2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER ESP

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

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 Activity of the ABC spring struts
R Vehicle level display (Y page 175)
R Level settings animation
R G-FORCE cross displaying longitudinal and
lateral acceleration (only available in Sportor
Sport Plus drive programs) Active Body Control ABC (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Setting the vehicle level General notes
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Y page 140) or the on-board
computer (Y page 178). The setting always cor-
responds 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
13 mm, and in the Comfortdrive program by up
to 5 mm compared to the normal vehicle level.
As the speed is reduced, the vehicle is raised to
the set vehicle height.
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected drive program is
activated when the engine is next started. If the
ignition is switched off for more than four hours,
the Comfort drive program is activated when
the engine is next started.
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
The vehicle is slightly lowered when the engine
is switched off. G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches.
! If you have selected the normal level and
switched the engine off, the vehicle is low-
ered. The vehicle is automatically lowered by approximately 10 mm. Make sure when park- ing that you position your vehicle so that it
does not make contact with the kerb as the
vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could other-
wise be damaged.
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 symbol ; ;is not 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 Raise with OK
level Raise with OK.
X Press the abutton.
If the engine has been switched off by the ECO
start/stop function, it is now restarted. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

mode if you prefer a more comfortable driving
style.
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 comfortable
suspension setting is selected.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT AMG Ride Control COMFORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Activating the driving dynamics display in the COMAND 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 status.
X Switch on COMAND Online. You can find fur-
ther information in the separate COMAND
Online operating instructions.
The following information on the vehicle's oper- ating status is displayed in the driving dynamics display:
R Drive program selected (Y page 140)
R Accelerator pedal position shown in %
R Brake pedal position shown in %
R Steering angle
R Vehicle level display (Y page 178)
R Activity of the ABC spring struts
R Level settings animation
R G-FORCE cross to display longitudinal and lat-
eral acceleration (only available in Sport,
Sport Plus andRACE drive programs)
R Overrun mode animation PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in
range while manoeuvring and parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above 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 objects
which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a
pneumatic 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 shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take into account obsta- cles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons, ani-
mals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles :
Example: sensors in the front bumper, left-
hand side
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush.
Otherwise, they may not function correctly. 180
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit. You
also hear a warning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp in
the PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 285).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention can assist you during manoeuvring and
parking. You may also use PARKTRONIC
(Y page 180).
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that no persons, animals or objects
are in the manoeuvring range.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Active Park-
ing Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park-
ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tyres.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.: R parking or stopping restrictions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space
R parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
might be identified or measured incorrectly
R parking spaces that are partially occupied by
trailer drawbars might not be identified as
such or be measured incorrectly Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

parking position can no longer be achieved
from this position.
Exiting a parking space In order that Active Parking Assist can assist you
when exiting the parking space:
R the border of the parking space must be high
enough at the front and the rear. A kerb stone is too small, for example.
R the border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is manoeuvred into the parking
space.
R a manoeuvring distance of at least 1.0 mmust
be available.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle parallel to the direction of travel using
Active Parking Assist.
X Start the engine.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the turn signal in the direction you
will drive out of the parking space.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
message appears in the multifunction display
%.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X To exit a parking space using Active Park-
ing Assist: press theabutton on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Pull away, being ready to brake at all times. Do
not exceed a maximum speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h when exiting a parking
space. Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will
be cancelled.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor Ras
required or according to the message while
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. The Park Assist
Park Assist
active active Accelerate
Accelerate and
andbrake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings
message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
If you reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and the
Park
Park Assist Assist switched
switched off
offmessage appears
in the multifunction display. You will then have
to steer and merge into traffic on your own.
PARKTRONIC is still available. You can take over the steering before the vehicle has exited the
parking space completely. This is useful, for
example, when you recognise that it is already
possible to pull out of the parking space.
Cancelling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the centre
console (Y page 182).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active Park-
ing Assist is immediately cancelled. The
Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automatically
if:
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no lon-
ger possible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ ESP®
warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
goes out and the Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled
message appears in the multifunction display. 186
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer again yourself. Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is an optical parking and
manoeuvring aid. It shows the area behind your vehicle with guide lines in the multimedia sys-
tem.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
i The text shown in the multimedia system
display depends on the language setting. The following are examples of reversing camera
messages in the multimedia system.
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in range while manoeuvring and parking.
Under the following circumstances, the revers-
ing camera will not function, or will function in a limited manner:
R if the boot lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win- ter R
if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 285)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to addi-
tional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
For technical reasons, leaving the standard
height can result in inaccuracies in the guide
lines on vehicles with a height-adjustable chas-
sis.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R gear Activation by R gear
function is selected in the multimedia system; see the Digital Owner's Manual.
X Engage reverse gear.
The multimedia system shows the area
behind the vehicle with guide lines.
The image from the reversing camera is avail-
able throughout the manoeuvring process.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the multimedia system The reversing camera may show a distorted view
of obstacles or show them incorrectly or not at
all. Obstacles are not shown by the reversing
camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the handle on
the boot lid
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z

Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom-
most guideline. :
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
; White guide line without turning the steering
wheel, vehicle width including the exterior
mirrors (static)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres will
take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
B Vehicle centre axis (locating aid)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the rear of the vehicle
The guide lines are shown when the transmis-
sion is in position R.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level. :
Front warning display
; Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: when
PARKTRONIC is operational (Y page 181), addi-
tional measurement operational readiness indi-
cator ;appears in the multimedia system. If
the PARKTRONIC warning displays are active or
light up, warning displays :and =are also
active or light up correspondingly in the multi-
media system.
"Reverse parking" function Reversing straight into a parking space
without turning the steering wheel
:
White guide line without turning the steering
wheel, vehicle width including the exterior
mirrors (static)
; Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
= Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
? Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the rear of the vehicle 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking