2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER service

Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems, the sensors adjust automatically while a certain dis-
tance is being driven after the vehicle has been delivered or after repairs. Full system effective-
ness is not reached until the end of this teach-in process.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care from
the very start, you will be rewarded with excel-
lent performance for the remainder of the
engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red area
of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order to
brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
Additional notes on running in Mercedes-AMG
vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/h for
the first 1500 km.
R Only briefly allow the engine to reach a max-
imum engine speed of 4,500 rpm.
R Drive the vehicle mainly in drive program Cfor
the first 1500 km.
After 1500 km, you can increase the engine
speed gradually and accelerate the vehicle to
full speed.
You should also observe these notes on running- in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your
vehicle have been replaced. Self-locking rear axle differential
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking dif-
ferential on the rear axle.
Change the oil to improve protection of the rear axle differential:
R after a running-in period of 3000 km
R every 50,000 km or 3 years
These oil changes prolong the service life of the
differential. Have the oil change carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. 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 Driving
131Driving and parking
Z

more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel:
R The tyres should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tyre pressure.
R Remove unnecessary loads.
R Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
R Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
R Observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or in the service interval display. Have all the maintenance work carried out in
accordance with Daimler AG regulations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic, on short jour- neys and in hilly terrain. ECO display
The ECO display shows you how economical
your driving style is. The ECO display assists you
in achieving the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. Consumption can be significantly influ-
enced by your driving style. :
Acceleration
; Coasting
= Constant
? Additional range achieved
Range ?is shown under Bonus Bonusfr.
fr.start
start and
represents the additional range achieved since
the beginning of the journey as a result of an
adapted driving style.
If the fuel level has dropped into the reserve
range, the Reserve fuel Reserve fuel message is shown in
the multifunction display instead of range ?. In
addition, the 8warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up (Y page 249).The ECO display consists of three sections, with
an inner and outer area. The sections corre-
spond to the following three categories: :
Acceleration
(evaluation of all accel-
eration processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: moderate
acceleration, especially at higher
speeds
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: sporty acceler-
ation ;
Coasting
(evaluation of all decelera-
tion processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: anticipatory
driving, keeping your distance and
early release of the accelerator.
The vehicle can coast without use
of the brakes.
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: frequent heavy
braking =
Constant
(continuous evaluation
over the entire journey):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: constant
speed and avoidance of unneces-
sary acceleration and deceleration
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: fluctuations in
speed The three inner areas display the current driving
style and light up green as a result of a particu-
larly economical driving style. Depending on the driving situation, up to two areas may light up
simultaneously.
At the beginning of the journey, the three outer
areas are empty and fill up as a result of eco-
nomical driving. A higher level indicates a more
economical driving style. If the three outer areas
are completely filled at the same time, the driver
has adopted the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus fr. start Bonus fr. start does not
indicate a fixed consumption reduction. 156
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can increase the braking distance considerably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake pads/linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond 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 could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brake
system (Mercedes-AMG vehicle) The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking. This is dependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R ambient conditions, e.g. temperature and
humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age (service life) that will be valid under all cir-
cumstances. An aggressive driving style will
lead to high wear. You can obtain more infor-
mation on this from a qualified specialist work-
shop. Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. Always be aware of this and adapt your
driving and braking accordingly during the run-
ning-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the brake system
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake status messages in the multifunction
display. If you regularly drive at high speeds, it is particularly important to have the brake system
checked and maintained regularly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in
the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which aquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace 158
Driving tipsDriving and parking

i
The following function is not operational in
all countries.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC uses additional infor- mation from your navigation system so that it
can adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following a vehicle, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detection
range, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current map
data in the navigation system.
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to the
speed you set.
The system takes into account the fact that
overtaking on the right is not permitted on
motorways or high-speed major roads at speeds
above 80 km/h. The driving speed is adjusted to the speed of the queue of vehicles in the adja-
cent lane to the left.
i Prevention of overtaking on the right applies
to countries where traffic drives on the right.
In countries where traffic drives on the left,
overtaking on the left is prevented accord-
ingly.
Stopping If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake. After a short period, the vehicle is
secured by the electric parking brake, thus
relieving the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function R
a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the
desired speed is reached or press the cruise
control lever repeatedly until the desired
speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated and adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance for
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function you can set the minimum distance that Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi-
cle in front, dependent on vehicle speed. You
can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play (Y page 166).
The specified minimum distance can be
changed when Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is acti- vated or deactivated.
Make sure that you maintain a sufficient and
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z

Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 :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 depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until HOLD HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.
R you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position P automatically. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, outside
of public road use.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑ AMG vehicles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tyres and vehicle being in good condition. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 62).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP ®
(Y page 67). Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

Displaying the attention level
You can have current status information dis-
played in the assistance menu (Y
page 207) of
the on-board computer.
X Select the assistance graphic display for
ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 207).
The following information is displayed:
R the length of the journey since the last break
R the attention level determined by ATTENTION
ASSIST, displayed in a bar display in five levels from high to low
R if ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate
the attention level and cannot output a warn-
ing, the System suspended
System suspended message
appears. The bar display then changes the
display, e.g. if you are driving at a speed below
60 km/h or above 200 km/h.
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 208).
The system determines the attention level of
the driver depending on the setting selected:
Standard selected: the sensitivity with which
the system determines the attention level is set
to normal.
Sensitive selected: the sensitivity is set higher.
The attention level detected by ATTENTION
ASSIST is adapted accordingly and the driver is
warned earlier.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the
À symbol and OFF appear in the multifunc-
tion display in the assistance graphics display
when the engine is running.
When ATTENTION ASSIST has been deactivated, it is automatically reactivated after the engine
has been switched off. The sensitivity selected corresponds to the last selection activated
(standard/sensitive).
Warning in the multifunction display If fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration
are detected, a warning appears in the multi-
function display:
Attention AttentionAssist:
Assist:Take
Takea
a
break!
break!
In addition to the message shown in the multi-
function display, you will then hear a warning
tone.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Confirm the message by pressing the a
button on the steering wheel.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest. If you do not take a break, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest. This will only happen
if ATTENTION ASSIST still detects typical indi-
cators of fatigue or increasing lapses in concen- tration.
Vehicles with COMAND Online: if a warning is
output in the multifunction display, a service
station search is performed in COMAND Online. You can select a service station and navigation
to this service station will then begin. This func-
tion can be activated and deactivated in
COMAND Online. Traffic Sign Assist
General notes Traffic Sign Assist displays the maximum speed
permitted and overtaking restrictions to the
driver in the instrument cluster. Driving onto a
section of road in the wrong direction triggers a
warning. Traffic Sign Assist detects traffic signs with camera system :attached behind the top Driving syste
ms
191Driving an d parking Z

Menus and submenus
Menu overview
Using the =or; button on the steering
wheel, open the menu bar.
Operating the on-board computer (Y page 200).
Depending on the vehicle equipment, you can
select the following menus:
R Trip Trip menu (Y page 202)
R Navi
Navi menu (navigation instructions)
(Y page 203)
R Audio
Audio menu (Y page 204)
R Tel
Tel menu (telephone) (Y page 205)
R Assist.
Assist. menu (assistance) (Y page 207)
R Serv.
Serv. menu (service) (Y page 208)
R Settings
Settings menu (Ypage 208)
R AMG
AMG menu (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
(Y page 213) Trip menu
Standard display X
Press and hold the %button on the steer-
ing wheel until the Trip Tripmenu with trip
meter :and total distance recorder ;
appears.
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset" :
Distance
; Driving time =
Average speed
? Average fuel consumption
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Trip Tripmenu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
From start
From start orFrom reset
From reset.
The values in the From
Fromstart
start submenu are cal-
culated from the start of a journey whilst the
values in the From reset From resetsubmenu are calcu-
lated from the last time the submenu was reset
(Y page 203).
In the following cases, the trip computer is auto-
matically reset From start
From start:
R the ignition has been switched off for more
than four hours
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9,999 kilometres have been exceeded.
When 9,999 hours or 99,999 kilometres have
been exceeded, the trip computer is automati-
cally reset From reset From reset.
ECO display The ECO display is not available in Mercedes-
AMG vehicles.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Trip
Tripmenu.
X Press the 9or: button to select ECO
ECO
DISPLAY
DISPLAY .
If the ignition remains switched off for longer
than four hours, the ECO display will be auto-
matically reset.
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 156).
Displaying the range and current fuel
consumption Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the menu only dis-
plays approximate range
:.202
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi- cle is stationary.
When telephoning, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
X Switch on the mobile phone (see the manu-
facturer's operating instructions).
X Switch on the multimedia system
(Y page 253).
X Insert the mobile phone into the bracket
(Y page 268).
or
X Establish a Bluetooth ®
connection to the mul-
timedia system (Y page 256).
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tel
Tel menu.
You will see one of the following display mes-
sages in the multifunction display:
R Telephone ready
Telephone ready or the name of the net-
work provider: the mobile phone has found a
network and is ready to receive.
R Telephone Telephone No
Noservice
service: there is no network
available or the mobile phone is searching for
a network.
You can obtain further information about suita-
ble mobile phones and connecting mobile
phones via Bluetooth ®
:
R on the Internet at http://www.mercedes-
benz.com/connect
R at any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
Accepting a call If someone calls you when you are in the
Tel Tel
menu, a display message appears in the multi-
function display.
You can accept a call at any time irrespective of
the selected menu.
X Press the 6button on the steering wheel
to accept an incoming call.
Rejecting or ending a call X
Press the ~button on the steering wheel
to reject or end an incoming call. Selecting an entry in the phone book X
Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tel Telmenu.
X Press the 9,:ora button to
switch to the phone book.
X Authorise access to the phone book on the
phone.
X Press :or9 to select the names one
after the other.
or
X To start rapid scrolling: press and hold:
or 9 for longer than one second.
The names in the phone book are displayed
quickly one after the other.
Rapid scrolling stops when you release the
button or reach the end of the list.
X If only one telephone number is stored for
a name: press the 6ora button to
start dialling.
or
X If there is more than one number for a
particular name:
press the6ora
button to display the numbers.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
number you want to dial.
X Press the 6ora button to start dial-
ling.
or
X To exit the telephone book: press the~
or % button.
Redialling The on-board computer saves the last names or
numbers dialled in the redial memory.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tel Telmenu.
X Press the 6button to switch to the redial
memory.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
desired name or number.
X Press the 6ora button to start dial-
ling.
or X To exit the redial memory: press the~
or % button. 206
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays