2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER traction control

KEYLESS-GO
.................................. 163
Lights ............................................ .163
Safety systems .............................. 164
SmartKey ....................................... 163
Tires ............................................... 174
Vehicle .......................................... .175
Distance display (on-board
computer) .......................................... 161
Distance recorder ............................. 161
see Odometer
see Trip odometer
Distance warning (warning lamp) ....184
DISTRONIC PLUS Cruise control lever .......................135
Deactivating ................................... 138
Display message ............................ 163
Displays in the multifunction
displa y........................................... 138
Driving tips .................................... 139
Function/notes ............................. 133
Important safety notes ..................134
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 138
Warning lamp ................................. 184
Doors
Automatic locking (on-board
computer) ...................................... 161
Automatic locking (switch) .............. .84
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey) ...................................... .78
Control panel ................................... 42
Display message ............................ 163
Emergency locking ........................... 84
Emergency unlocking .......................84
Important safety notes ....................83
Opening (from inside) ......................84
Overview .......................................... 83
Drinking and driving .........................131
Drinks holder see Cup holder
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 126
Display ........................................... 126
Manual .......................................... .126
Manual (vehicles with Sports
package AMG) ............................... 126
SETUP (on-board computer) ..........161
Drive program selector .....................126Driver's door
see Doors
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service .................221
Symmetrical low bea m.................. 106
Driving on flooded roads ..................131
Driving safety systems ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......67
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 72
BAS (Brake Assist System) ..............67
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) .............................................. .68
Electronic brake force distributio n... 72
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program) .69
ETS (Electronic Traction System) .....69
Important safety information ...........66
Overview .......................................... 66
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................ .73
STEER CONTROL ............................. 74
Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist .................153
Active Body Control (AMG vehicles) 143
Active Body Control (except AMG
vehicles) ........................................ 142
Active Driving Assistance package 153
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............156
Active Parking Assist .....................145
Adaptive Damping System .............141
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................148
Cruise control ................................ 132
Display message ............................ 173
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 133
HOLD function ............................... 140
Night View Assist Plus ...................149
PARKTRONIC ................................. 144
RACE START (AMG vehicles) ..........141
Rear view camera .......................... 147
Driving tips
AMG ceramic brakes .....................131
Automatic transmission .................126
Brakes ........................................... 131
Break-in period .............................. 120
Checking brake lining thickness ....131
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 139
Downhill gradient ........................... 131
Drinking and driving .......................131
Driving abroad ............................... 1068
Index

When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the
traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations with vehicles in front
within a speed range between 4 mph
(7 km/h) and 155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are
activated simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R you activate kickdown. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. 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 slippery roads. ESP
®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually 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. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
i AMG vehicles: your vehicle may be
equipped with 20-inch tires on the rear
axle. If replaced with a 19-inch tire, ETS
may intervene noticeably sooner for the
first few kilometers. After approximately
10 km ETS will function as usual again.
Information on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tires for your vehicle can be
found in the "Wheel/tire combinations"
section (Y page 268).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on
ESP ®
(Y page 239). Driving safety systems
69Safety Z

X
To switch off: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
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 on loose
surfaces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Ypage 66).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z

The
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷OFF OFFmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the
multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT
handling mode
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 stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted only to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in
a cutting action, which provides better grip.
R ETS is still active.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
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 on loose
surfaces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section for driving safety systems
(Y page 66). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 177) as well as
display messages (Y page 166). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In
addition to the braking function, ADAPTIVE
BRAKE also has the HOLD function 72
Driving safety systemsSafety

the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in lane.
Do not use cruise control:
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
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates. If you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate
or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed =
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
? To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
R USA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles
CRUISE 55 Miles
R Canada only: e.g. ¯90 Km/h90 Km/h
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Storing, maintaining and calling up a speed
R Setting a speed
R Deactivating cruise control DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
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 Driving systems
133Driving and parking Z

!
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
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS Driving systems
135Driving and parking Z

Tires
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Check
Check
Tires
Tires 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 130).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tire (Y page 227).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page 250).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Warning Warning
Tire Malfunction 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 130).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tire (Y page 227). 174
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warning lamp flashes
while the vehicle is in
motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 69).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while
the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 69).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. M
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT
handling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running. SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Only switch on SPORT handling mode in certain situations
(Y page 71). 180
Warning and indicator lampsOn-board computer and displays