
operate even if the ignition is switched off. Headlamp cleaning system
The headlamps are cleaned automatically if
the "Wipe with washer fluid" function is oper-
ated five times (Y page 135) while the lights
are on and the engine is running. When you
switch off the ignition, the automatic head-
lamp cleaning system is reset and counting is
resumed from 0. Intelligent Light System
General notes The Intelligent Light System is a system that
adjusts the headlamps automatically to suit
the prevailing driving and weather conditions. It offers advanced functions for improved illu-
mination of the road surface, e.g. depending
on the vehicle speed or weather conditions.
The system includes the active light function, cornering light function, motorway mode and
extended range foglamps. The system is only
active when it is dark.
You can activate or deactivate the "Intelligent Light System" using the on-board computer
(Y page 240). Active light function
The active light function is a system that
moves the headlamps according to the steer-
ing movements of the front wheels. In this
way, relevant areas remain illuminated while
driving. This allows you to recognise pedes-
trians, cyclists and animals.
Active: when the lights are switched on
Cornering light function The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the direction you are turning, enabling better vis-
ibility in tight bends, for example. The corner- ing light function can only be activated when
the dipped-beam headlamps are switched on.
Active:
R if you are driving at speeds below 40 km/h
and switch on the turn signal or turn the
steering wheel
R if you are driving at speeds between
40 km/ha nd 70 km/h and turn the steer-
ing wheel Exterior lighting
131Lights andwindscreen wipers Z