2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER ESP

i
Please note that the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible when there is adequate contact
between the tyres and the road surface.
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tyres" section (Y page 286).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 53).
AB Sr egulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABSw orks on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Brakes If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal. X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. G
WARNING
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect .You
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 53).
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System Plus)
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS. 54
Driving safety systemsSafety

system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or 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 switch button (Y page 103).ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
See the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 53).
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. If necessary, 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 slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
WARNING
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows: R
do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the front/rear
axle raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could oth-
erwise damage the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
WARNING
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. When pulling away again,
the engine starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status. 56
Driving safety systemsSafety

Example: if ESP
®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
WARNING
Activate ESP ®
as soo nas the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
star tto spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. X
To switch off: press the:button.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
WARNING
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. When pulling away again,
the engine starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status.
Example: if ESP ®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Otherwise, you should only use SPORT han-
dling mode on designated race circuits. Driving safety systems
57Safety Z

G
WARNING
Deactivate SPORT handling mode and acti-
vate ESP ®
as soon as the situations described
above no longer apply.O therwise, SPORT
handling mode will only be able to stabilise
the vehicle to a limited degree if the vehicle
starts to skid or a whee lstarts to spin.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R engine torque is only restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in
a cutting action for better traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
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. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunctio ndisplay.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumen tcluster goes out. Deactivating/activating ESP
®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. When pulling away again,
the engine starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status.
Example: if ESP ®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
WARNING
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
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 cutting action for
better traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
inter-
venes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available;
nor is it activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in 58
Driving safety systemsSafety

the instrument cluste
rdoes not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
WARNING
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
X To activate: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ONmessage appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 53). EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, the rear wheels can still lock,
e.g. under full braking. This could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident .You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling charac-
teristics.
X Observe the notes on warning and indicator
lamps (Y page 226) as well as display mes-
sages (Y page 202). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
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 165) and
hill start assist (Y page 130). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 148). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 53).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effect sofsuch a colli-
sion. 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.
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short for the speed you are driving at for Driving safety systems
59Safety Z

several seconds. The
·distance warn-
ing lamp then lights up in the instrument
cluster.
R you are rapidly approaching the 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 in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
If the driver and passengers have fastened
their seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also
can also perform the following at speeds of
above approximately 30 km/h:
R brake the vehicle automatically from a
speed of up to approximately 200 km/h
R trigger preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) (Y page 43)
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause
unnecessary warnings or the unnecessary
intervention of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake. To end this,
you can either depress the accelerator pedal
further, activate kickdown or release the
brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you drive slower than approximately
15 km/h.
R you manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
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.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake can also detect stationary
obstacles, for example, stopped or parked
vehicles. If you approach an obstacle and PRE-SAFE
®
Brake detects a risk of a collision, the system
will initially alert you both visually and acous-
tically. If you do not brake or take evasive
action, the system will warn you by automat-
ically braking the vehicle gently. If there is an
increased risk of collision, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated (Y page 43). If the risk of colli-
sion remains and you do not brake, take eva-
sive action or accelerate significantly, the
vehicle may perform automatic emergency
braking. Automatic emergency braking is not
performed until immediately prior to an acci-
dent that can no longer be avoided. G
WARNING
Even if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake slows the vehicle
before an imminent rear-end collision, the
system cannot avert a collision without the
intervention of the driver. There is a risk of an
accident. Brake according to the situation or
take evasive action. Delayed intervention by
the driver can lead to an accident. 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 not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay par-
ticular 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 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 60
Driving safety systemsSafety

H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in an
environmentally responsible
recycling system.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner
.Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialis tworkshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
Checking the battery X
Press the &or% button.
The battery is working properly if the bat-
tery check lamp :lights up briefly
If battery check lamp :does not light up
briefly during the test, the battery is dis-
charged.
X Changing the battery (Y page 69)
i If the key battery is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, press-
ing the &or% button locks or
unlocks the vehicle.
Replacing the battery You require a CR 2025 3 V cell battery.
X
Take the emergency key element out of the
key (Y page 68). X
Press emergency key element ;into the
opening in the key in the direction of the
arrow until battery tray cover :opens.
When doing so, do not hold cover :shut.
X Remove battery tray cover :. X
Repeatedly tap the key against your palm
until battery =falls out.
X Insert the new battery with the positive ter-
minal facing upwards. Use a lint-free cloth
to do so.
X Make sure that the surface of the battery is
free from lint, grease and all other forms of
contamination.
X Insert the front tabs of battery tray
cover :and then press to close it.
X Insert the emergency key element into the
key.
X Check the function of all key buttons on the
vehicle. Key
69Opening and closing Z

Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. Always take the key with you when leaving
the vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for
a short time.
G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:
R be seriously or even fatally injured on parts
of the vehicle
R be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extremely high or
extremely low temperatures
If children open a door, they could:
R seriously or even fatally injure other people
R get out of the vehicle and injure them-
selves, or be seriously or even fatally
injured by a passing vehicle Opening and closing the side win-
dows in the front
The switches for the front side windows are
located on the driver's door. There is also a
switch for the front-passenger side window
on the front-passenger door.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence. :
Left
; Right X
Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after you switch off the engine. This
function remains active for five minutes or
until the driver's or front-passenger door is
opened.
X To open: press the corresponding switch.
X To close: pull the corresponding switch.
X Automatic operation: press or pull the
corresponding switch beyond the point of
resistance.
The side window opens or closes fully.
X To interrupt automatic operation: press
or pull the corresponding switch again. Opening and closing all side windows
Using the switch on the centre console You can use the button on the centre console
to open or close all side windows simultane-
ously.
X Open the cover on the lower centre con-
sole.
The switch for all side windows is under the
cover. X
To open all side windows: press
switch :to the point of resistance.
X To open all side windows fully: press
switch :beyond the point of resistance.
i If, after opening the windows, you then
close a side window using the switch on the
door control panel, the other side windows 76
Side windowsOpening and closing