2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER brake

EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 60).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 229) as well as display
messages (Ypage 203).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has
the HOLD function (
Ypage 159) and hill start
assist (Ypage 125).
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function
General information
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can help you to minimize the risk of a collision
with a vehicle in front or a pedestrian and reduce
the effects of such a collision. If Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually and acoustically as well as by automatic braking.
iPay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(
Ypage 60).
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
only available in vehicles with the Driving Assis-
tance Plus package.
For Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to assist you when driving, the radar sensor
system and the camera system must be opera-
tional.
The radar sensor system and camera system
help Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to detect obstacles that are in the path of
your vehicle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle can be detected.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
detects pedestrians using typical characteris-
tics such as body contours and the posture of a
person standing upright.
iObserve the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(
Ypage 69).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function will initially brake your vehicle by a partial
application of the brakes if a danger of colli-
sion is detected. There may be a collision
unless you brake yourself. Even after subse-
quent full application of the brakes a collision
cannot always be avoided, particularly when
approaching at too high a speed. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
In the event of a partial application of the brakes,
the vehicle is braked with up to 50% of the full
braking pressure.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify objects and
complex traffic situations.
Driving safety systems69
Safety
Z

In such cases, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function might:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially
if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you. Terminate the intervention in a
non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify people, partic-
ularly if they are moving. Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function cannot intervene in
these cases. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially
if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance to
the vehicle in front and thus prevent a collision,
you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function does not react:
Rto small people, e.g. children
Rto animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rwhen cornering
As a result, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function may not warn you or engage in
all critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired. Recognition by the radar sensor system is also
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
Rdirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
Rglare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun being low in the sky
Rdarkness
Ror if:
-pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
-the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth-ing or other objects
-a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
-the typical outline of a pedestrian is not
distinguishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 193).
When Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function is deactivated, the æsymbol
appears in the assistance graphic display of
the multifunction display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly approach a
vehicle in front. An intermittent warning tone
will then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
70Driving safety systems
Safety

XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph (200 km/h)
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function may react to:
Rstationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rpedestrians in the path of your vehicle
iIf there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are triggered (Ypage 55).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further
Ractivating kickdown
Rreleasing the brake pedal.
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle
Rthere is no longer a risk of collision
Ran obstacle is no longer detected in front of
your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization. This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
Rthe vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is deactivated
RESP®is malfunctioning
Rthe steering is faulty
If ESP®is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
SmartKey that is left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys- tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
Protection against theft71
Safety
Z

SmartKey
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
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
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
!Keep the SmartKey away from strong mag-
netic fields. Otherwise, the remote control
function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the vicin-
ity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another SmartKey
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case
This can affect the functionality of the Smart- Key.
SmartKey functions
:& Locks the vehicle
;FOpens/closes the trunk lid
=%Unlocks the vehicle
XTo unlock centrally: press the%button.
If you do not open the vehicle within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking:
Rthe vehicle is locked again.
Ranti-theft protection is reactivated.
XTo lock centrally: press the&button.
The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks:
Rthe doors
Rthe trunk lid
Rthe glove box
Rthe stowage compartment under the armrest
Rthe stowage compartment in the rear com-
partment
Rthe fuel filler flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking and
three times when locking.
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer (
Ypage 196).
When it is dark, the surround lighting also comes
on if it is activated in the on-board computer
(
Ypage 195).
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY-
LESS-GO key in the vehicle (
Ypage 124).
SmartKey73
Opening and closing
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine cannot be
started using the Smart-
Key.The on-board voltage is too low.
XSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary (Ypage 277).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 278).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle.The vehicle is locked.
XUnlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again.
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XCheck the SmartKey battery (Ypage 76) and replace it if necessary
(Ypage 76).
If this does not work:
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
You have lost a Smart-
Key.XHave the SmartKey deactivated at a qualified specialist workshop.
XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
You have lost the
mechanical key.XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
The side windows cannot
be opened or closed
using the convenience
opening/closing fea-
ture.The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XCheck the SmartKey battery (Ypage 76) and replace it if necessary
(Ypage 76).
Doors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
78Doors
Opening and closing

The blueKindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on.
XTo switch off the high-beam headlamps:
move the combination switch back to its nor-
mal position.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Hazard warning lamps
XTo switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only
the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash.
XTo switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
The hazard warning lamps automatically switch
on if:
Ran air bag is deployed or
Rthe vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-
cation.
iThe hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off.
Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. The cornering light function can only be activated when the
low-beam headlamps are switched on.
Active:
Rif you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel
Rif you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes.
Cornering light function with traffic circle
function:
The cornering light function is activated on both
sides before entering a traffic circle through an
evaluation of the current GPS position of the
vehicle. It remains active until after the vehicle
has left the traffic circle. In this way, pedestrians
crossing the road, for example, are illuminated
by your vehicle in good time.
Active light function
The active light function is a system that moves
the headlamps according to the steering move-
ments of the front wheels. In this way, relevant
areas remain illuminated while driving. This
allows you to recognize pedestrians, cyclists
and animals sooner.
Active: when the lights are switched on.
Vehicles with Lane Keeping Assist: the active
light function evaluates the course of the lane in
which you are driving and pre-emptively con-
trols the active light function.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes
You can use this function to set the headlamps
to change between low beam and high beam
automatically. The system recognizes vehicles
with their lights on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or traveling in front of your
vehicle, and consequently switches the head-
lamps from high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-beam
headlamp range depending on the distance to
the other vehicle. Once the system no longer
108Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

Replacing the wiper blades
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the windshield wipers begin to move while
you are changing the wiper blades, you could be trapped by the wiper arm. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
!To avoid damaging the wiper blades, make
sure that you touch only the wiper arm of the
wiper.
!Never open the hood if a windshield wiper
arm has been folded away from the wind-
shield.
Never fold a windshield wiper arm without a
wiper blade back onto the windshield.
Hold the windshield wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release the
windshield wiper arm without a wiper blade
and it falls onto the windshield, the windshield
may be damaged by the force of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
!Always position the windshield wiper arms
vertically before folding them away from the
windshield. By doing so, you will avoid dam-
age to the hood.
Changing the windshield wiper blades
Moving the wiper arm to a vertical posi-
tion
On vehicles without KEYLESS-GO:
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1or2 in the
ignition lock.
XSet the windshield wiper to position °.
XWhen the wiper arms are vertical to the hood,
turn the SmartKey to positionuin the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
XFold the wiper arm away from the windshield
until you feel it engage. On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove your foot from the brake pedal.
XSet the windshield wiper to the
°position.
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until
the windshield wiper starts.
XWhen the wiper arms are in a vertical position
to the hood, press the Start/Stop button.
XFold the wiper arm away from the windshield
until you feel it engage.
Removing a wiper blade
XTo bring the wiper blade into position to
be removed: hold the wiper arm firmly with
one hand. With the other hand, turn the wiper
blade in the direction of arrow =beyond the
point of resistance.
The wiper blade engages in the removal posi-
tion with an audible click.
XTo remove a wiper blade: firmly press
release knob ;and pull the wiper blade
upwards :.
Installing the wiper blades
Windshield wipers111
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehiclehas been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red area
of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-AMG
vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RIdeally, for the first 1000 miles (1500 km),
driv ein progra mC.
RChange gear ingood time.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
veh icle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on break-
ing in if the engine or parts of the drive train on
your veh
i
cle have been replace d.
Alwa ys observe the maximum permis sible
speed.
Self-locking rear axle differential
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Your vehicle isequipped with a self-locking dif-
ferential on the rear axle.
Change the oil to improve protection of the rear axle differential:
Rafter a breaking-in period of 2000 miles (USA)
Rafter a breaking-in period of 3000 km (Can-
ada)
Revery 30,000 miles or 3 years (USA)
Revery 60,000 km or 4 years (Canada)
These oil changes prolong the service life of the
differential. Have the oil change carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects inthe driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardizes the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There isa
risk of an accident.
St ow all objects securely inthe vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
When using floormats or carpets, make sure
that they are properly secured so that they do
not slip or obstruct the pedals. Do not place
several floormats or carpets on top of one
another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There isa risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
Driving121
Driving and parking
Z