2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER transmission

Problems with the engine
You can find information about this in the Digital Operator's Manual. Automatic transmission
Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions !
If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the
transmission directly from Dto R, from R
to Dor directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in
transmission position Dor R, park position
P is otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged. Selector lever
j
Park position
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Engaging park position P
R Engaging reverse gear R
R Shifting to neutral N
R Neutral N with ECO start/stop function
activated
R Shifting to transmission position D
R Transmission position D with ECO start/
stop function activated Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Important safety notes
R Transmission position and drive program
display
R Transmission positions
R Changing gear
R Driving tips
R Program selector button
R Steering wheel paddle shifters
R Automatic drive program
R Problems with the transmission Manual drive program
General information In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must
be in position
D.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M, see the Digital Operator's
Manual.
Switching on the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
You can select manual drive program Mwith
the program selector button or the drive
program selector ( AMG vehicles). In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel paddle shifters if the 126
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

transmission is in position
D. The selected
gear appears in the multifunction display.
X Press the program selector button
repeatedly until Mappears in the
multifunction display, see Digital
Operator's Manual.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector until Mappears in the
multifunction display, see Digital
Operator's Manual.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter, see the Digital Operator's Manual.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Before the engine speed reaches the red
area, an upshift indicator will be shown in
the multifunction display.
Shift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The
recommended gear is shown in the
multifunction display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
AMG vehicles !
In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up
automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is
reached. When the engine limiting speed is
reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine from overrevving. Always make
sure that the engine speed does not reach
the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
:
Gear indicator
; Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the
multifunction display.
X If the color in the speedometer
multifunction display changes to red and
the UP UPdisplay message is shown, shift up
a gear.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Downshifting
R Kickdown
R Switching off the manual drive program Refueling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and
explosion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling. Refueling
127Driving and parking Z

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
This section provides descriptions of and solutions to safety-relevant problems. Descriptions
of and solutions to further problems can be found in the Digital Operator's Manual. Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
Risk of explosion or fire.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition lock and remove
it immediately (Y page 121).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable
materials come into contact with parts of the
vehicle which are hot. Take particular care not
to park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, they could set it in motion by, for
example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle
equipment and become trapped. There is a
risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
Information on the electric parking brake can
be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels towards the curb. 130
ParkingDriving and parking

Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral position Nwhen you switch off the
engine. The vehicle may roll away. There is a
risk of an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual A description of how to switch off the engine
on vehicles with manual or automatic
transmission can be found in the Digital
Operator's Manual.
Parking the vehicle for a long period
You can find information about this in the
Digital Operator's Manual. Driving tips
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R General driving tips
R ECO display R
Braking
-Important safety notes
- Driving/braking on downhill gradients
- Heavy and light loads
- Driving/braking on wet road surfaces
- Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
- High performance and ceramic brake
system for AMG vehicles
- Servicing the brakes
R Driving on wet roads
R Winter driving
-Important safety notes
- Driving with summer tires
- Slippery road surfaces Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining
thickness using a test gauge. Color-coding
(green or red) on the test gauge allows you to
determine whether the brake pad/lining
thickness is still sufficient. The test gauge is
in the vehicle document wallet in the glove
box. Driving tips
131Driving and parking Z

Activating DISTRONIC PLUS; storing,
maintaining and calling up a speed Important safety notes
!
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
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R your vehicle must not be secured by the
electric parking brake.
R ESP ®
must be activated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the hood must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door must be closed.
R the vehicle must not skid.
Arming
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever toward
you =, up :or down ?.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :to the
pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
or
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever up
: past the pressure point for a higher
speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h), you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is no longer detected and
displayed, for example because it has
changed lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated. You will hear a warning tone if
this is the case.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Inactive
DISTRONIC PLUS Inactive
message appears in the multifunction
display. The set distance to a slower-
moving vehicle in front will then not be
maintained. You will be driving at the speed
you determine by the position of the
accelerator pedal.
Pulling away and driving
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =or press it up :or down ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your 136
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

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 from the
vehicle in front, or take evasive action,
provided it is safe to do so.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up
to the speed you have stored.
Changing lanes
If you wish to change to the passing lane (in
countries where traffic drives on the right, the
passing lane is the left-hand lane),
DISTRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
R you have switched on the corresponding
turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle
is accelerated. Acceleration will be
interrupted if changing lanes takes too long
or if the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front becomes too small.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehicle occupant or from outside the
vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 138).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake. After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
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. Driving systems
137Driving and parking Z

Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed 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.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever toward
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Setting a speed
R Setting the specified minimum distance
R DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
instrument cluster
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated and releases
the brakes if the vehicle is slowed down to a
speed below 20 mph (30km/h) by the system,
provided that DISTRONIC PLUS does not
detect a vehicle directly in front. At this point,
the driver must apply the brakes in order to
slow down further and bring the vehicle to a
standstill. Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS Off DISTRONIC PLUS Off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition 138
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :HOLDHOLD appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until HOLD
HOLD disappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake. The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
R
the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
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 i
Observe the safety notes for the SPORT
handling mode (Y page 71).
RACE START is intended solely for activation
on dedicated race circuits.
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.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Conditions for activation
R Activating RACE START Adaptive Damping System
You can find information about this in the
Digital Operator's Manual. Driving systems
141Driving and parking Z