2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER transmission

R
a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If a
malfunction occurs, then the transmission
may also be shifted into position P
automatically. RACE START
Important safety notes G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode only stabilizes the vehicle to a limited
extent in the event of swerving or wheelspin.
RACE START

should only be used on specially
designated roads. Always adapt your speed
and driving style to the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
RACE START enables optimal 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.
Conditions for activation 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
176 ‡ (80 †. This is the case when the
engine oil temperature in the multifunction
display stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 61).
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 147) until the RS lamp lights up.
The multifunction

display shows the RACE
START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is canceled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE
START Canceled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel
paddle shifter (
Y

page 148).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
paddle shifter ( Y

page 148).
The RACE START Available Depress
gas pedal message appears in the
multifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is canceled. The multifunction
display shows the RACE START Not
Possible See Operator's Manual
message.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases to at least
3500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to
start. message appears in the
multifunction display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is
canceled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START Canceled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum
acceleration.
The RACE START

Active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 30 mph Driving systems
177
Driving 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
button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. You have
selected the suspension for a comfortable
driving style.
The AMG Suspension System COMFORT
message appears in the multifunction
display.
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style.
Driving conditions menu in the
COMAND display You can display some driving systems and
additional information in the COMAND
display.
X
Call up the driving conditions menu in the
COMAND display (Y
page 291).
The corresponding displays appear in the
COMAND display. Example: displays in the COMAND display
:
Selection of raised level (Y page 181)
; Activity of ABC spring struts for roll and
pitching support
= Selected suspension tuning, i.e. sports or
comfort (

Y page 182)
? G-FORCE (longitudinal and lateral
acceleration)
A Current vehicle level PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The PARKTRONIC is a supplemental system.
It is not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always remains with the driver. G
WARNING
Make sure no persons or animals are in or
near the area in which you are parking/
maneuvering. Otherwise, they could be
injured.
! When parking,

pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC 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 other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D, R or N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds. Driving systems
183
Driving and parking Z

Warning displays
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 displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the
dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is
located on the cover behind the seats in the
rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if
yellow segments showing operational
readiness = light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R, N or the vehicle
is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
R
Front area: following the sixth segment,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone.
From the seventh segment, you will hear a
continuous warning

tone for approximately
two seconds. This indicates that you have
now reached the minimum distance.
R Rear area: from the first segment onwards,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone.
The interval gets shorter after each
segment. At the seventh segment, you will
hear a continuous warning tone for
approximately two seconds. This indicates
that you have now reached the minimum
distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp : lights

up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2 in the
ignition lock. Driving systems
185
Driving and parking Z

by pressing the
a button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
Active Parking
Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 40 in (1.0 m) longer than
your vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same level as the road, e.g.
not on the pavement
Backing up into the parking space G
WARNING
The front of the vehicle will veer out in the
direction of the oncoming traffic during the
parking operation. In some cases the vehicle
will also take you onto sections of the
oncoming lane

during the parking procedure.
You are responsible for safety at all times and
must pay attention to any road users
approaching or passing. Stop the vehicle if
necessary or cancel the Active Parking Assist
parking procedure.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows

the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The 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
a

button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
X Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Back up the vehicle, being ready to brake
at all times. Do not exceed a maximum
speed of approximately 6 mph (10 km/h

)
when backing up. Otherwise, Active
Parking Assist will be deactivated.
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 maneuvering

may be required in
tight parking spaces.
The Park Assist Active Select D
Observe Surroundings

message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position D while
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking

Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
i You will achieve the best results by
waiting 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.188
Driving systems
Driving and parking

The Park Assist Active Select R
Observe
Surroundings
message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Drive forwards and back up according to
the information

shown in the multifunction
display.
As soon as the parking procedure is
complete, the Park Assist Finished
message appears in the multifunction
display. PARKTRONIC continues to be
available.
X Maneuver if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages
displayed by PARKTRONIC (Y

page 185).
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive past the parking
space as close as possible.
R parking spaces

that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R the way your vehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parking is dependent
on various factors. These include the
position and shape of the vehicles parked
in front and behind it and the conditions of
the location. In some cases, Active Parking
Assist may guide you too far into a parking
space, or not far enough into it. In some
cases, it may also lead you across or onto
the curb. If necessary, you should abort the
parking procedure with Active Parking
Assist.
R you can also engage forward gear
prematurely. The vehicle redirects and
does not drive as far into the parking space.
Should a gear be changed too early, the
parking procedure will be canceled. A
sensible parking position can no longer be
achieved from this position. Exiting a parking space G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist does not monitor street
traffic. In some cases, the vehicle will also
take you onto sections of the oncoming lane
when exiting a parking space.
You are

responsible for safety at all times and
must pay attention to any road users
approaching or passing. Stop the vehicle if
necessary or cancel Active Parking Assist.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle using Active Parking Assist.
X Start the engine.
X Switch on the turn signal on the side facing
the street.
X Shift the transmission to position D or R.
The 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 exit a parking space using Active
Parking Assist: press the a button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
X Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle or drive forwards, being
ready to brake at all times. Do not exceed
a maximum speed of approximately
6 mph (10 km/h ) when exiting a parking
space.

Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will
be deactivated.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before. Driving systems
189
Driving and parking Z

X
Shift the transmission to position D or R as
required while the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
i You will achieve the best results by
waiting for the steering procedure to
complete before pulling away.
If you

back up after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead
position.
X Drive forwards or back up the vehicle, being
ready to brake at all times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
X Drive forwards and back up as instructed
by the PARKTRONIC warning displays.
Once you have exited the parking space
completely, the steering wheel is moved to
the straight-ahead position. You hear a tone
and the message Park Assist Finished
appears in

the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available.
Canceling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. The Park Assist canceled
message appears in the multifunction
display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
center console (

Y page 185).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
The Park Assist canceled message
appears in the multifunction display. Active Parking Assist is canceled
automatically if:
R
parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible.
R you are driving faster than 6mph
(10 km/h).
R a wheel

spins, ESP®
intervenes or fails. The
÷ ESP warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking space
symbol disappears and the multifunction
display shows the Park Assist canceled
message.
When Active Parking Assist is canceled, you
must steer again yourself. Rear view camera
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the maneuvering range. Otherwise, they
could be injured. G
WARNING
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles
R from a distorted perspective
R inaccurately
R may not display obstacles at all
The rear view camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to be cautious. Take care
and pay careful attention. The rear view
camera may not show objects which are
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R above the trunk handle
You are

responsible for safety at all times and
must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of, and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself and/or others. 190
Driving systems
Driving and parking

G
WARNING
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera
will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
R if the trunk lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not use the rear view camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise injure
others or damage objects and your vehicle
while you are parking.
General notes Rear
view camera
: is
in the trunk lid handle.
Rear view camera : is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind
your vehicle with guide lines in the COMAND
display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
i The text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of rear view camera messages in the COMAND
display.
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera X
To activate: make
sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2 in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the function "show rear
view camera display" is selected in
COMAND (Y page 276).
X Engage reverse gear.
The area

behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines.
To deactivate: the rear view camera is
deactivated if you:
R shift the transmission to position P
R drive forwards 33 ft (10 m)
R shift the transmission from position R to
another position (after 15 seconds)
R drive forwards at a speed of over 5 mph
(10km/h)
Displays in the COMAND display G
WARNUNG
Using
the rear view camera can be dangerous
if you are color-blind or if your ability to
distinguish colors is impaired.
Only use the rear view camera if you can see
and distinguish

between all the colored guide
lines that are displayed by the rear view
camera in the COMAND display. G
WARNING
Please
note that objects that do not touch the
ground may appear to be further away than
they actually are, for example:
R the bumper

of a vehicle parked behind you
R the trailer drawbar
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear end of a truck
R a slanted post
In such cases, you should not use the guide
lines to judge the distance. You may misjudge Driving systems
191
Driving and parking
Z

the distance, which increases the risk of
impacting the objects.
Even
if
the object you approach is directly on
the ground, do not approach the object any
closer than the red guide line. :
White guide line without turning the
steering wheel, vehicle width including
the exterior mirrors (static)
; Yellow guide line at a distance of
approximately 13 ft

(4.0m) from the rear
of the vehicle
= Red guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking tires at current
steering wheel angle (dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of
approximately 3

ft (1.0m) from the rear of
the vehicle
B Vehicle center axle (marker assistance)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10

in (0.25m) from the rear
of the vehicle The guide lines are shown when the
transmission is in position R.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level.
Additional messages for vehicles with
PARKTRONIC
:
Front warning display
; Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: When
PARKTRONIC is

operational (Y page 185), the
additional operational readiness
indicator ; appears in the COMAND Display.
If the PARKTRONIC warning displays are
active or light up, then the := warning
displays are also active or light up
correspondingly in the COMAND display. 192
Driving systems
Driving and parking