2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER traction control

Lights .............................................2
55
Safety systems .............................. 248
Tyres .............................................. 267
Vehicle .......................................... .269
Displaying the arrival time ...............358
Displaying the distance to the des-
tination ............................................... 358
Displaying the track and album ....... 478
Distance recorder
see Trip meter
Distance warning signal (warning
lamp) ................................................. .283
DISTRONIC PLUS
Cruise control lever ....................... 186
Deactivating ................................... 192
Display message ............................ 264
Displays in the multifunction dis-
pla y................................................ 191
Driving tips .................................... 192
Function/note s............................. 185
Important safety notes .................. 185
Selecting ........................................ 187
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 190
Warning lamp ................................. 283
Dolby® Digital ................................... 300
Door
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 242
Automatic locking (switch) ............... 92
Central locking/unlocking (key) ...... 85
Control panel ................................... 48
Display message ............................ 270
Emergency locking ........................... 93
Emergency unlocking ....................... 93
Important safety notes .................... 90
Opening (from the inside) ................ 91
Power closing .................................. 93
Doors
Overview .......................................... 90
Draught stop
Electrical draught stop ................... 108
Manual draught stop ...................... 107
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 169
Display ........................................... 165
Manual ........................................... 169 Manual (vehicles with Sports
package AMG) ............................... 170
Drive program selector ..................... 168
Driver's door
see Door
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 568
Symmetrical dipped beam ............. 126
Driving on flooded roads .................. 181
Driving safety system
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 72
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 71
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 77
Adaptive brake lights ....................... 73
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 71
Electronic Brake-force Distribu-
tion .................................................. 76
ESP® (Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 73
ETS (Electronic Traction System) ..... 73
Important safety guidelines ............. 70
Overview .......................................... 70
PRE-SAFE® Brake ............................ 77
STEER CONTROL ............................. 78
Driving system
Active Body Control (AMG vehi-
cles) ............................................... 202
Active Body Control (except AMG
vehicles) ........................................ 199
Adaptive Damping System ............. 199
Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 220
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 220
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 223
Active Parking Assist ..................... 207
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 214
Cruise control ................................ 182
Display message ............................ 260
Distronic Plus ................................ 185
HOLD function ............................... 196
Night View Assist Plus ................... 217
PARKTRONIC ................................. 204
RACE START (AMG vehicles) .......... 198
Reversing camera .......................... 211
Speed Limit Assist ......................... 215 Index
11

PLUS automatically increases the brake pres-
sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz- ardous situations with vehicles in front within
a speed range between 7 km/h and
250 km/h.
At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h,
BAS PLUS can also detect stationary objects. Examples of stationary objects are stopped or
parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you activate kickdown Adaptive brake lamps
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/ho r if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y page 130). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
i AMG vehicles:
your vehicle may be
equipped with 20-inch tyres on the rear
axle. If replaced with a 19-inch tyre, ETS
may intervene noticeably sooner for the
first few kilometres. After approximately
10 km ETS will function as usual again.
Information on the dimensions and types of wheels and tyres for your vehicle can be
found under "Wheel/tyre combinations"
(Y page 610). Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To switch off: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
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 flashes. In such situa-
tions, 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 ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70). You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer-
ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin. Driving safety systems
75Safety Z

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

You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 599).
For more information on driving with summer tyres, see (Y page 598).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 598). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
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 tooquickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take road, weather and traffic
conditions into account. Cruise control 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 maintaining lane. Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
heavy traffic or winding roads.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
may cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the stored speed.
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 and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp ;on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp ;
; off: cruise control
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ; ;on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
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
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of
road and weather conditions or traffic condi-
tions. DISTRONIC PLUS 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 correctly in lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored. This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed and to call up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and varia- ble SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control
lever.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp = =off: DISTRONIC
PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Check
Check
tyre(s)
tyre(s) The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly.
The wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
Tyre pressures which are too low, harbour the following hazards: R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 175).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 578).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 602).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. Warning Warning
tyre defect tyre defect The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tyre, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R a flat tyre affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with a flat tyre will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 175).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 578).268
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when
pulling away.
X Accelerate more gently while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 74).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 74).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. M
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT han-
dling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running. SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Only switch on SPORT handling mode in certain situations
(Y page 75). 278
Warning and indicator lampsOn-board computer and displays