2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER light

Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Ypage 61).
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up and
remains lit, even
though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a
person of a stature cor-
responding to that of an
adult.The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is
incorrect.
XMake sure the conditions for a correct classification of the per-
son on the front-passenger seat are met (
Ypage 59).
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
Runoccupied
Roccupied with the
weight of a child up
to twelve months old
in a child restraint
system
OCS is malfunctioning.
XMake sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
XMake sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of
the forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as pos-
sible against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If nec-
essary, adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
XMake sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
XWhen installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and
the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
XCheck for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the
child restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint
accordingly.
XMake sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do notinstall a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Occupant safety63
Safety
Z

be released. The6restraint system warn-
ing lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. The powder that is released gener-
ally does not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause short-term breathing difficulties in
people with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of
the vehicle or open the windows as soon as it
is safe to do so.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tension-
ing Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate mate-
rial, which may require special handling and
regard for the environment. National guide-
lines must be observed during disposal. In
California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/
index.cfm .
Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler-
ation or acceleration, such as:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the
Emergency Tensioning Devices during a fron-
tal or rear collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be triggered, if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational; see "Restraint system warning
lamp" (
Ypage 51)
Rthe belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the respective seat
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ- ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
RFront air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
The front-passenger front air bag is activated or deactivated depending on the person on
the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger front air bag can only deploy in an
accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indi- cator lamp is lit. Observe the information on
the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps
(
Ypage 51).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags.
During the first deployment stage, the front
air bag is filled with propellant gas to reduce
the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of pro-
pellant gas if a second deployment threshold
is reached within a few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are deter-
mined by evaluating the rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration which occurs at vari-
ous points in the vehicle. This process is pre- emptive in nature. Deployment should take
place in good time at the start of the collision.
The rat
e of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag.
Nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
Occupant safety65
Safety
Z

If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
XMove the seat backrest or seat back
slightly when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced andthe locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®convenience function. You
will find information on the convenience func-
tion under "Belt adjustment" (
Ypage 55).
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rthe electrically adjustable steering wheel is
raised
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel sup-
ply is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emer-
gency call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (
Ypage 59)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment 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.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit- ting properly. Particular attention must be
paid to children.
68Children in the vehicle
Safety

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Gene ral inform ation
ABSregulates brak epressur ein suc h away
that th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake.
This allows you to continu esteering th evehi-
cle when braking .
The ! ABSwarning lamp in th einstrumen t
cluste rlights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goes out when th eengin eis running.
AB Sworks from aspee dof about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. AB Sworks on slippery surfaces, eve n
when you only brak egently.
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 71).
GWARNIN G
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerabilit yand braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
When ABSis malfunctioning ,other systems ,
includin gdriving safet ysystems ,will also
become inoperative. Observeth einformation
on th eAB Swarning lamp (
Ypage 272) and
display message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluste r (
Ypage 240).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continueto depress th e
brak epedal vigorously until th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make a full brak eapplication:
depress th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will fee l a
pulsing in th ebrak epedal . The pulsating brak
epedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road condition s,and func-
tion sas areminder to tak eextr acar ewhile
driving .
BAS (Brake Assist System)
Gene ral inform ation
BASoperate sin emergenc ybraking situa-
tions. If you depress th ebrak epedal quickly,
BA Sautomatically boosts th ebraking force ,
thus shortening th e stopping distance.
Important safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan t safetynotes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71) .
GWARNIN G
If BA Sis malfunctioning ,th ebraking distanc e
in an emergenc ybraking situation is
increased. There is aris kof an accident.
In an emergenc ybraking situation ,depress
th ebrak epedal wit hfull force .AB Sprevents
th ewheels from locking .
Braking
XKeepth ebrak epedal firmly depressed until
th eemergenc ybraking situation is over.
AB Sprevents th ewheels from locking .
The brakes will function as usual once you
release th ebrak epedal .BA Sis deactivated.
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
Gene ral inform ation
BASPLU Scan help you to minimiz eth eris kof
a collision wit h avehicl eor reduce th eeffects
of such a collision .If BA S PLUS detects a
danger of collision ,you are assisted when
braking .
iObserveth e"Importan t safetynotes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71) .
72Driving safety systems
Safety

If ESP®intervenes, the÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP
®remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the fol-
lowing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle 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
®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: 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 situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z

Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AM Gvehicles )
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 71) .
You can selec tbetween th efollowing states
of ES P
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handlin gmode is activated.
RES P®is deactivated.
GWARNING
Whe nSPORT handlin gmode is activated,
there is agreater ris kof skidding and acci-
dents .
Only activat eSPORT handlin gmode in th esit -
uation sdescribed in th efollowing.
GWARNING
If you deactivat eES P
®,ES P®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle. There is an increase dris k
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eES P
®in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing.
In th efollowing situations, it may be bette rto
activat eSPORT handlin gmode or deactivat e
ES P
®:
Rwhen usin gsnow chain s
Rin deep snow
Ron sandor grave l
Ron specially designated roads when th e
vehicle' sown oversteering and understeer-
in g characteristics are desire d
Driving in SPORT handlin gmode or without
ES P
®require san extremely qualified and
experience ddriver .
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th esituation s
described abov eno longer apply. ES P®will
otherwise no tbe able to stabilize th evehi-
cl e if th evehicle start sto skid or awhee l
start sto spin.
!Avoid spinnin gth edriven wheels fo ran
extended period wit hES P®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage th edrivetrain .
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mod e
message
appears in th emultifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster goe sout .
XTo deactivate ESP®:press butto n: until
th eå ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp lights up
in th einstrumen tcluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in th emul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster goe sout .The ÷
ES P
®ONmessage appears in th emultifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activate dSPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handlin gmode is activated and on e
or more wheels start to spin, th e÷ ESP
®
warnin glamp in th einstrumen tcluster
flashes .ES P®only stabilize sth evehicle to a
limited degree .
76Driving safety systems
Safety

distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/ h)
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
iIf there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto-
matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further.
Ractivating kickdown.
Rreleasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE
®Brake is
ended automatically if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
Rthe vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 71).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
SmartKey that is left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star-
ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged),
Protection against theft79
Safety
Z

The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks:
Rthe doors
Rthe trunk lid
Rthe glove box
Rthe stowage compartment under the arm-
rest
Rthe stowage compartment in the rear com-
partment
Rthe fuel filler flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking
and three times when locking.
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer (
Ypage 235).
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 234).
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY-
LESS-GO key in the vehicle.
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry
the SmartKey with you. You can combine the functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con-
ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the &button on the SmartKey.
When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO,
the distance between the SmartKey and the
corresponding door handle must not be
greater than 3 ft (1 m). A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
Rwhen the external door handles are
touched
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile the vehicle is in motion
XTo unlock the vehicle:
touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
XTo lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face :.
XConvenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience
closing feature (
Ypage 99).
XTo unlock the trunk lid: pull the handle on
the trunk lid.
The vehicle only unlocks the trunk lid.
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use a SmartKey for an
extended period of time, you can deactivate
the KEYLESS-GO function of the SmartKey.
The SmartKey will then use very little power,
thereby conserving battery power. For the
purposes of activation/deactivation, the
vehicle must not be nearby.
SmartKey83
Opening and closing
Z