2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER manual transmission

Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
positionP
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies to mobile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app.
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
The catalytic converter is preheated for up to
30 seconds after a cold start. The sound of the
engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift the transmission to position j.
Transmission position display jis shown in
the multifunction display.
iYou can start the engine in transmission
position jand i.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
To start the engine using the SmartKey instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button out
of the ignition lock.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 122) and release it as soon
as the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
The Start/Stop button can be used to start the
vehicle manually without inserting the SmartKey
into the ignition lock. The Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for
starting the engine operates independently of
the ECO start/stop automatic engine start func-
tion.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPress the Start/Stop button once
(Ypage 122).
The engine starts.
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (
Ypage 196).
It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position jto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the shift
lock released.
124Driving
Driving an d parking

All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):automat icengine switch-off can take
plac e a maximum of four times ina row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automat icengine switch-offs isunlimi-
te d.
The HOLD function can beactivated ifthe
engine has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automat icstop phase. When
you depr ess the accelerator pedal,the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function isdeactivate d.
Automatic engine start
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryouswitch off the ECO start /stop function by
pressing the ECO button
Rin transmission position hori, the brake
pedal isreleased and the HOLD function isnot
active
Ryou depr ess the accelerator pedal
Ryou engage reverse gear k
Ryou move the transmission out of position j
Ryouswitch to drive program S+
Ryouswitch to drive program Sor M
(Mercedes-AMG veh icles)
Ryou unfasten your seat beltor open the driv-
er's door
Rthe veh iclestarts to roll
Rthe brake system requires th is
Rthe temperatureinthe veh icleinterior devi-
ates from the set range
Rthe system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
swit ched on
Rthe battery's condition of charge istoo low
Sh ifting the transmission to position jdoes
not start the engine.
Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo deactivate: press ECO button :.
In dicator lamp ;goes out.
XTo activate: press ECO button :.
In dicator lamp ;lights up.
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. The engine willthen
not be switched off automatically when the vehi-
cle stops.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XTo deactivate: indrive program C, press ECO
button :.
or
XSwit ch to drive program S,S+ orM
(Ypage 129).
In dicator lamp ;goes out.
XTo activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
126Driving
Driving and parking

If drive programS,S+ orMis active, the auto-
matic transmission switches to drive program
C.
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as the result of a malfunction. The engine will then
not be switched off automatically when the vehi-
cle stops.
Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
MSolutions
The engine does not
start.The HOLD function or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XDeactivate the HOLD function (Ypage 159) or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC (Ypage 156).
XTry to start the engine again.
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the SmartKey back to position uin the ignition lock.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 123). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 278).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving127
Driving and parking
Z

EEconomy
(vehicles with
adjustable
damping)Particularly economical
driving characteristics
CV CURVE
(vehicles with
Active Body
Control)Particularly economical
driving characteristics with
cornering function
Additional information for drive programs
(Ypage 134).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
General information
Select the drive program using the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller.
Available drive programs:
I IndividualIndividual settings
C ComfortComfort-oriented, opti-
mum-economy engine and
transmission settings
SSportSporty engine and trans-
mission settings
S+ Sport PlusParticularly sporty trans-
mission settings
RaceMaximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Depending on the drive program selected the
following vehicle characteristics will change:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
RESP®
Rthe suspension
Rthe steering
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop function
Rthe driver assistance systems
Rthe availability of gliding mode
Further information for automatic drive program
characteristics (
Ypage 134). Additionally, in drive program
Iyou can config-
ure the respective vehicle characteristics using
the multimedia system. You can find informa-
tion about this in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program Cis
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 123).
Selecting the drive program
XTurn DYNAMIC SELECT controller :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The symbol of the selected drive program is
shown in the multifunction display.
In addition, the current drive program settings
are displayed briefly in the multimedia system
display.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :lights up in red.
Additional information for drive programs
(
Ypage 134).
DYNAMIC SELEC T controller (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)129
Driving and parking
Z

Additional settings
:ECO start/stopfunction (Ypage 125)
;ESP®(Ypage 65 )
=Suspension (Ypage 166)
?Permanentactivation of manual gearshifting
(Ypage 136)
When you press buttons :-? thecorre-
sponding setting is selected. The DYNAMIC
SELECT controller setting is overwritten.
These setting swill also be maintaine dif you
switch to drive program RACE,S+, Sor Cwit h
th eDYNAMIC SELECT controller .
If you switch to drive program I,all store dchar-
acteristics will be accepted. This is also th ecas e
if you hav epreviously presse dbuttons :-?.
Aut oma tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
Selector lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AM G vehi-
cles)
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is in motion ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom htok, from ktoh
or directl yto j.
Do no topen th edriver's door while th evehi-
cle is in motion .At low speeds in transmission
position hork, otherwise park position j
is engage dautomatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
jPark position
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
The selector lever always return sto it soriginal
position .The curren ttransmission position j,
k, iorh is shown in th etransmission posi-
tion display in th emultifunction display.
Mercedes-AM G vehicles
!If theengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is in motion ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom htok, from ktoh
or directl yto j.
Do no topen th edriver's door while th evehi-
cle is in motion .At low speeds in transmission
position hork, otherwise park position j
is engage dautomatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
130Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress theaccelerato rpedal beyon dth e
pressur epoint.
The automatic transmission shift sto alower
gear depending on th eengin espeed.
XEas eoff th eaccelerato rpedal once th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmission shift sbac kup.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Dri veprogram C(Com fort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forward
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
pedal is depressed fully.
Rlow fuel consumption resulting from th eauto -
matic transmission shifting up sooner. The
vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espee drange
and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rthesuspension exhibits comfortable damping
settings.
Rth esteering exhibits acomfortable steering
curve.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66).
iSelec tthis drive progra mfor difficult roa d
conditions, e. g. snow and ice or wet road sur -
faces.
Dri veprogram S(Sport )
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthevehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmission shift sup later, th e
fuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits fir mdamping set -
tings.
Rth esteering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Driveprogram S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive progra mS+ is characterized by th efol -
lowing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits particularly sport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmission shift sup later, th e
fuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits particularly fir m
damping setting s(vehicles wit hadaptive
adjustable damping).
Rth esuspension exhibits fir mdamping set -
ting s(vehicles wit hActive Body Control).
Rth esteering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
RES P®emphasize sth evehicle's own over-
steering and understeering characteristics .
This enables amor eactive drivin gstyle. This
drive progra mrequire sincreased driver inter-
action .Fo rfurther information about ES P
®,
see (Ypage 66) .
iOnly select this drive progra mif th eroa d
condition sare good, e.g. th eroa dis dry and
th erout eahead is clearly visible.
Dri veprogram I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowin gproperties of th e
drive progra mcan be select ed:
Rthedrive (engin eand transmission manage-
ment)
Rth esuspension
Rth esteering
Rth econtrol threshold sof ES P®
Information about configuring drive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
134Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Vehicles with adaptive adjustable damp-
ing: drive program E (Economy)
Drive programEis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rthe suspension exhibits comfortable damping
settings.
Rthe steering exhibits a comfortable steering
curve.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is disconnec- ted from the drive train. The vehicle uses
kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromise
between traction and stability. For further
information about ESP
®, see (Ypage 66).
Vehicles with Active Body Control: drive
program CURVE
CURVE drive program is characterized by the
following:
Rincreased driving comfort on bends.
Rthe vehicle tilts actively into the bend. Further
information on the cornering function
(
Ypage 164).
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
ped
al is depressed fully.
Rcomfortable suspension setting.
Rthe steering exhibits a comfortable steering
curve.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is disconnec-
ted from the drive train. The vehicle uses kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromise
between traction and stability. For further
information about ESP
®, see (Ypage 66).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
RACE drive program
The RACE drive program is characterized by the
following:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
Rthe gearshift recommendation gives you
information for slowly warming up the drive
assemblies and for adopting a fuel-efficient
driving style (
Ypage 136). You can follow the
gearshift recommendations at all times and
shift gear accordingly using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. On the basis of the
gearshift recommendation, using the steering
wheel paddle shifters, you can optimize the
drive train and engine operating mode at any
time.
Rif you have selected a gear manually, this will
be maintained until the vehicle speed increa-
ses or decreases dramatically.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later, the
fuel consumption possibly being higher as a
result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firm
damping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
RESP®switches to SPORT handling mode. The
M SPORT handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The SPORT
HandlingModemessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display. Observe the important
safety notes for the SPORT handling mode
(
Ypage 67).
RESP®only improves driving stability to a limi-
ted degree. The engine's torque is only
restricted to a limited degree and the drive
wheels can spin. For further information
about ESP
®, see (Ypage 67).
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

Drive program S+ (SportPlus)
Drive progra mS+ is characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits particularl ysport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later, th e
fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl yfir m
dampin gsettings.
Rglidin gmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program S(Sport)
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later, th e
fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl yfir m
dampin gsettings.
Rglidin gmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program C(Comfort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl edeliver scomfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
The vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espeed
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis available.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is available.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin emanagement)
Rth etransmissio nmanagemen t
RESP®
Rthesuspensio n
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Dig
ital Operator' sManual.
iTo permanentl yselect th egear sin drive
progra mIusin gth esteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifters ,select th eM (manual) setting fo rth e
transmission.
Manua lgea rshifting
General notes
You can chang egear yourself usin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters .The transmissio nmus tbe
in position hto do this.
Dependin gon whic hsteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifter is pulled, th eautomati ctransmissio n
immediately shift sinto th enext gear down or
up, if permitted.
To use manual shifting, you hav etw ooptions:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activat emanual gearshifting, th emulti-
function display will sho wthecurren tgear
instead of transmissio nposition h.
If manual gearshiftin gis deactivated, th egear s
will be selected automatically.
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking