2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER manual transmission

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least 10seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Releasing the parking lock manually
In the event of an electrical fault, it is possible
to release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P, e.g. if you wish to
tow the vehicle away. !
Do not use any sharp-edged objects to
remove the selector lever gaiter from the
centre console. This could damage the
selector lever gaiter. X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Press the frame of selector level gaiter :
together somewhat on the side edge at the
back and hold with one hand ;.
X With the other hand, prise out the frame of
selector level gaiter :with a flat, blunt
object (e.g. a screwdriver wrapped in cloth)
at rear edge =, pulling it up and out at the
same time.
X Press release button ?down and simul-
taneously move the selector lever out of
position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely
until it is returned to position P. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels. 142
RefuellingDriving and parking

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle when the key is removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They might release the electric parking
brake. This could lead to aserious or fatal
accident. G
WARNING
Under no circumstances should the exhaust
system come into contact with flammable
materials such as dry grass or petrol, for
example. Do not park the vehicle on dry grass-
land or harvested grain fields. The hot exhaust
system could otherwise ignite the flammable
material and set the vehicle on fire.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in park position
Pand the transmission position display in
the multifunction display must show P.
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, turn the
fron twheels towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking then requires significantly
greater effort. As a result, you might lose control of the vehi-
cle, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
Therefore, do not switch off the engine while
you are driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can only be removed if the trans-
mission is in position P.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 127).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrumentc luster go out.
i When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0, i.e. key removed.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. 146
ParkingDriving and parking

Electric parking brake
General notes i
The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off .Noises that
occur are normal. Engaging/releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle :.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released when the key in the ignition lock
is in position 1or the ignition is switched
on using the Start/Stop button.
Engaging automatically The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
automatically applied if DISTRONIC PLUS
(only for vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion) or the HOLD function brakes the vehicle
until it is stationary or keeps the vehicle sta-
tionary. In addition, at least one of the follow-
ing conditions must be fulfilled: R
the engine is switched off.
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake is not automat-
ically engaged if the engine is switched off
by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically i
The electric parking brake can only be
released automatically in vehicles with
automatic transmission.
The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
released automatically when all of the follow-
ing conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R.
R the seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R, the boot
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of Por you have pre-
viously driven faster than 3 km/h.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency using the electric parking brake.
X
While driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake (Y page 147).
i The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
the handle of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle is depressed, the greater the
braking force. Parking
147Driving and parking Z

Slippery road surfaces
G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 289). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety 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 shift to a lower gear
in time. On vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion, select shift range 1,2or 3.B y doing so,
you will make use of th ebraking effect of the
engine. This relieves the loadont he brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. 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. G
WARNING
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you to
drive at a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic
or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The 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 SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. Driving systems
151Driving and parking Z

:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the curren tspeed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. The speed is then perma-
nently displayed in the status indicator
together with the ¯symbol.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the curren
tspeed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h. X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise contro lmaintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but no texces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the curren tspee dorc alling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored spee difyou know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed. 152
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting
aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed or down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X Setting in 1-km/h increments: press the
cruise control lever briefly up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X Setting in 10-km/h increments: press
the cruise control lever briefly up :or
down ?beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivate ESP ®
. R
you shift into neutral in a vehicle with man-
ual transmission while driving or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must shift to a lower gear
in good time or select shift range
1,2or 3in
vehicles with automatic transmission .By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effec tofthe engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously. G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could Driving systems
153Driving and parking
Z

It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point up :or down ?.
The current speed is stored. For five sec-
onds, the multifunction display shows the
stored speed, e.g. Limit 100 km/h .
Vehicles with cruise control: the stored
speed is permanently displayed in the sta-
tus indicator, e.g. LIM 100 km/h .
Vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: the seg-
ments from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed lightu p in the speedometer.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments
X Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :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. Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :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.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), but only if
your curren tspeed does not differ by more
than 20 km/h from the stored speed. You
will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, if
you shift to a higher gear and as a result,
the engine speed is too low. G
WARNING
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Driving systems
155Driving and parking Z

Fron
tsensors Centre approximately 10
0cm Corners approximately 60 cm
Rea
rsensors Centre approximately 12
0cm Corners approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particula rattention 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 pneumati cdrill, coul dcause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may no tfunction correctly on
uneven terrain.
Minimum distance Centre approximately 20 cm
Corners approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevan
twarning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If th edistance falls below
the minimum, the distanc emay no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and th eobstacle. The
warning display for the fron tarea is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted between the roll bars. Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The gearl ever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission and
the direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Manual transmission: Gear lever posi-
tion Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
, or
the vehicle is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated168
Driving systemsDriving and parking