2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER traction control

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions ÷
N
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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when pulling away.
X Accelerate more gently while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 70) it may be better to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 67). ֌
N
The yellow ESP ®
and ESP ®
OFF warning lamps are lit while the engine is running.
ESP ®
is faulty.
Other driving and driving safety systems may also be faulty.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance may thus increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. å
N
The yellow ESP ®
OFF warning lamp is lit while the engine is running or the ECO
start/stop function is activated.
ESP ®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Further driving systems or driving safety systems are thus restricted, e.g. Active
Blind Spot Assist. The system does not perform course-correcting braking appli-
cations.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 70) it may be better to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 67).
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. Warning and indicator lamps
247On-board computer and displays Z

reduces the traction on wet roads (aquaplan-
ing).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 318). MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
With MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive your vehi- cle even if there is a total loss of pressure in one
or more tyres.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in conjunc- tion with an activated tyre pressure loss warning system or with an activated tyre pressure mon-
itor and on wheels specifically tested by
Mercedes-Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tyres with a
flat tyre (Y page 289).
Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not equip-
ped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It is there-
fore recommended that you additionally equip
your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat characteristics, e.g. win-
ter tyres. A TIREFIT kit can be obtained from a
qualified specialist workshop. Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 312). Driving with summer tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres lose
elasticity and therefore traction and braking
power. Change the tyres on your vehicle to
M+S tyres. Using summer tyres at very cold
temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tyres permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage. G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damageand replace any damaged tyres immediately. M+S tyres
G
WARNING
M+S tyres with a tyre tread depth of less than 4 mm are not suitable for use in winter as they
do not provide sufficient traction. There is a
risk of accident.
M+S tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced.
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres or all-season tyres. Both are marked with M+S.
Only winter tyres bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tyres will allow driving safety sys-
tems such as ABS and ESP ®
to function opti-
mally in winter. These tyres have been devel-
oped specifically for driving in snow.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread on all wheels to maintain safe handling characteris-
tics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tyres you have fit-
ted.
If you fit M+S tyres that have a lower maximum
permissible speed than that of the maximum
design speed of the vehicle, affix a correspond-
ing warning label in the driver's field of vision.
This can be obtained at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum design speed of the vehi- cle using permanent SPEEDTRONIC so that it
does not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for the M+S tyres (Y page 172).306
Winter operationWheels and tyres

When you have fitted the M+S tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 307).
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system
(Y page 309).
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor
(Y page 311).
Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel (Y page 318). Snow chains
G
WARNING
If you have fitted snow chains to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tyres.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the front wheels
R fit snow chains to the rear wheels in pairs.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have been specifically approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz, or that are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist workshop.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel-tyre
combinations. Permissible wheel-tyre combi-
nations (Y page 317).
R only use snow chains if the road surface is
completely snow-covered. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
a road that is not snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of snow
chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
R on vehicles with Active Body Control (ABC),
you must drive at a raised vehicle level if snow
chains have been fitted (Y page 175).
When pulling away with snow chains fitted, you
can deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 67). This way you
can allow the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving increased driving force (cut-
ting action). Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel (Y
page 318). Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure specifications
G
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tyres pose the
following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tyre
traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Observe the recommended tyre pressure and check the tyre pressure of all the tyres includ-
ing the spare wheel:
R at least every two weeks
R when the load changes
R before embarking on a longer journey
R for changed operating conditions, e.g. off-
road driving
If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. G
WARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tyre
valves, the tyre valves may be overloaded and malfunction, which can cause tyre pressure
loss. Due to their design, retrofitted tyre pres-
sure monitors keep the tyre valve open. This
can also result in tyre pressure loss. There is a risk of accident.
Only screw standard valve caps or valve caps
specifically provided by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle onto the tyre valve. G
WARNING
If the tyre pressure drops repeatedly, the
wheel, valve or tyre may be damaged. Tyre
pressure that is too low may result in a tyre
blow-out. There is a risk of accident. Tyre pressure
307Wheels and tyres
Z