2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-Class light

Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!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 air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
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 the vehicle has been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine
is running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in
the ignition lock) if the electric parking
brake is being tested on a brake dynamom-
eter (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 62).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
166Driving tips
Driving and parking

press the cruise control lever up:to the
pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :past
the pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ron vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically to avoid exceeding the set
speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. 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.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/ h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
170Driving system s
Driving an d parking

DISTRONICPLUS display sin th einstru -
ment cluste r
Displaysin th espeedometer
Whe nDISTRONIC PLU Sis activated, on eor
tw osegments ;in th eset speed range ligh t
up.
If DISTRONIC PLU Sdetects avehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of th evehicle in
fron t: and stored speed =ligh tup.
iFo rdesign reasons, th espeed displayed
in th espeedometer may diffe rslightly from
th espeed set fo rDISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONI CPLUS is deacti -
vate d
:Vehicle in front, if detecte d
;Distanceindicator ,curren tdistanc eto
th evehicle in fron t
=Specified minimum distanc eto th evehi-
cl e in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
XSelec tth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcompute r
(
Ypage 203).
Display when DISTRONI CPLUS is activa -
te d
:Vehicle in front, if detecte d
;Specified minimum distanc eto th evehi-
cl e in front; adjustable
=Own vehicle
?DISTRONIC PLU Sactivated
XSelec tth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcompute r
(
Ypage 203).
You will initially see th estored speed fo r
about fiv eseconds when you activat e
DISTRONIC PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONI CPLUS
Cruise contro llever
176Driving systems
Driving an d parking

DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the road,
because of its narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
Dynamic handling package
General notes
The adjustable damping system adapts to the
current driving conditions. The adjustment
depends on whether you have selected Sport
or Comfort mode. Your selection remains
stored even if you remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode if you want
more direct contact with the road when
employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on wind- ing country roads.
178Driving system s
Driving an d parking

XIf indicator lamp:is not lit:press but-
ton ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
Comfort tuning
Select comfort mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style.
XIf indicator lamp :is lit:press but-
ton ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a comfortable driv-
ing style.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
When leaving the veh icle,it can still roll away
despite being braked bythe HOLD function if:
Rthere isa malfunction inthe system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g.bya veh icleoccupant.
Rthe electrical system inthe engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There isa risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (
Ypage 180) .
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto- matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z

Top view
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(
Ypage 285).
Front sensors
CenterApprox. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
CornersApprox. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
CenterApprox. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
CornersApprox. 32 in (approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
CenterApprox. 8 in (approx.
20 cm)
CornersApprox. 6 in (approx.
15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted between the roll bars.
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selector lever position or selected auto-
matic transmission position and the direction
in which the vehicle is rolling determine which warning display is active when the engine is
running.
Manual transmission:
Gear lever posi-
tionWarning display
Forwards gear
or
NeutralFront area activated
Reverse gear or
the vehicle is rolling
backwardsRear and front areas
activated
182Driving systems
Driving and parking

Automatic transmission:
Transmission
positionWarning display
DFront area activated
R,Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
Rsixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
Rseventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :is on then PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti-
vated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Driving systems183
Driving an d parking
Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 285).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Parking Guidance
Important safety notes
Parking Guidance is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to meas- ure the road on both sides of the vehicle. A
suitable parking space is indicated by the
parking symbol. You receive steering instruc-
tions when parking. You may also use
PARKTRONIC (
Ypage 181).
Parking Guidance is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your imme-
diate surroundings. You are always responsi- ble for safe maneuvering, parking and exiting
a parking space. When maneuvering, parking
or pulling out of a parking space, make sure
that there are no persons, animals or objects
in the area in which you are maneuvering.
GWARNING
If objects are located above the detection
range, Parking Guidance may provide steering
instructions too soon. You may cause a colli-
sion as a result. There is a risk of an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and switch off Parking Assist.
!If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and not at a
sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Parking
Guidance is also unavailable.
Parking Guidance may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.:
Rwhere parking or stopping is prohibited
Rin front of driveways or entrances and exits
Ron unsuitable surfaces
184Driving systems
Driving and parking