2015 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG GT ROADSTER Owner's Manual

Drive sensibly
–savef uel Observ
ethe following tips to sav efuel:
X The tires should always be inflated to the
recommended tire pressure.
X Remov eunnecessary loads.
X War mupt heengin eatlow engin espeeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X Hav eall maintenance wor kcarrie dout
accordin gtotheservic einterva ls listed in
th eM aintenance Booklet or th eservice
interval display.
Fue lconsu mption also increase swhen driv-
in ginc oldw eather ,instop-start traffic and in
hill yterra in.
Drinking an ddriving G
WARNING
Drinking and drivin gand/o rtaking drugs and
drivin gare ver ydangerous combinations.
Even asma ll amount of alcoho lordrugs can
affec tyour reflexes, perception sand judg-
ment.
The possibilit yofas erious or eve nfatal acci-
den tisg reatly increase dwhen you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do no tdrink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyon etodrive who has bee ndrinkin gortak-
in gd rugs.
Emission control G
WARNING
Combustion engines emi tpoisonous exhaust
gases suc hascarbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaus tgases lead stopoisoning. There
is ar iskoff atal injury. Therefor enever leave
th ee nginer unning in enclose dspaces with-
out sufficien tventilation.
Certain engin esystems are designed to keep
th el evel of poisonous component sinexhaust
fumes within lega llimits.
These systems only wor katpeak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with th
em anufacturer's specifications. Fo rthis
reason ,all wor kont heengin emustbec arried
out by qualified and authorized Mercedes-
Benz technicians.
The engin esetting smustn otbe changed
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific servic eworkm ustbec arriedout at
regular intervals and in accordance wit hthe
Mercedes-Ben zservic erequirements .Detai ls
can be found in th eMaintenance Booklet. Braking
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslipper yroads urfac ein
an attempt to increase th eengine's braking
effect ,the drive wheels could los etheir grip.
There is an increase ddanger of skidding and
accidents.
Do no tshift down fo radditional engin ebrak-
in gonas lipperyroads urface.
Heavy an dligh tloads G
WARNING
If you res tyour foot on th ebrake peda lwhile
driving, th ebraking system can overheat .This
increase sthe stoppin gdistanc eand can even
cause th ebraking system to fail .There is a
ris kofana ccident.
Never use th ebrake peda lasafootrest. Never
depress th ebrake peda land th eaccelerator
peda latthesam etime.
! Depressing th
ebrake peda lconstantly
result sinexcessive and premature wear to
th eb rake pads.
If th ebrake shaveb een subjecte dtoa heavy
load ,don otstop th evehicle immediately.
Drive on fo rashort while. Thi sallow sthe air-
flo wt ocoolthe brake smoreq uickly. Driving tips
135Driving andpark ing Z

Wet roads
If you have drive
nfor along time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be adelayed reac-
tion from the brakes whe nbraking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicl ehas
been washed or drive nthroug hdeep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly .Maintain agreater distance from the
vehicl einfront.
After driving on awet road or having the vehi-
cle washed ,brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This wil lwarmup
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salted roads,
alayer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in asignificantly
longe rbraking distance.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
sal tresidue. Make sure that you do not
endange rother road users whe ndoing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of ajourney.
R Maintain agreater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes !
If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hea rawarn-
ing tone while the engine is running, the
brake fluid leve lmay be too low .Observe
additiona lwarning messages in the multi-
function display.
The brake fluid leve lmay be too low due to
brake pad wea rorleaking brake lines.
Have the brake syste mchecked immedi-
ately. This work should be carrie dout at a
qualified specialist workshop. !
As the ESP ®
syste moperates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock or the Start/
Stop button must be in position 0or 1)i f:
R the electric parking brake is tested using
ab rake dynamometer.
R the vehicl eistowed with one axle raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may seriousl ydamage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake syste mmust be carrie dout at aquali-
fied specialist workshop. Have this work car- ried out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Have the brake pad sreplaced and the brake
fluid renewe dataqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If the brake syste mhas only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function- ality of you rbrakes at regulari ntervals. At a
high speed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This improves
the grip of the brake pads.
You can find adescription of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (Y page55).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicl ewhich have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality coul daffect you rvehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for you rvehicl ebyM ercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect you rvehicle's operating safety. 136
Driving tipsDriving and parking

AMG high-performance composite
brak esystem The AM
Ghigh-performanc ecom pound brake
system and th eAMG ceramic high-perform-
anc ecom pound brak esystem are designed
for high loads .This may lead to noise when
braking .This will depend on:
R Speed
R Braking force
R Environmental conditions, suc hastemper-
atur eand humidity
The wear of individual component softhe
brak esystem, suc hasthebrak epads/linings
or brak ediscs, depend sontheindividual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
Fo rthisr eason ,itisimpossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear .You can obtain further informa-
tion about this from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replace dbrak epads and disc sonly
reac htheir optimum braking effec tafter sev-
eral hundre dkilometers of driving .Compen-
sat efor this by applyin ggreate rforce to the
brak epedal .Keept hisinm ind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heav ybraking result sincorre-
spondingly high brak ewear.Observ ethe
brak ewear warning lamp in th einstrument
cluste rand note any brak estatus messages
in th emultifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving ,itisimportant to
maintai nand hav ethe brak esystem checked
regularly. Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to
acertai ndepth
on th eroad surface, there is adanger of
hydroplaning occurring, eve nif:
R you driv eatlow speeds.
R thet ires hav eadequat etread depth.
Fo rthisr eason ,intheevent of heav yrain or in
condition sinwhichh ydroplaning may occur,
you mus tdriveint hefollowin gmanner:
R lower your speed.
R avoi druts.
R brak ecarefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Do no
tdrivet hroug hflooded areas.
Chec kthe dept hofa ny water before driving
throug hit.Drive slowly throug hstanding
water. Otherwise, water may ente rthe
vehicl einterior or th eenginec om partment.
This can damag ethe electronic compo-
nent sint heengin eortheautomatic trans-
mission .Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
caus eengined amage. Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shif tdown on aslipper yroad surfac ein
an attemp ttoincreas ethe engine's braking
effect, th edrive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skiddin gand
accidents.
Do no tshif td own for additional engin ebrak-
ing on aslipper yroad surface. G
DANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke doradequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gases
suc hasc arbon monoxide (CO) may ente rthe
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicle Driving tips
137Driving and pa rking
Z

becomes trapped in snow. There is
arisk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engin eorthe auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facin gintot he wind.
At the onset of winter ,have your vehicle win-
terized at aqualified specialist workshop, e.g.
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Driv eparticularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and brakin gmaneuvers. Do not use cruise
control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when movin gatlow speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You
should pay special attention to road condi-
tion swhen temperatures are around the
freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 253).
For more information on driving with summer tires, see (Y page 252).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 252). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safet ynotes Cruise contro
lmaintains aconstan troad
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed.
On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden, you must select
shift range 1,2or 3in good time
(Y page 127). By doing so, you will make use
of the brakin geffec toft he engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
contro lcan neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
contro lcannot take int oaccoun tthe road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tanc etot he vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for brakin gingood time and for staying in
your lane.
Use cruise contro lonly if road and traffic con-
dition smake it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for aprolonge dperiod. You can
set any road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic condition swhich do not
allow you to maintain aconstan tspeed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
eratin gcould cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when ther eispoor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If ther eisac hangeofd rivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. 138
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Cruise control lever
0043
To store th ecurren tspee dorah igher
speed
0044 To store th ecurren tspee doral ower
speed
0087 To deactivate cruise control
0085 To store th ecurren tspee dorc all up the
last store dspeed
When you activat ecruise control, th estored
spee diss hown in th elower sectio nofthe
multifunction display.
Storing and maintaining th ecurrent
speed You can store th
ecurren tspee dify ou are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
X Accelerat ethe vehicle to th edesired
speed.
X Briefl ypres sthe cruise control leve rup0043
or down 0044to th epressure point.
X Remov eyour foo tfromt heaccelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automaticall ymaintain sthe store dspeed.
i Cruise control may be unabl
etomaintain
th es toreds pee donu phill gradients .The
store dspee disr esumed when th egradient
evens out .Cruise control maintain sthe
store dspee dond ownhill gradients by
automaticall yapplyin gthe brakes. Storing th
ecurren tspeed or callin gup
th el ast stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up th estoreds pee dand it differs
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicle acceler-
ate sord ecelerates. If you do no tknowt he
store dspeed, th evehicle coul daccelerate or
brak eunexpectedly. Ther eisariskofana cci-
dent.
Pay attentio ntotheroad and traffic condi-
tions before calling up th estoreds peed. If you
do no tknowt he store dspeed, store the
desired spee dagain.
X Briefl ypull th ecruise control leve rtow ards
you 0085.
X Remove your foo tfromt heaccelerator
pedal.
The first tim ecruise control is activated, it
store sthe curren tspee dorr egulate sthe
spee doft hevehicle to th epreviously
store dspeed.
Settin gaspeed Keep in min
dthatitm ay tak eabriefm oment
until th evehicle has accelerate dorbraked to
th es pee dset.
X Press th ecruise control leve rtothepres-
sure point, up 0043for ahigher spee dor
down 0044for alower speed.
X Keep th ecruise control leve rpressed until
th ed esired spee disreached.
X Release th ecruise control lever.
The ne wspee diss tored.
i Cruise control is no
tdeactivate difyou
depress th eaccelerato rpedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjust sthe vehicle's speed
to th elast spee dstoreda fter you have fin-
ishe dovertaking. Driving systems
139Driving and parking Z

Making adjustments in
1mph incre-
ments X
Briefl ypress the cruis econtrol leve rtothe
pressure point, up 0043for ahigher spee dor
down 0044for alower speed.
The lasts peedstored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 mph incre-
ments X
Briefl ypress the cruis econtrol lever
beyond the pressure point, up 0043for a
higher spee dordown0044for alower speed.
The lasts peedstored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivatin gcruise control There are severa
lwaystod eactivate cruise
control:
X Briefl ypress the cruis econtrol leve rfor-
wards 0087.
or X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you press the electric parking brake han-
dle.
R you are driving below 20 mph (30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to Nwhile the
vehicl eisinm otion.
If cruis econtrol is deactivated, you willh eara
warning tone. The "Cruise Control Off Cruise Control Off"
message is displayed in the multifunction dis- playf or approximately five seconds.
i The lasts
peedstored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. AMG adaptive sport suspensions
ys-
tem
General notes The electronicall
ycontrolled damping system
works continuously.T his improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
whee land depends on:
R yourd riving style ,e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R youri ndividuals election of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
If you select Comfort or Sport +mode and
restart the engine, the mode reverts to Sport.
i GT model:
you can only choose between
Sport and Sport +modes .Ifyou select
Sport +mode and restart the engine, the
mode reverts to Sport. Sport mode
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensure
seven better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing asporty
driving style ,e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button 0043once.
Indicator lamp 0085lights up. You have
selected Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
i GT model:
Sport mode is the standard
setting. Indicator lamp 0085cannot be
switched off. 140
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sport
+mode The very firm settingoft
he suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps 0087and 0085are off:
X Press button 0043twice.
Indicator lamps 0087and 0085light up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG
AMG Ride
Ride Control
Control SPORT +
SPORT +message
appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp 0085lights up:
X Press button 0043once.
Secondi ndicator lamp 0087lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG
AMG Ride
Ride Control
Control SPORT +
SPORT +message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode i
GT model:
Comfort mode is unavailable.
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you favor amore comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. freeways.
X Press button 0043repeatedly until indicator
lamps 0087and 0085go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Storing and calling up settings Once the suspension tuning and drive pro-
gram have been selected, you can store and
call up your settings using AMG button 0044.
X To store: press AMG button 0044until you
hear atone.
X To call up: press AMG button 0044.
The stored suspension tuning and drive
program are selected. X
To display: briefly press AMG button 0044.
Your selection appears in the multifunction
display. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visuallya nd
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not areplace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting apark-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of aparking space, make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objectsin
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objectsa bove 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
objectst hat absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or apneumatic 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 Release the electric parking brake.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h) .Itisreactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitorst he area around your
vehicle using four sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. Driving systems
141Driving and parking Z

0043
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
sid e(example)
Rang eoft he sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC doe
snot take objects into con-
sideration tha tare:
R belo wthe detectio nrange, e.g. people, ani-
mal soro bjects
R above the detectio nrange, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.
The sensors mus tbefree from dirt, ice or
slush. The ycan otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clea nthe sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damag ethem
(Y page 228). Example
:sidev iew( Coup e) Example
:top vie w(Coup e)
Front sensors Center Approx. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
Corners Approx. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
Corners Approx. 32 in (approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx. 12 in (approx.
30 cm)
Corners Approx. 12 in (approx.
30 cm)
If there is an obstacl
ewithin this range, the
relevant warning display slight up and awarn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum ,the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning display
sshowt he distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front are aislocated
on the dashboard above the center ai rvents.
The warning display for the rea rareaisint he
rea rcompartment on the parcel shelf. 142
Driving systemsDriving and parking