2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owner's Manual

If
you need todo any work inside theengine
compartment:
R switch offthe ignition
R never reach intothearea where thereisa
risk ofdanger frommoving components,
such asthe fanrotation area
R remove jewelryandwatches
R keep items ofclothing andhair, forexam-
ple, awayfrom moving parts G
WARNING
The cooling systemispressu rized,particu-
larl ywhen themotor iswarm. Ifyou open
the cap, youcould bescalde difhot coolant
spray sout. There isarisk ofinjury.
Let the engine cooldown before youopen
the cap. Wear protective glovesandprotec-
tive eyew earwhen opening. Openthecap
slow lyto relea sepressu re. Example
X Park thevehicle onalevel surface.
Only check thecoolant levelwhen thevehi-
cle ison alevel surface andtheengine has
cooled down.
X Turn theSmartKey topositio n0048 inthe igni-
tion lock (Ypage 126).
On vehicle swith KEYLESS- GO,press the
Start/St opbutton twice(Ypage 126).
X Check thecoolant temperature gageinthe
multifu nctiondisplay.
The coolant temperature mustbebelow
158 ‡(70 †).
X Turn theSmartKey topositio n0092
(Y page 126)inthe ignition lock. X
Slowl yturn cap0044half aturn counter-clock-
wise toallow excess pressureto escape .
X Turn cap0044further <004600520058005100570048005500100046004F00520046004E005A004C0056
0048[ and
remove it.
If the coolant isat the level ofmarker bar
0087 inthe fillerneck when cold,there is
enough coolant incoolant expansion
tank 0043.
If the coolant levelisappro ximately 0.6in
(1.5 cm)above marker bar0087inthe filler
neck when warm, thereisenough coolant in
expansion tank0043.
X Ifnecessary ,add coolant thathasbeen tes-
ted and appro vedbyMercedes-Benz.
X Repl acecap 0044and turn itclockwise asfar
as itwil lgo.
Further information oncoolant (Ypage 328).
Windshie ldwashe rsystem G
WARNING
Certai ncomponents inthe engine compart-
ment, suchasthe engine, radiator andparts
of the exhau stsystem, canbecome very
hot. Working inthe engine compartment
poses arisk ofinjury.
Where possible,let the engine cooldown
and touch onlythecomponents describedin
the follow ing. G
WARNING
If you open thehood when thedrive system
has overhea tedorduri ngafire inthe engine
compartment, youcould come intocontact
with hotgases orother escapi ngopera ting
flui ds. There isarisk ofburns.
Let the overhea tedcomponents cooldown
before opening thehood. Inthe event ofa
fire inthe engine compartment, keepthe
hood closed andcallthefire service. G
WARNING
Windshi eldwash erconcentrate ishighl y
flamma ble.Ifwindshi eldwash erconcentrate
gets onto hotcomponents ofthe engine or
the exhau stsystem, itcan ignite. Thereisa
risk offire and injury. Eng
inecompar tment
271Maintenanc eand care
Z

Make
surethatwindshield washerconcen-
trate isnot spilled inthe vicinity ofthe filler
neck . Example
X To open: pullcap 0043upwa rdsbythe tab.
X Add thepremixed washerfluid.
X To close :press cap0043onto thefiller neck
until itengages.
If the washer fluidlevel drops below therec-
ommended minimumfluidlevel of1US qt
(1 liter), amessage appearsinthe multifunc-
tion display prompting youtoadd washer fluid
(Y page 234).
Further information onwindshield washer
fluid/antifreeze (Ypage 329). Overview
ofthe engine compart -
ment Example
engine
0043 Oildipstick
0044 Brake fluidreservoir
0087 Engin eoil cap
0085 Coolant expansion tank
0083 Washer fluidreservoir ASSYST
PLUS Service
display
The ASSYST PLUS service interval displayindi-
cates theremaining timeperiod orthe remain-
ing distance tothe next regular service due
date.
Inform ationonthe type ofservice andservice
intervals (seetheseparate Maintenanc eBook-
let).
You canobtain further information froman
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter orat
http: //www.mbusa.com (USAonly).
i The
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
does notshow anyinformation onthe
engine oillevel. Observe thenotes onthe
engine oillevel (Ypage 269).
The multifunction displayshowsaservice dis-
play forafew seconds, e.g.:
R Service Ain ..Days Service
Ain ..Days
R Service ADue Service
ADue
R Service AExceeded by..Days Service
AExceeded by..Days
Depending onthe operating conditionsof the
vehicle, theremaining timeordistance until
the next service duedate isdisplay ed.
The letter A A
or B B,
possibly inconn ection witha
number oranother letter,shows thetype of
service. A A
stands foraminor service andB B
for
a major service.
You canobtain further information froman
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
Depending onhow thevehicle isused, the
ASS YST PLUS service interval displaymay
reduce theservice interval, e.g.inthe follow-
ing situations:
X the vehicle isprimarily usedtotravel short
distances
X ifthe engine isoften leftidling forlong peri-
ods
X ifthere arefrequent coldstart phases
Mercedes-Ben zrecommen dsyou avoid such
operating conditions.
The ASSYST PLUS service interval displaydoes
not take intoaccount anyperiods oftime dur-
ing which thebattery isdisconnec ted. 272
ASSY
STPLUSMaintenance andcare

Maintaining
thetime-dependent servicesched-
ule:
X Note down theservice duedate display edin
the multifunction displaybeforedisconnec t-
ing the battery.
or X Aft erreconn ectingthebattery, subtract the
battery disconnec tionperiods fromtheser-
vice date shown onthe display . Hiding
service displays
X Press the0076 or0038 button onthe steer-
ing wheel. Showing
servicedisplays
X Switch onthe ignition.
X Press 0059or0065 onthe steering wheel
to select theServ. Serv.
menu.
X Press 0063or0064 toselect theASSYST ASSYST
PLUS PLUS
submenu andconfirm bypressing the
0076 button.
The service duedate appears inthe multi-
funct iondisplay . Informat
ionabout Service
Resetting theASSYST PLUSservice
interval display !
If
the ASS YST PLUS service interval dis-
play hasbeen inadvertent lyreset, thisset-
ting canbecorrect edataqual ified special-
ist workshop.
Have service workcarried outasdescribed
in the Maintenanc eBooklet. Thismay other-
wise leadtoincreased wearanddamage to
the major assemblies orthe vehicle.
A qual ified specialist workshop, e.g.anauthor-
ized Mercedes-Ben zCenter, willreset the
ASS YST PLUS service interval displayafterthe
service workhasbeen carried out.Youcan
also obtain further information onmainte-
nance work,forexample. Special
servicerequirements The
specified maintenanc einterval takesonly
the normal operation ofthe vehicle into
account. Serviceworkwillneed tobe per-
formed moreoften ifthe vehicle isoperated
under arduou scondition sor increased loads.
The ASSYST PLUS service interval displayis
only anaid. Thedriver ofthe vehicle isrespon-
sible forwhether serviceworkwillneed tobe
performed morefrequently thanrequired asa
result ofthe actual operating conditions
and/or loads.
Examples ofarduou soperating conditions:
R regular citydriving withfrequent intermedi-
ate stops
R the vehicle isprimarily usedtotravel short
distances
R frequent useinmountainous terrainoron
poor roadsurfaces
R the engine isoften leftidling forlong peri-
ods
R particularly dustycondition s,or ifair-recir-
culation modeisfrequently used
In these orsimilar operating conditions,have
the interior filter,airfilter, engine oiland oilfil-
ter, forexample, changedmorefrequently.
Under arduou soperating conditions,the tires
must becheck edmore often. Further informa-
tion canbeobtained ataqual ified specialist
workshop.
Driving abroad An
exten siveMercedes-Ben zService network
is also availa bleinother countr ies.You can
obtain further information fromanyauthorized
Mercedes-Ben zService Center. Care
Notes
oncare H
Environmental
note
Dispose ofempty packaging andcleaning
cloths inan environm entallyresponsible
manner.
! When
cleaning yourcar,donot use:
R dry, coarse orhard cloths
R abrasive cleaningagents Care
273Maintenance andcare Z

R
solvents
R cleaning agentscontaining solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch thesurfaces andfilms with
hard objects, e.g.rings orice scrapers. Oth-
erwise, youmay scratch ordamage thesur-
faces andfilms.
! Do
not park yourvehicle foralong period
of time directly aftercleaning, particularly
after cleaning thewheel rimwith wheel
cleaner. Wheelcleaner canlead tothe
increased corrosionofthe brake discsand
pads. Therefore, driveforafew minutes
after cleaning. Byheating upthe brakes, the
brake discsandpads dry.Thevehicle can
then beparked foralong period oftime.
Regu larcare ofyour vehicle isacondition for
retaining thequal ityinthe long term.
Use care products andcleaning agentsrecom-
mended andapproved byMercedes-Benz . Washing
thevehicl eand cleani ng
the paintwork
Automatic carwash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency isreduced afterwashing
the vehicle. Thereisarisk ofan accident.
Aft erthe vehicle hasbeen washed, brake
carefully whilepayingattent iontothe traffic
conditions untilfullbraking poweris
restored.
! When
DISTRONIC PLUSorthe HOLD func-
tion isactivated, thevehicle brakesauto-
matically incertain situations.
To avoid damage tothe vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUSandtheHOLD function in
the followi ngorsimilar situations:
R when towing thevehicle
R in the carwash
! It
is preferable touse carwashes with
adjustable high-pressure pre-cleaningthat
corresponds tothe specification forthe
Cabri oletprogram. Incar washes thatuse
high water pressures, thereisarisk that a
small amount ofwater mayleakintothe
vehicle. !
Vehicles
withHAND S-FREE ACCESS: ifa
key with KEYLES S-GOiswithin thedetec-
tion range ofthe KEYLES S-GOantenn as,the
trunk lidcould openunintent ionallyinthe
followi ngsituations, forexample:
R when usinganautomatic carwash
R when usingapower washer
Make surethatthekey isat least 6.5ft
(2 m) awa yfrom thevehicle.
! Never
cleanyourvehicle inaTouchless
Automatic CarWash asthese usespecial
cleaning agents.Thesecleaning agentscan
damage thepaintwork orplastic parts.
If you have yourvehicle cleaned inahigh-
pressure automatic carwash, small
amounts ofwater mayenter thevehicle.
! Make
surethattheautomatic transmission
is in position Nwhen washing yourvehicle
in atow-through carwash. Thevehicle could
be damaged ifthe transmission isin another
position.
! Make
surethat:
R the side windows androof arecompletely
closed
R the climate controlblower isswitched off
R the windshiel dwiper switch isin position
0
The vehicle mayotherwise bedamaged .
You canclean thevehicle atan automatic car
wash fromthevery start.
Preferably cleanthevehicle atautomatic car
washes thatusetextilewashing elements
without brushes. Thisprevents finescratches
from forming onthe paintwork andfilm.
If the vehicle isvery dirty, pre-wash itbefore
cleaning itin an automatic carwash.
Aft erusing anautomatic carwash, wipeoff
wax from thewindshiel dand thewiper blades.
This willprevent smearsandreduce wiping
noises caused byresidue onthe windshiel d.
i Vehicles
withdecorative film:select a
wash program withouthotwax atthe auto-
matic carwash.
Washing byhand In
some countries, washingbyhand isonly
allow edatspeciall yequip pedwashing bays. 274
CareMaintenance
andcare

Observe
thelegal requirements ineach coun-
try.
X Do not use hotwater anddonot wash the
vehicle indirect sunlight.
X Use asoft sponge toclean.
X Use amild cleaning agent,suchasacar
shampoo approved byMercedes-Benz .
X Thoroughly hosedown thevehicle witha
gentle jetofwater.
X Do not point thewater jetdirectly towards
the airinlet orthe edges ofdecorative foils.
X Use plenty ofwater andrinse outthe
sponge frequently.
X Rinse thevehicle withclean water anddry
thoroughly withachamois.
X Do not letthe cleaning agentdryonthe
paintwork orthe decorative foils.
Careful lyremove alldeposits ofroad saltas
soon aspossible whendriving inwinter.
Powe rwashers G
WARNING
The water jetfrom acircular jetnozz le(dirt
blasters) cancause invisible exteriordam-
age tothe tires orchassis component s.
Components damagedinthis way may fail
unexpectedly. Thereisarisk ofan accident.
Do not use power washers withcircular jet
nozz lestoclean thevehicle. Havedamaged
tires orchassis component sreplaced imme-
diately .
! Vehicles
withdecorative film:parts ofyour
vehicle arecovered withdecorative film.
Maintain adistance ofat least 27.5in
(70 cm) between thefilm-covered partsof
the vehicle andthenozz leof the power
washer.
Information aboutthe correct distance is
avail able from theequip ment manufacturer.
Move thepower washer nozzlearound when
cleaning yourvehicle.
The water temperature ofthe power washer
must notexceed 140‡(60 †).
! Alway
smaintain adistance ofat least
12 in(30 cm) between thevehicle andthe
power washer nozzle.Information aboutthe
correct distance isavail able from theequip -
ment manufacturer. Move
thepower washer nozzlearound when
cleaning yourvehicle.
Do not aim directly atany ofthe followi ng:
R Tires
R Door gaps, roofgaps, joints, etc.
R Electrical component s
R Battery
R Plug-type couplings
R Light bulbs
R Seals
R Trim elements
R Ventilation slots
Damaged sealsorelectrical component s
can lead toleaks orfailu res.
! Vehicles
withHAND S-FREE ACCESS: ifa
key with KEYLES S-GOiswithin thedetec-
tion range ofthe KEYLES S-GOantenn as,the
trunk lidcould openunintent ionallyinthe
followi ngsituations, forexample:
R when usinganautomatic carwash
R when usingapower washer
Make surethatthekey isat least 6.5ft
(2 m) awa yfrom thevehicle.
Cleani ngthe paintwork !
Do
not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic platesorsimila ritems
to painted surfaces. Youcould otherwise
damage thepaintwork.
Scratc hes,corrosive deposits,areasaffected
by corrosion anddamage causedbyinade-
quate carecannot alwaysbe completely
repaired. Insuch cases, visitaqual ified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Remove dirtimmediately ,where possible ,
while avoidi ngrubbing toohard.
X Soak insect remains withinsect remover
and rinse offthe treated areasafterwards.
X Soak birddroppings withwater andrinse off
the treated areasafterwards.
X Remove treeresin, oils,fuels andgreases by
rubbing gentlywithacloth soaked inpetro-
leum ether orlighter fluid
X Remove coolantandbrake fluidwithamoist
cloth andclear water. Care
275Maintenance andcare Z

X
Use tarremover toremove tarstains.
X Use silicone remover toremove wax.
If water nolonger forms"beads"onthe paint
surface, usethepaint careproducts recom-
mended andapproved byMercedes-Benz .This
is the case approximately everythreetofive
months, depending onthe climate conditions
and thecare product used.
If dirt has penetrated thepaint surface orif
the paint hasbecome dull,the paint cleaner
recommended andapproved byMercedes-
Benz should beused.
Do not use these careproducts inthe sun or
on the hood while thehood ishot.
X Use asuitabl etouch-up stick,e.g.MB
Touch-Up Stick,to repair slightdamage to
the paintwork quicklyandprovisionall y.
Matt efinish care !
Never
polish thevehicle orthe light alloy
wheels. Polishingcauses thefinish toshine.
! The
followi ngcan give thepaint aglossy
appea rance andthus reduce thematt
effect:
R Rubb inghard withunsuitabl eagents
R Washing thevehicle indirect sunlight
! Never
usepaint cleaner, buffingorpolish-
ing products, orgloss preserver, e.g.wax,
for the purpose ofpaintwork care.These
products areonly suitabl efor high-gloss sur-
faces. Theiruseonvehicles withmatte
paintwork leadstoconsiderable surface
damage or,more specificall y,to shiny, spot-
ted areas.
Alway shave paintwork repairscarried outat
a qual ified speciali stworkshop.
! Only
useautomatic carwashes whichcor-
respond tothe latest technological stand-
ards. Never usewash programs whichfinish
by treating thevehicle withhotwax.
Observe thesenotes ifyour vehicle hasaclear
matte finish. Thiswillhelp youtoavoid dam-
age tothe paintwork duetoincorrect treat-
ment.
These notesalsoapply tolight alloy wheels
with aclear matte finish.
i Use
only insect remover andcarshampoo
from therange ofrecommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz careproducts. Cle
aning thedecorative film !
The
followi ngmay have aneffect onthe
service lifeand color ofdecorative film:
R sunlight
R temperature, e.g.hot-air fan
R weather conditions
R stone impacts anddirt
R chemical cleaningagents
R greasy substances
! Do
not use anytypes ofpolish onmatt
decorative film.Polishi ngsurfaces covered
with filmgives itashiny finish.
! Do
not treat mattorstructured decorative
film with wax. Thismay lead tomarks that
cannot beremoved.
Observe thenotes inthe section onthe care
and treatment ofmatte paintwork
(Y page 276); these notes alsoapply tomatte
decorative film.
To clean, useplenty ofwater andamild clean-
ing agent without additional orabrasi veprod-
ucts, e.g.acar shampoo approved by
Mercedes-Benz .
X Dry vehicles coveredwithfilmusing asoft,
absorbent clothafterevery wash.
Water marks couldotherwise form.
Scratc hes,corrosive deposits,areasaffected
by corrosion anddamage causedbyinade-
quate carecannot alwaysbe completely
repaired. Insuch cases, visitaqual ified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Remove dirtimmediately ,where possible ,
while avoidi ngrubbing toohard.
The decorative filmmay beirreparab lydam-
aged.
X Soak insect remains withinsect remover
and rinse offthe treated areasafterwards.
X Soak birddroppings withwater andrinse off
the treated areasafterwards.
The cleaning product, PaintCleaner, which has
been approved andrecommended by
Mercedes-Benz ,should beused when dirthas
penetrated thedecorative filmsurface orthe
decorative filmhasbecome dull.
The manufacturer canprovide youwith infor-
mation onspecial careandcleaning products.
Laminated surfacesmayexhibit optical differ-
ences tosurfaces whichwerenotprotected by 276
CareMaintenance
andcare

a
dec orat ivefilm when thedec orat ivefilm is
rem oved.
i Hav
ework orrepai rson dec orat ivefilm
car ried outataqualifi edspec ialist work-
shop .Mer cedes-Ben zrec omm endsth at you
use anauth orizedMer cedes-Ben zCent erfor
th is purpo se. Cleani
ngthevehi cleparts
Cleani ngthewheels G
WAR
NING
The wate rje tfr om acir cular jetno zzle (dirt
blast ers)can caus einv isible exterio rdam-
age tothetir es orchassis components.
Compo nentsdamage din this way may fail
unex pectedly. Ther eis arisk ofan acc iden t.
Do notuse power washer swith circular jet
no zzles tocle an theveh icle.Hav edamage d
tir es orchassis componentsrepl aced imme-
diat ely.
! Do
notuse acidi cwheel cleanin gprod ucts
to rem ove brak edust .This coulddamage
wheel boltsand brak ecom ponents.
! Do
notpark yourvehicle foralon gperi od
of tim edire ctly aft ercle anin g,part icular ly
aft ercle anin gth ewheel rimwith wheel
cle aner .Whee lcle aner canlead tothe
inc reas edcor rosion ofthebrak edisc sand
pads. Therefore, driv efor afew minutes
aft ercle anin g.By heat ingupthebrak es,the
brak edisc sand pads dry.Thevehicle can
th en be park edfor alon gperi odoftim e.
Cleani ngthewindows G
WAR
NING
You couldbec ome trapped bythewind -
shie ldwiper sif th ey start mov ingwhile
cle anin gth ewind shieldor wiper blades .
Ther eis arisk ofinjury.
Always switchoff thewind shieldwiper sand
th eign ition befo recle anin gth ewind shield
or wiper blades . !
On
lyfold thewind shieldwiper saway from
th ewind shieldwhen vertical. Other wise, you
will damage thehood .
! Do
notuse drycloths, abras iveprod ucts,
solv entsor cle anin gagen tscon tain ingsol-
ven tsto cle an theins ide ofthewind ows. Do
no tto uch theins ides ofthewind owswith
hard object s,e.g .an ice scraper orring.
Ther eis other wise arisk ofdamagi ngthe
wind ows.
! Clean
thewate rdrain agechann elsofthe
wind shieldand therear wind owatreg ular
int erv als. Deposit ssuc has leave s,pet als
and pollen mayunde rcer tain circum stanc es
prev entwate rfr om drain ingaway. Thiscan
lead tocor rosion damage anddamage to
elec tron iccom ponents.
X Clean theins ide and outside ofthewind ows
with adamp clothand acle anin gpro duct
th at isrec omm endedand appro vedby
Mer cedes-Ben z.
Cleani ngwiper blades G
WAR
NING
If th ewind shieldwiper sare setinmot ion
while youarecleanin gth ewind shield,you
can betrapped bythewiper arm.Ther eis a
risk ofinjury.
Always switchoff thewind shieldwiper sand
th eign ition befo recle anin gth ewind shield.
! Do
notpull thewiper blade. Other wise, the
wiper bladecouldbe damage d.
! Do
notcle an wiper blades toooft en and
do notrub them toohard .Ot her wise, the
grap hitecoat ingcoul dbe damage d.This
coul dcaus ewiper noise.
! Hol
dth ewiper armsecurely when folding
back .The wind shieldcoul dbe damage dif
th ewiper armsmac ksagain stitsudden ly.
X Fol dth ewind shieldwiper armsaway from
th ewind shield.
X Caref ullyclean thewiper blades witha
damp cloth.
X Fol dth ewind shieldwiper armsback again
befo reswit ching ontheign ition . Car
e
277Maintenance andcare Z

Clean
ingtheext erior ligh ting !
On
lyuse cleanin gagen tsor cle anin g
clo thsth at are suitable forplast iclen ses .
Caust ic,irritan tor other wise unsuitab le
cle anin gagen tsor cle anin gclo thscoul d
sc rat ch ordamag eth eex terior light ingplas-
tic lenses .
X Clean theplast iclen ses oftheex terior light s
wit hawet spon geand amild cleanin g
agen t,e.g .Mer cedes-Ben zcar sham pooor
cle anin gclo ths.
Clean ingthemir ror turn signa ls !
On
lyuse cleanin gagen tsor cle anin g
clo thsth at are suitable forplast iclen ses .
Un suit able cleanin gagen tsor cle anin g
clo thscoul dsc rat ch ordamag eth eplast ic
len ses ofthemir ror turnsign als.
X Clean theplast iclen ses ofthemir ror turn
sign alsintheex terior mirror hous ingusin ga
wet spon geand mild cleanin gagen t,e.g .
Mer cedes-Ben zcar sham pooorwit hcle an-
ing cloths.
Clean ingthesensor s !
If
you clean thesen sorswit hapower
washe r,mak esure that you keep adist ance
of at least 11.8in(30 cm)be tweenthe vehi-
cl e and thepower washer nozzle. Infor ma-
tio nabout thecor rectdist anceis availabl e
fr om theequipm entman ufacturer. X
Clean sensors0043 ofthedriv ingsyst ems
with water,car sham pooandasof tclo th.
Cleani ngtherea rview camera !
Do
notcle an thecam eralensand thearea
aroun dth erear view camerawith apower
washer . X
Use clean wate rand asof tclo thto cle an
cam eralens0043.
Cleani ngtheexha ustpipe G
WAR
NING
The exhaust tailpipe andtailpipe trim can
bec ome veryhot .If you com eint ocon tact
with these partsof theveh icle,you could
burn yours elf.Ther eis arisk ofburn s.
Always bepart icular lycar eful andsuper vise
ch ildre nclo sely aroun dth eexh aust pipeand
th eexh aust pipetrims. Allowthese com po-
nen tsto coo ldown beforetouchi ngthem.
! Do
notcle an theexh aust pipewithacid-
based cleanin gagen ts,suc has bat hro om
cle aner orwheel cleaner .
X Clean theexh aust pipewithach rom ecar e
prod ucttested and appro vedbyMer cedes-
Ben z.
Imp urities com bined with theeff ect sof road
grit and corrosive env iron men talfactors may
caus eflas hrust tofor mon thesurf ace. You
can restore theorig inal shineof theexh aust
pipe bycleanin git reg ularly, especially inwin-
te rand afterwashin g. 278
Car
eMaintenance andcare