2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER ECO mode

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a
moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in drive program Cor E.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the motorway, only the outer area for "Constant"
will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. During
a prolonged driving time, these changes are
smaller. For more marked changes, perform a
manual reset (Y page 203).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 202). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
note of this when driving a laden vehicle.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the limiter or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC. This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintain vehicle
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the airflow
to cool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness.
To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed while paying attention to the traffic con-
ditions. This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion. Driving tips
157Driving and parking Z

still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you to take control of the vehicle. Steering Pilot and
Stop&Go Pilot then switch to passive mode. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot and Stop&Go
Pilot
X Activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot function
using the on-board computer (Y page 207).
The Steering
Steering Pilot Piloton
onmessage appears in
the multifunctional display. The Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are switched on.
Information in the multifunction display If Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are activated
but not ready for a steering intervention, steer-
ing wheel symbol :appears in grey. If the sys-
tem provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot and Stop&Go
PilotX Deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot function
using the on-board computer (Y page 207).
The Steering Pilot off
Steering Pilot off message appears
in the multifunction display. Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated.
When the Distance Pilot is deactivated or not
available, Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are
deactivated automatically. Speed limiter
General notes The limiter brakes automatically so that you do
not exceed the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select a lower gear in good time.
By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R variable for maximum permissible speeds,
e.g. in built-up areas
R permanent for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving with winter tyres fitted
(Y page 172)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. The limiter cannot take into account road, weather or traffic con-
ditions. The limiter is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good
time.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Variable speed limiter Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC and variable limiter
B To deactivate the variable limiter 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

You can operate cruise control or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable limiter with the
cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp ;on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp ; ;off: cruise control or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ;
; on: variable limiter is
selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
Selecting the variable speed limiter
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, the variable limiter is already selec-
ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever is on. The variable limiter is selected.
Storing the current speed
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
The current speed is stored. You will see the
stored speed for five seconds in the multi-
function display.
Vehicles with cruise control: the stored speed
is permanently displayed in the status indica-
tor.
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the
segments from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed light up in the speedometer.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions 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 towards
you =.
Setting a speed
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : past the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
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 ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Switching the speed limiter to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown), the limiter is
switched to passive mode. The following mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display: Lim‐
Lim‐
iter passive iter passive.
You can then exceed the stored speed. The lim-
iter is activated again if you:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The Limiter passive Limiter passive message in the multi-
function display disappears. Driving systems
171Driving 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

Activation conditions
You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors are closed
R the engine is running and the engine and
transmission are at operating temperature.
This is the case when the oil temperature
gauge in the multifunction display is shown in
white (Y page 213).
R ESP ®
is functioning correctly (Y page 67)
R the drive program S,S+ orRace is selected
(Y page 140)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D
Activating RACE START i
When manual mode (Y
page 147) is active,
the transmission automatically shifts up to
RACE START in the drive program. This func-
tion supports maximum acceleration with
RACE START. After going through an acceler- ating process once from a stationary position,
this function is automatically deactivated.
X Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is cancelled. The RACE RACE
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
ual
ual message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 147).
or X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 147).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the multi-
function display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator pedal
within a few seconds, RACE START is cancel- led. The
RACE START cancelled
RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases.
The RACE
RACE START START Release
Release brake
braketo
tostart
start
message appears in the multifunction display.
i If the brake pedal is not released after a
short while, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE RACE START
START cancelled
cancelled message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE RACE START
START active
active message appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START not pos‐
RACE START not pos‐
sible See Owner's Manual sible See Owner's Manual orRACE START
RACE START
cancelled
cancelled message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i After using it several times in short succes-
sion, RACE START will be unavailable until a
certain distance has been driven. Adaptive Damping System
General notes Suspension with the adaptive adjustable damp-
ing provides improved driving comfort and con-
tinuously controls the calibration of the damp-
ers. The damping characteristics adapt to the
current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface conditions
R the selected drive program (Y page 139).174
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Selecting the Comfort or Economy drive
programs In the
Comfort andEconomy drive programs,
the driving characteristics of your vehicle are
more comfortable. Select one of these drive
programs if you prefer a more comfortable driv- ing style. Also select these drive programs when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of motorway.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :repeat-
edly until the ComfortorEconomy drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive program when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sportdrive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode The firmer suspension settings in the
Sport
Plus drive program ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employing
a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads or, ideally, when driving on closed race
circuits.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sport Plusdrive
program is selected. Activating the driving dynamics display
Using the driving dynamics display in the multi-
media system display, you can see the drive
program you selected as well as additional infor- mation on the vehicle's operating state.
X Switch on the multimedia system. You can
find further information in the separate
COMAND Online operating instructions.
X Press button :.
The driving dynamics display appears in the
multimedia system display.
The following information on the vehicle's oper- ating status is displayed in the driving dynamics
display:
R Drive program selected (Y page 139)
R Accelerator pedal position shown in %
R Brake pedal position shown in %
R Steering angle
R Damping setting selected
R G-FORCE cross displaying longitudinal and
lateral acceleration (only available in Sportor
Sport Plus drive programs) Active Body Control ABC (except
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Setting the vehicle level General notes
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT button (Y page 139) or the level button.
The setting always corresponds to the last
selected function.
In order to reduce fuel consumption and
improve the driving dynamics, the vehicle is low- ered as its speed increases. In the Sportand
Sport Plus drive programs, it is lowered by up to Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

13 mm compared to the normal vehicle level. In
the Comfort andCURVE drive programs, it is
lowered by up to 5 mm compared to the normal vehicle level. As the speed is reduced, the vehi-
cle is raised to the set vehicle height.
Select the normal level for normal road surfaces and the raised level for driving with snow chains
or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The vehicle is slightly lowered if you:
R have selected the SPORT suspension tun-
ing at normal level and
R switch off the engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of thewheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
! When the engine is switched off, the vehicle
is lowered if SPORT suspension tuning has
been selected at the normal level. The vehicle
is automatically lowered by approximately
10 mm. Make sure when parking that you
position your vehicle so that it does not make
contact with the kerb as the vehicle is low-
ered. Your vehicle could otherwise be dam-
aged. Setting the raised level X
Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X Make sure that a speed of 120 km/h is not
exceeded.
X If indicator lamp ; ;is not lit: press but-
ton :.
If the engine has been switched off by the ECO
start/stop function, it is now restarted.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 50 mm.
Setting the normal level
X Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X If indicator lamp ; ;is lit: press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the normal level.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive faster than approximately 120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h
R or switch to the drive program while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
Suspension settings General notes
The electro-hydraulically controlled suspension
features improved driving dynamics, driving
safety and ride comfort. You can also choose
between a sporty, a particularly sporty, a com-
fortable and a comfortable mode with cornering function (CURVE). 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Symbol
;appears. The vehicle height is
adjusted to the raised level.
Adjusting to normal level X
Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X If symbol ;
; is shown: press=or;
on the steering wheel to select the Assist. Assist.
menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Vehicle level
Vehicle level.
X Press the abutton.
The following message appears: :Vehicle Vehicle
level Lower with OK
level Lower with OK.
X Press the abutton.
Symbol ;is faded out. The vehicle is adjus-
ted to the normal level.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive faster than approximately 120 km/h.
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h.
R or switch to the drive program while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
Suspension settings General notes
The electro-hydraulically controlled suspension
features improved driving dynamics, driving
safety and ride comfort. You can also choose
between a particularly sporty or a comfortable
tuning.
The suspension is continuously adjusted for
each wheel individually and depends on:
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R the vehicle load
R the drive program selected Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected setting is activa-
ted when the engine is next started. If the igni-
tion is switched off for more than four hours, the
comfortable setting is activated when the
engine is next started.
Selecting the sporty setting The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode if you prefer a firmer
suspension setting.
X Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X If indicator lamp ;
; is not lit: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The sports sus-
pension setting is selected.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Selecting the comfort setting In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z