2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER brakes

vehicle is laden, you must select a lower gear
in good time. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents
the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 196)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. SPEED-
TRONIC cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. SPEEDTRONIC
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying cor-
rectly in lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Variable SPEEDTRONIC Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
LIM indicator lamp ;on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp ;
; off: cruise control
or DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ; ;on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the engine is running. 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 197).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :HOLD HOLD appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until HOLD HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a short period the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

X
Make sure that the engine is running or that
it has been switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
X If indicator lamp ;
; is lit: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. You have selec-
ted the suspension setting for a comforta-
ble driving style.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT
AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style.
Driving conditions menu in the
COMAND display You can display some driving systems and
additional information in the COMAND dis-
play.
X Call up the driving conditions menu in the
COMAND display (Y page 318).
The corresponding displays appear in the
COMAND display. Example: displays in the COMAND display
:
Selection of raised level (Y page 202)
; Activity of ABC suspension struts for roll
and pitching support
= Selected suspension setting, i.e. sporty or
comfortable (Y page 203)
? G-FORCE (longitudinal and lateral accel-
eration)
A Current vehicle level PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substi- tute for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 205) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R at any time, you can intervene in the steer-
ing procedure to correct it. Active Parking
Assist will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Parking Important safety notes
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles. In some circumstances, Active Park- ing Assist may therefore guide you into the
parking space too early. G
WARNING
If objects are located above the detection
range, Active Parking Assist may start to steer into the parking space too soon. As a result,
you could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop the vehicle and switch Active
Parking Assist off. G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter- vening actively in the steering. There is a risk
of accident if you do not apply the brakes
yourself.
Always apply the brakes yourself when park-
ing and manoeuvring.
Detecting parking spaces Example: detected parking space
Active Parking Assist is activated automati-
cally when driving forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately 35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde- pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will see
parking symbol ;as a status indicator in the
instrument cluster. When a parking space has
been detected, an arrow towards the right =
or the left :also appears.
Active Parking Assist only displays parking
spaces on the front-passenger side as stand- ard. Parking spaces on the driver's side are
displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. If you wish to park in
a space on the driver's side, the turn signal on 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

the electronic systems are connected.
Electronic malfunctions can seriously jeop-
ardise the operational safety of your vehi-
cle.
i The functionality of a roof aerial (tele-
phone, GPS) may be impaired if roof carrier
systems are used.
Attaching metallised retrofit film to the
windscreen may affect radio reception and have a negative impact on all other aerials
(e.g. emergency aerial) in the vehicle inte-
rior.
i Only have work or changes to electronic
components carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This workshop should
have the necessary specialist knowledge
and tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. In partic- ular, work relevant to safety or on safety-
related systems must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
i Protection against theft:
this device is
equipped with technical provisions to pro-
tect it against theft. Further information on
protection against theft can be obtained
from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Data stored in the vehicle
A wide range of electronic components in
your vehicle contain data memories.
These data memories temporarily or perma-
nently store technical information about:
R the vehicle's operating state
R events
R faults
In general, this technical information docu-
ments the state of a component, a module, a
system or the surroundings. These include, for example:
R operating conditions of system compo-
nents, e.g. fluid levels
R the vehicle's status messages and those of
its individual components, e.g. number of
wheel revolutions/speed, deceleration in
movement, lateral acceleration, accelera-
tor pedal position
R malfunctions and defects in important sys-
tem components, e.g. lights, brakes
R vehicle reactions and operating conditions
in special driving situations, e.g. airbag
deployment, intervention of stability con-
trol systems
R ambient conditions, e.g. outside tempera-
ture
This data is of an exclusively technical nature and can be used to:
R assist in recognising and rectifying faults
and defects
R analyse vehicle functions, e.g. after an acci-
dent
R optimise vehicle functions
The data cannot be used to trace the vehicle's movements.
When your vehicle is serviced, technical infor-
mation can be read from the event data mem- ory and fault data memory.
Services include, for example:
R repair services
R service processes
R warranty events
R quality assurance
It is read by employees of the service network (including manufacturers) using special diag-
nostic testers. More detailed information is
obtained from it, if required.
After a fault has been rectified, the informa-
tion is deleted from the fault memory or is
continually overwritten.
When operating the vehicle, situations are
conceivable in which this technical data, in
connection with other information (if neces- Operating safety
287COMAND Online Z

In these or similar operating conditions, have
the air filter, engine oil and oil filter, for exam- ple, changed more frequently. The tyres mustbe checked more frequently if the vehicle is
operated under increased loads. Further
information can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
Driving abroad An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Care
Notes on care
H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man- ner.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up. Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after the vehicle has been washed. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After washing the vehicle, brake carefully
while paying attention to the traffic conditions in order to restore full braking efficiency.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! It is preferable to use car washes with
adjustable high-pressure pre-cleaning that
corresponds to the specification for the
Cabriolet programme. In car washes that
use high water pressures, there is a risk
that a small amount of water may leak into
the vehicle.
! Vehicles with HANDS-FREE ACCESS: if a
key with KEYLESS-GO is within the detec-
tion range of the KEYLESS-GO antenna, the
following situations could lead to the unin-
tentional opening of the boot lid:
R using a car wash
R using a high-pressure cleaner
Make sure that the key is at least 2 maway
from the vehicle.
! Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in position Nwhen washing your 568
CareMaintenance and care

Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
starting device.
X Press cover :of positive terminal ;down (in the direction of the arrow) and turn it
clockwise. Cover :is held down in the lowered position, which exposes positive termi-
nal ;.
X Connect positive terminal ;on your vehicle to positive terminal =of donor battery B
using the jump lead. Always begin with positive terminal ;on your own vehicle first.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal ?of donor battery Bto earth point Aof your vehicle using the
jump lead, connecting the jump lead to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Before disconnecting the jump leads, let the engines run for several minutes.
X First, remove the jump leads from earth point Aand negative terminal ?, then from pos-
itive clamp ;and positive terminal =. Begin each time at the contacts on your own vehicle
first.
X After removing the jump leads, press down cover :of positive terminal ;and turn it anti-
clockwise. Cover :returns to its original position. Positive terminal ;is covered up and
thus insulated again.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition.
i Jump-starting cables and further information regarding jump starting can be obtained at
any qualified specialist workshop. Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the weight of the vehicle to be towed or tow- started is greater than the permissible gross
weight of your vehicle:
R the towing eye could detach itself
R the vehicle/trailer combination could over-
turn.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per-
missible gross weight of your vehicle. !
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope in the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This makes other road 588
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance