2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class brake sensor

DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
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 too quickly.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle. It
maintains the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot
prevent a collision without your intervention.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar
sensor system must be operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automotive radar system only. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g.
stopped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly
identify other road users and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly Driving systems
187Driving and parking
Z

There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
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 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 slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could 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:
R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a
vehicle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may
unexpectedly accelerate the vehicle to the
stored speed.
This speed may:
R be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
R be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
R be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To set the specified minimum distance
0087 To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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 0044
0044 is lit: press
button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044goes out. You have
selected the suspension for a comfortable
driving style.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT
AMG Ride Control 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 318).
The corresponding displays appear in the
COMAND display. Example: displays in the COMAND display
0043
Selection of raised level (Y page 201)
0044 Activity of ABC spring struts for roll and
pitching support
0087 Selected suspension tuning, i.e. sporty or
comfortable (Y page 202)
0085 G-FORCE (longitudinal and lateral
acceleration)
0083 Current vehicle level PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. When
maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a
parking space, make sure that there are no
persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
!
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 activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition.
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror
N.
R release the electric parking brake.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windshield is fogged up on the inside.
X Fold down camera cover (Y page 552).
X Defrost the windshield (Y page 148). The windshield is iced up.
X
De-ice the windshield (Y page 147). The windshield wipers are smearing the windshield.
X
Replace the wiper blades (Y page 135). The windshield is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X
Clean the windshield (Y page 550). There is windshield chip damage in the camera's field of vision.
X Replace the windshield. The pedestrian and
animal recognition is
not available. The infrared camera in the radiator grill is dirty.
X
Use a soft cloth and water to clean the infrared camera. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 186),
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 218) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 221).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are behind the driver. A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lanes,
you will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. If a risk of lateral collision
is detected, corrective braking may help you avoid a collision. To support the course-
correcting brake application, Active Blind
Spot Assist also uses the forward-facing radar
sensor system.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may
fail to detect some vehicles and is no
substitute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp 0043flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display 0044appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a
collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between
20 mph (30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your
vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 239) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 235) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of
camera
0043at the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z

X
Press the 0059or0065 button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Settmenu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Interior Lighting Delay
Interior Lighting Delay function.
If the Interior
Interior Lighting
LightingDelay
Delayfunction
has been switched on, the vehicle interior
is displayed in orange in the multifunction
display.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Vehicle Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press 0064or0063 to select the
Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic
Automatic Door
DoorLock
Lockfunction
is activated, the left-hand vehicle door is
displayed in orange in the multifunction
display.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
If you activate the Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of around 9 mph (15 km/h).
For further information on the automatic
locking feature, see (Y page 90).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal
If you switch on the Acoustic AcousticLock
Lockfunction,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu. X
Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Acoustic Lock Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Acoustic Lock
Lockfunction is activated,
the 0037 symbol in the multifunction
display lights up orange.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
Settings
menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0063or0064 button to select
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual):
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual): .
You will see the selected setting: Enabled
Enabled
or Disabled
Disabled .
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 186)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 72)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 77)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 218)
Convenience Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G
WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is
making adjustments, make sure that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the
steering wheel. Menus and submenus
239On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions PRE-SAFE
PRE-SAFE
Functions Functions
Currently Limited Currently Limited
See Operator's See Operator's
Manual Manual
PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is deactivated or temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes are:
R function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the sensors in the radiator grill and the bumper 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.
When the causes stated above no longer apply, the display
message disappears.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is operational again.
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 ( Ypage 175).
X Clean the sensors in the radiator grill and the bumper
(Y page 551).
X Restart the engine.
X AMG vehicles: reactivate ESP ®
(Y page 75). PRE-SAFE PRE-SAFE
Functions Limited Functions Limited
See Operator's See Operator's
Manual 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. 0067
Malfunction Malfunction
Service Required 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
251On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions DISTRONIC PLUS
DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Currently
Unavailable See Unavailable See
Operator's Manual Operator's Manual DISTRONIC PLUS is temporarily inoperative. Possible causes are:
R
function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the sensors in the radiator grill and the bumper 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 the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
A warning tone also sounds.
When the causes stated above no longer apply, the display
message disappears.
DISTRONIC is operational again.
If the display message does not disappear:
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 ( Ypage 175).
X Clean the sensors in the radiator grill and the bumper
(Y page 551).
X Restart the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS DISTRONIC PLUS
Inoperative Inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS is defective.
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) and PRE-SAFE
®
Brake may be
inoperative as well.
A warning tone also sounds.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. DISTRONIC PLUS DISTRONIC PLUS
Passive Passive You have depressed the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS is no
longer controlling the speed of the vehicle.
X
Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - mph - - - mph An activation condition for DISTRONIC PLUS is not fulfilled.
X
Check the activation conditions for DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 186). Display
messages
265On-board computer and displays Z