2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owner's Manual

Cruise controlisautomatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electr icparking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
RBrake Assist intervenes
Ryou move out of transmission position h
If cruise control isdeactivate d,you willhear a
warning tone. You willsee the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage inthe multifunction display
for approximate lyfive seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored iscleared.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the veh icledetected infront. Vehicle s
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DI STRONIC brakes auto-
matically to avoid excee ding the set speed or to
maintain the designated distance from the veh i-
cle infront.
You must select a lower gear ingood time on
long and steep downhillgradients, especially if
the veh icle isladen. By doing so, you willmake
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing
too quic kly.
If Distance Pilot DI STRONIC detects that there is
a risk of a co llision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tance Pilot DI STRONIC cannot prevent a co lli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone willthen
sound and the distance warning lamp willlight
up inthe instrument cluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase the distance from the veh i-
cle infront, or take evasive action, pro videdit is
safe to doso.
For Distance Pilot DI STRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC operates inthe range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) an
d 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Do not u

se Distance Pilot DISTRONIC while driv-
ing on roads with steep gradients. Since Distance Pilot DISTRONIC transmits radar
waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of
the responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iUSA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as
a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar sensor
is intended for use in an automotive radar
system only. Removing, tampering with, or
altering the device will void any warranties,
and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tam-
per with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary objects on the road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles
Roncoming vehicles and crossing traffic
As a result, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Driving systems151
Driving and parking
Z

GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
with a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
!When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time
and for staying in your lane. Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a
vehicle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate
to the speed stored.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or
an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the left-hand
lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
152Driving systems
Driving and parking

Cruise control lever
Cruisecontrol leve r
:
Stores the current speed or a higher speed
;Setting a specified minimum distance
=Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed
?Stores the current speed or a lower speed
ASwitching off Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
and storing, maintaining and calling up
a speed
Important safety notes
!When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RParking Pilot must not be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position h.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromjtoh or your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door must be closed.
Rthe vehicle must not skid.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :to the pressure
point for a higher speed, or down ;to the
pressure point for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, t
he last speed stored is increased
or reduced.
or
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :past the pres-
sure point for a higher speed, or down ;past
the pressure point for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up or down, the last speed stored is increased
or reduced.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DistancePilotSuspendedmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will be
driving at the speed you determine by the
position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 20 mph (30 km/ h).
Activating at the current speed/last
store d speed
GWARNIN G
If you call up th estore dspee dand it differs
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicl eacceler -
ate sor decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
store dspeed, th evehicl ecould accelerate or
brak eune xpectedly. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attentio nto th eroad and traffic condi-
tions before calling up th estore dspeed. If you
do no tknow th estore dspeed, store th e
desired spee dagain .
Driving systems153
Driving and parking
Z

XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated, it stores the current speed or reg-
ulates the speed of the vehicle to the previ-
ously stored speed.
Pulling away and driving
XIf you want to pull away with Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
XIf Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated:
accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
to that of the vehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
The vehicle can also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a differ-
ent line from another vehicle. The vehicle then
brakes automatically. Be ready to brake at all
times.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a slower-
moving vehicle in front, it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, the distance you have selected is main-
tained.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a faster-
moving vehicle in front, it increases the driving
speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated
up to the speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty driving style
when you have selected the Sor S+ drive pro-
gram (
Ypage 128). Acceleration behind the
vehicle in front or to the set speed is then notice-
ably more dynamic. If you have selected the Cor
E driving program, the vehicle accelerates more
gently. This setting is recommended in stop-
and-start traffic.
AMG vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC sup-
ports a sporty driving style when you have selec-
ted the S,S+ orMdrive program (
Ypage 129).
Acceleration behind the vehicle in front or to the set speed is then noticeably more dynamic.
When you select the
Cdrive program, the vehi-
cle accelerates more gently. This setting is rec-
ommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
change to the overtaking lane, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC monitors the left lane (on left-
hand-drive vehicles) or the rig ht l
ane (on right-
hand-drive vehicles).
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 time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves 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:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
154Driving systems
Driving and parking

If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into positionjautomatically.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly 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.
Setting a 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 the vehicle speed. You
can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play (
Ypage 155).
The specified minimum distance can be
changed while Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
switched on or off.
Make sure that you maintain a sufficiently safe
distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust the
distance to the vehicle in front if necessary.
Cruise control lever
XTo increase: turn control=toward ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
greater distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
XTo decrease: turn control=toward :.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
shorter distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC displays in
the instrument cluster
Displays in the speedometer
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated,
one or more segments ;in the set speed range
light up.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in
front, segments ;between speed of the vehi-
cle in front =and stored speed :light up.
iFor design reasons, the speed displayed in
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed set for Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
Driving systems155
Driving and parking
Z

Display when DistancePilot DISTRONIC is
deactivate d
:Vehiclein front, if detecte d
;Distanceindicator, curren tdistanc eto th e
vehicl ein fron t
=Specified minimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
?Your vehicl e
XSelectth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcomputer (Ypage 193).
Display when Distanc ePilot DISTRONIC is
activate d
:Vehiclein front, if detecte d
;Specified minimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
=Your vehicl e
?DistancePilo tDISTRONIC activated
XSelec tth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcomputer (Ypage 193).
You will initially see th estore dspeed fo rabout
fiv eseconds when you activat eDistanc ePilo t
DISTRONIC.
Deactivating Distanc ePilot DISTRONIC
Cruis econtrol lever
There are severa lways to deactivat eDistanc e
Pilo tDISTRONIC:
XBriefly press th ecruise control lever for-
ward s:.
or
XBrake ,unless th evehicl eis stationary
Whe nyou deactivat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC,
th eDistance Pilot Off
message will appear
in th emultifunction display fo rapproximately
fiv eseconds.
iThe last speed store dremain sstore duntil
you switch of fth eengine.
iDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is no tdeactivated
if you depress th eaccelerato rpedal. If you
accelerate to overtake ,Distanc ePilo t
DISTRONIC adjust sth evehicle's speed to th e
last speed store dafter you hav efinished over-
taking.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is automatically deac -
tivated if:
Ryou engage th eelectric parkin gbrak eor if th e
vehicl eis automatically secured wit hth eelec -
tric parkin gbrak e
RESP®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Rthetransmissio nis in position j,kori
Ryou pull th ecruise control lever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ris ope n
Ryou activat eParking Pilo t
Rthevehicl ehas skidde d
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is automatically
deactivated, you will hear awarnin gtone .The
Distance Pilot Off
message will appear in
th emultifunction display fo rapproximately fiv e
seconds.
156Driving systems
Driving an d parking

Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC
General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must beparticularly attentive. In such situations, brake if
necessary. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is then
switched off.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC can detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles traveling on a different line
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect vehi-
cles which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will be
too short.
Other vehicles changing lanes
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC has not detected the
vehicle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehi-
cle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for example,
the detected vehicle turns a corner and an
Driving system s157
Driving an d parking
Z

obstacle or stationary vehicle is revealed, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for them.
Crossing vehicles
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may mistakenly
detect vehicles that are crossing your lane.
If you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC under
the following conditions, the vehicle could pull
away unintentionally:
Rat traffic lights with crossing traffic, for exam-
ple
Rif there is a vehicle in front after a crossing
with the HOLD function activated
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering
Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot
General notes
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
and Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehi-
cle in the center of the driving lane by means of
moderate steering interventions in a speed
range from 0 - 125 mph (0 - 200 km/h) .
It monitors lane markings and vehicles in front of your vehicle by means of camera system :at
the top of the windshield. At speeds of 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h), Stop&Go
Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front, taking into
account lane markings, e.g. when following vehi-
cles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 37 mph (60 km/h), the
Steering Pilot focuses on clear lane markings
(left and right), only focusing on the vehicle in
front if detected lane markings are not present
at speeds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h).
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC must be active in
order for the function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot and
Stop&Go Pilot can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics. It can-
not take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot is only an aid.
You are responsible for the distance to the vehi-
cle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
and Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and
traffic conditions and does not detect all road
users. If you are following a vehicle which is
driving towards the edge of the road, your vehi- cle could come into contact with the curb or
other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of
other road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly
next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over a la

ne marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
and Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep
your vehicle in the lane. In some cases, the
steering intervention is not sufficient to bring
the vehicle back to the lane. In such cases, you
must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not leave the lane.
158Driving systems
Driving and parking