2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER brake

Vehicles which are not driving in the mid-
dle of their lane DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

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

trol lever up
:past the pressure point for
a higher speed, or down ;for a lower
speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ;for a
lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/ hincre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed, or down ;for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for
a higher speed or down ;for a lower
speed.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Briefly move the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted. If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), variable
SPEEDTRONIC is automatically deactivated,
but only if your current speed does not differ
by more than 20 km/hf rom the stored speed.
You will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and the maximum speed (Y page 242).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away. 196
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

R
a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
If a fault occurs, then the transmission may
also be shifted into position Pautomatically. RACE START
Important safety notes i
Observe the safety notes for the SPORT
handling mode (Y page 75).
Only activate RACE START on dedicated race circuits.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
i RACE START is only available for the
SL 63 AMG model.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors are closed
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 75)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 168) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display. i
If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The mul-
tifunction display shows the RACE START
RACE START
cancelled
cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 169).
or X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
shift paddle (Y page 169).
The RACE START available Depress RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE RACESTART
START not
not
possible
possible See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Manual
Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases to at least
3,500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to
RACE START Release brake to
start start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel- led. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START cancelled
RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START active RACE START active appears in the
multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE RACESTART
START
not possible See Owner's Manual
not possible See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

the driver's side must remain on. The turn
signal must remain switched on until you
acknowledge the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the abutton on the multi-
function steering wheel.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are at least 1.0 m longer than your
vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.
Reversing into the parking space X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel
or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press the abutton on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and and brake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. Do not exceed a maximum speed of approximately 10 km/h when reversing.
Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will be
cancelled.
i When parking in tight spaces, you will
achieve the best results by backing up as far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Additional manoeuvring may be required in
tight parking spaces.
The Park Assist active Select D Park Assist active Select D
Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position Dwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist active Accelerate Park Assist active Accelerate
and
and brake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
The Park Assist active Select R
Park Assist active Select R
Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Drive forwards and reverse according to
the information shown in the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the Park ParkAssist
Assist switched
switched off
off mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
PARKTRONIC continues to be available.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 205).
Parking tips: R On narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R Parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z