2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER ESP inoperative

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please
note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Read the information on qualified
specialist workshops: ( Y page 31).Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The driver's concentration must always be
directed primarily at road traffic.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when

traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) per
second. G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps
R malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired. If
you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Malfunction and warning messages are only
displayed for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance services and safety checks
performed on

the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to
address the malfunction and warning
messages. G
WARNING
All
categories of messages contain important
information which should be taken note of
and, where a malfunction is indicated,
addressed as soon as possible at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair the condition noted may
cause damage

not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty, or result in property
damage or personal injury.
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "Displays and operation"
section ( Y page 205).204
Important safety notes
On-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
!÷
Currently
Unavailable See
Operator's Manual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability
Program), BAS

(Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and
hill start assist are temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Possible causes are:
R self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely
affected. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation
can increase.
If ESP ®
is

not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Carefully drive a suitable distance making slight steering
movements at a speed above 12 mph (20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start
assist are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
The
$ (USA only)/J (Canada only),
÷, å and !
warning lamps in the instrument cluster also light up.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example. 224
Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷ and å warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is

not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. T!
÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-
SAFE ®
, the

HOLD function and hill start assist are unavailable due
to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore
lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely
affected. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation
can increase.
If ESP ®
is

not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. F(USA
only)!(Canada
only)
Release
Park.

Brake The red
F (USA only)/! (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and a warning tone sounds. A condition for automatic
release of the electric parking brake is not fulfilled (Y
page 155).
You are driving with the electric parking brake applied.
X Release the electric parking brake manually.226
Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsPRE-SAFE
Functions
Currently Limited
See Operator's
Manual
PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is deactivated or temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes are:
R the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grill is dirty.
R function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the sensors in the bumpers are dirty.
R the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio
stations or other sources of electromagnetic radiation.
R AMG vehicles: ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 154).
X Clean the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grill
(Y page 504).
X Clean the bumpers ( Y page 504).
X Restart the engine.
X AMG vehicles: reactivate ESP ®
(Y page 61).
If the system detects that the sensors are fully operational, the
display message disappears.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is operational again. PRE-SAFE
Functions Limited
See Operator's
Manual
PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is inoperative due to a malfunction. BAS PLUS
or the distance warning signal may also have failed.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. A
Malfunction
Service Required The roll bars are defective.
G WARNING
The roll bars will then possibly not be extended in the event of an
accident.
There is an increased risk of injury.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages
231On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsActive Blind Spot
Assist Inoperative Active Blind Spot Assist is defective.
The yellow
9 indicator lamps also light up in the exterior
mirrors.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Park Assist
Canceled The driver's door is open and the driver's seat belt has not been
fastened.
X
Repeat the parking process with the seat belt fastened and the
driver's door closed. You have inadvertently touched the multifunction steering wheel
while steering intervention was active.
X
While steering intervention is active, make sure that the
multifunction steering wheel is not touched unintentionally. The vehicle has started to skid and ESP
®
has intervened.
X Use Active Parking Assist again later (Y page 186). Park Assist
Inoperative You have just carried out a large number of turning or parking
maneuvers.
Active Parking Assist will become available again after
approximately ten minutes (
Y page 186).
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Switch off and restart the engine.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. PARKTRONIC is defective.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Park Assist
Finished The vehicle is parked. A warning tone also sounds.
The display message disappears automatically.
DISTRONIC PLUS
Off DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated (
Y page 164).
If it was deactivated automatically, a warning tone also sounds. DISTRONIC PLUS
Now Available DISTRONIC PLUS is operational again after having been
temporarily
unavailable.
You can now reactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 164). 244
Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Tires
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Check
Tire Pressure The tire pressure loss warning system has detected a significant
loss in pressure.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
With tire pressures which are too low, there is a risk of the
following hazards:
R they may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase.
R they may

wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tire 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
maneuvers. Pay

attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 154).
X If there is a flat tire, inspect the tires ( Y page 509).
X Check the tire pressures and, if necessary, correct the tire
pressure.
X Restart the tire pressure loss warning system when the tire
pressure is correct (Y page 533). Check
Tire Pressure
Then Restart Run
Flat Indicator The tire pressure loss warning system generated a display
message and has not been restarted since.
X
Set the correct tire pressure in all four tires.
X Restart the tire pressure loss warning system ( Y page 533).
Run Flat Indicator
Inoperative The tire pressure loss warning system is faulty.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Tire pressure
will be displayed
after driving a
few minutes The tire pressure monitor is measuring the tire pressure.
X
Drive on.
The tire

pressures appear in the multifunction display after you
have been driving for a few minutes. Tire
Press. Monitor
Inoperative The tire pressure monitor is faulty.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
247
On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsTire Pressure
Monitor
Inoperative No
Wheel Sensors The wheels mounted do not have a suitable tire pressure sensor.
The tire pressure monitor is deactivated.
X
Mount wheels with suitable tire pressure sensors.
The tire
pressure monitor is activated automatically after driving
for a few minutes. Check
Tire Press. The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly.
The wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
With tire pressures which are too low, there is a risk of the
following hazards:
R they may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase.
R they may

wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tire 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
maneuvers. Pay

attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 154).
X If there is a flat tire, inspect the tires ( Y page 509).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page 534).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Warning
Tire Malfunction The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is shown in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tire, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R A flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
R You could lose control of the vehicle.
R Continued driving

with a flat tire 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
maneuvers. Pay

attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 154).
X If there is a flat tire, inspect the tires ( Y page 509).248
Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Shortly after successfully registering with the
mbrace service, a user ID and password will
be
sent
to you by mail. USA only: you can use
this password to log onto the mbrace area
under "Owners Online" at http://
www.mbusa.com.
The mbrace system is available if:
R it has been activated and is operational.
R the corresponding mobile phone network
is available for transmitting data to the
Customer Assistance Center.
R a service subscription is available.
R the starter battery is sufficiently charged.
i Determining the location of the vehicle on
a map is only possible if:
R GPS reception is available
R the vehicle position can be forwarded to
the Customer Assistance Center.
The mbrace system To adjust the volume during an mbrace call,
proceed as follows:
X
Press the W or X button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
or
X Use the volume controller of COMAND.
The mbrace system provides various
services, e.g.:
R automatic and manual emergency call
R Roadside Assistance call
R MB Info call
USA only: you can find information and a
description of all available features under
"Owners Online"

at http://www.mbusa.com. System self-test G
WARNING
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if one of the following conditions
occurs:
R the indicator lamp in the SOS button does
not light up during the system self-
diagnosis.
R the indicator lamp in the F Roadside
Assistance button does not light up during
the system self-diagnosis.
R the indicator lamp in the ï information
button does not light up during self-
diagnosis of the system.
R the indicator lamp in the SOS button, the
F Roadside Assistance button or the
ï information button continues to light
up red after the system self-diagnosis.
R The mbrace Inoperative or mbrace
Service Not Activated message
appears in the multifunction display after
the system self-diagnosis.
If a

malfunction is indicated as outlined above,
the system may not operate as expected. In
the event of an emergency, assistance must
be summoned by other means.
Have the system checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or contact
the following service hotlines:
R USA: Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
or 1-888-990-9007
R Canada: Customer Service at
1-888-923-8367
After you have switched on the ignition, the
system carries out a self-diagnosis. 486
Features
Stowage and features