2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER warning light

As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
Always adapt your speed to suit the prevailing
road and traffic conditions.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a
malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
Adaptive brake lights
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS or
Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Assist, the brake
lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic traveling
behind you is warned in an even more noticeable
manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes
are applied again, the brake lamps light up con-
tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h.
You can also switch off the hazard warning
lamps using the hazard warning button
(
Ypage 108).
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits. ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if they
spin. This enables you to pull away and acceler-
ate on slippery surfaces, for example if the road
surface is slippery on one side. In addition, more
drive torque is transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate ESP
®.
iMercedes-AMG vehicles: your vehicle may
be equipped with 20-inch tires on the rear
axle. After changing to 19 inch wheels, ETS
may intervene noticeably earlier during the
first few kilometers. After approximately
10 km ETS will function as usual again. Infor-
mation on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tires for your vehicle can be found
in the "Wheel/tire combinations" section
(
Ypage 308).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP
®checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 282).
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, then ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp and the å
ESP®OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP®is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 229) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 201).
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z

GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle. If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
Rtraction control is still activated
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; nor is it activated if you
brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly
Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated
RSPORT handling mode is activated
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT Handling Mode
message appears in
the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in the multi-
function display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ESP®
ONmessage appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster flashes. ESP®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a limi-
ted degree
Rtraction control is still activated
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
Rtraction control is still activated
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is no longer available; nor is it activated if you
brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly
68Driving safety systems
Safety

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

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

XTo deactivate:press and hold button :for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
XTo activate: press and hold button ;for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
If you press one of the two buttons and do not
hear a tone, the relevant setting has already
been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are turn-
ing.
You could therefore lock yourself out if:
Rthe vehicle is being pushed.
Rthe vehicle is being towed.
Rthe vehicle is on a roller dynamometer.
You can also switch the automatic locking func-
tion on and off using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 196).
Power closing
Power closing pulls the doors and trunk lid into
their locks automatically even if they are only
partly closed.
XPower closing feature (doors): push the
door past the first detent position into the
lock.
Power closing will pull the door fully closed.
XTo power close the trunk lid: lightly push
the trunk lid closed.
The power closing function pulls the trunk lid
closed.
Unlocking/locking the driver's door
using the mechanical key
i
If you want to centrally lock the vehicle using
the mechanical key, begin by pressing the
locking button for the interior locking mech-
anism while the driver's door is open. Then
lock the driver's door using the mechanical
key.
XTo unlock: turn the mechanical key counter-
clockwise as far as it will go to position 1.
XTo lock:turn the mechanical key clockwise as
far as it will go to position 1.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door, the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem will be triggered. Switch off the alarm
(
Ypage 72).
Trunk
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
!The trunk lid swings upwards when opened.
Therefore, make sure that there is sufficient
clearance above the trunk lid.
!Only close the trunk once the roof is lowered
completely. Otherwise, you could damage the
roof.
If you close the trunk lid before the roof is
lowered completely, the loading aid switch
lights up and a warning tone sounds.
The opening dimensions of the trunk lid can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
(
Ypage 317).
80Trunk
Opening and closing

With the roof open, you can use the loading aid
to raise the folded roof in the trunk to make
loading easier (
Ypage 244). The trunk partition
opens automatically.
You can unlock the trunk lid if the vehicle is sta-
tionary and the roof is completely open or
closed.
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk. You
could otherwise lock yourself out.
The trunk lid can be:
Ropened/closed from outside
Ropened and closed automatically from out-
side (vehicles with trunk lid remote closing
feature)
Ropened and closed automatically from inside (vehicles with trunk lid remote closing fea-
ture)
Ropened, closed or stopped during operation
without the use of your hands (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO and HANDS-FREE ACCESS)
Rlocked separately
Ropened with the emergency release button
Runlocked with the mechanical key
You should preferably place luggage or loads in
the trunk.
Trunk lid reversing feature
The trunk lid is equipped with an automatic
reversing feature. It reacts if a solid object
obstructs or restricts the trunk lid during the
closing procedure. The trunk lid opens again
automatically. The automatic reversing function
is only an aid and is not a substitute for your
attentiveness to the trunk lid while it is closing.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not respond:
Rto soft, light and thin objects, e.g. fingers
Rover the last 1/3 in (8 mm) of the closing
movement
The reversing feature cannot prevent some-
one being trapped in these situations in par-
ticular. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped:
Rpress the Fbutton on the SmartKey, or
Rpull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or
Rpress the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid, or
Rpull on the trunk lid handle
Opening/closing from outside
Opening
XPress the %button on the SmartKey.
XPull handle :.
XRaise the trunk lid.
If the trunk partition was previously closed,
the trunk partition opens and remains open.
With the roof open, you can use the loading aid
to raise the folded roof in the trunk to make
loading easier (
Ypage 244). The trunk partition
then opens automatically.
Closing
Trunk81
Opening and closing
Z