2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER service

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

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

!
Have
thebattery regularlychecked ata
qual ified speciali stworkshop.
Comply withtheservice intervals inthe
Maintenance Booklet,orcont actaqual ified
speciali stworkshop formore information.
! Alway
shave work onbatteries carriedout
at aqual ified speciali stworkshop.
Should it,inexceptional circumstances, be
absolu telynecessary todisconnect the12-
volt battery yourself,please observe thefol-
lowing:
R Secure thevehicle toprevent itfrom roll-
ing awa y.
R Switch offthe ignition.
R Disconn ectthe negative terminalfirstand
then thepositive terminal.
After thework hasbeen done, install the
battery andreplace thecover ofthe positive
terminal clampfirmly.
Comply withsafety precautions andtake pro-
tect ivemeasures whenhandling batteries. Risk
ofexplosion. Fire,
open flames andsmoking are
prohibited whenhandling thebat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks. Battery
acidiscaustic. Avoidcon-
tact with skin, eyesorclothing.
Wear suitabl eprotective clothing,
especial lygloves, apronandface-
guard.
Rinse anyacid spills immediately
with clear water. Contact aphysi-
cian ifnecessary. Wear
eyeprotection. Keep
children away. Observe
thisOperator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends thatyouonly usebatteries whichhave been
tested andapproved foryour vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz .These batteries provide
increased impactprotection toprevent vehicle
occupants fromsuffering acidburns should
the battery bedamage din the event ofan
accident.
In order forthe battery toachieve themaxi-
mum possible servicelife,itmust alwaysbe
sufficiently charged.
Like other batteries, thevehicle battery may
discharge overtime ifyou donot use thevehi-
cle. Inthis case, havethebattery disconnec-
ted ataqual ified speciali stworkshop. Youcan
also charge thebattery withacharger recom-
mended byMercedes-Benz .Contact aqual i-
fied speciali stworkshop forfurther informa-
tion.
Have thebattery condition ofcharge checked
more frequently ifyou usethevehicle mainly
for short tripsorifyou leave itstanding idle
for alengthy period.Consult aqual ified spe-
cialist workshop ifyou wish toleave yourvehi-
cle parked foralong period oftime.
Remove theSmartKey ifyou park thevehicle
and donot require anyelectrical consumers.
The vehicle willthen usevery little energy,
thus conserving batterypower.
After aninterruption tothe power supply,e.g.
due toadischarged battery,youmust reset
the clock (seetheDigital Operator's Manual). Charging
thebattery G
WARNING
During charging andjump-startin g,explosive
gases canescape fromthebattery. Thereis
a risk ofan explosion.
Particularl yavoid fire,open flames, creating
sparks andsmoking. Ensurethereissuffi-
cient ventilation whilecharging andjump-
starting. Donot lean over abattery. G
WARNING
Battery acidiscaustic. Thereisarisk of
injury.
Avoid contactwith skin, eyesorclothing. Do
not inhale anybattery gases.Donot lean
over thebattery. Keepchildren awayfrom
batteries. Washawaybattery acidimmedi- Bat
tery (vehic le)
287Breakdown assistance
Z

ate
lywith plentyof cle an wate rand seek
medi calattent ion. G
WAR
NING
A disc harg edbat tery can freez eat temper a-
tur es below freez ing poin t.When jump-start-
ing theveh icle orchargin gth ebat tery,
gases canescape from thebat tery. Ther eis
a risk ofan exp losio n.
Allo wthefroz en bat tery to thaw out befo re
ch argin git or jum p-starting.
! On
lyuse battery charge rswith amax imum
ch argin gvolt age of14 .8V.
! On
lych arge thebat tery usin gth ejum p-
st art ing con nectionpoin t.
The jump-startingcon nectionpoin tis in the
eng inecom partmen t.
If th eind icat or/warn inglamps donotlight up
at low temper atures,itis ver ylike lythat the
disc harg edbat tery has froz en. Inthis cas e,
you may neither charge thebat tery norjum p-
st art theveh icle.The servicelife ofath awed-
out battery may beshor ter. The start ing char-
act eris ticscan beimpair ed,part icular lyat low
te mper atures.Hav eth eth awed- outbattery
ch eck edataqualifi edspec ialist workshop.
Read thebat tery charge r'soper atingins truc-
tio ns befo rechargin gth ebat tery.
X Open thehood .
X Con nectth ebat tery charge rto theposit ive
te rm inal and ground pointin thesame order as
when connectingth edon orbat tery inthe
jum p-startingproc edure (Ypage 288). Rep
lacing the12 Vbat tery
Obse rveth eno teson the12 Vbat tery
(Y page 285).
Mer cedes-Ben zrec omm endsth at you have
th e12 Vbat tery repl aced ataqualifi edspe-
cialis twork shop,e.g .at an auth orized
Mer cedes-Ben zCent er.
If you want torepl ace thebat tery yours elf,
obse rveth efoll owin gno tes:
R Always replace adefe ctive battery with a
bat tery whic hmeet sth espec ificrequi re-
men tsof theveh icle.
The vehicle isequippe dwith anAGM
(Ab sorben tGlass Mat)te ch no logy battery.
Full vehicle function alit yis on lyguaran teed
with anAGM battery. For safe tyreas ons,
Mer cedes-Ben zrec omm endsth at you only
use batteries whic hhave been tested and
appro vedforyour vehicle byMer cedes-
Ben z.
R Use detach able partssuc has breat her
hose s,ang led con nectingpiec esorterm inal
cov ers from thebat tery whic his to be
repl aced .
R Mak esure that theven those isalways con-
nec tedto theorig inal open ingonthebat -
te ry side.
R Inst all existing orsupplie dcel lcaps topre-
ven tgases orbat tery acid from escapin g.
R Mak esure that thedet ach able partsare
con nectedagain inthesame way. Jum
p-st ar tin g
For thejum p-startingproc edure ,use onlythejum p-startingcon nectionpoin tin theeng inecom -
part men t,con sisting ofaposit iveterm inal and agro und point. G
WAR
NING
Bat tery acid iscaus tic.Ther eis arisk ofinjury.
Av oid contactwith skin, eyes orclo thing .Do notinh ale any battery gases .Do notlean overth e
bat tery. Keep childre naway from batteries .Wash awaybattery acid immediat elywith plentyof
cle an wate rand seek medicalattent ion. 288
Jum
p-st ar tin gBreak down assistance

G
WARNING
During chargingand jump-starting, explosivegase scan escap efrom thebattery .There isa
risk ofan explo sion.
Particu larlyavoi dfire, open flames,creating sparksand smoking. Ensurethereissuffi cient
ventila tionwhilechargi ngand jump-starting. Donot leanover abattery . G
WARNING
During thechargi ngprocess ,a battery produceshydrogen gas.Ifashort circuitoccurs or
spar ksare created ,the hydrogen gascan ignite. Thereisarisk ofan explo sion.
R Make surethattheposi tive terminal ofaconnected batterydoesnotcome intocontact with
vehicl eparts.
R Never placemetal objects ortools onabattery .
R Itis impor tantthatyouobse rvethe descri bedorder ofthe battery terminal swhen connect-
ing and disconnecting abattery .
R When jump-starting, makesurethatthebattery poleswith identical polarityareconnected.
R Itis particu larlyimpor tanttoobse rvethe descri bedorder whenconnecting anddisconnect-
ing the jumper cables.
R Never connect ordisconnect thebattery terminal swhi lethe engine isrunning. G
WARNING
A discha rgedbattery canfreeze attempera turesbelow freezing point.Whenjump-starting the
vehicl eor chargi ngthe battery ,gase scan escap efrom thebattery .There isarisk ofan explo -
sion.
Allow thefrozen battery tothaw outbefore chargingitor jump-starting.
! Avoid
repeatedand lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise,the catal yticconverter couldbe
dama gedbythe non-combusted fuel.
If the indica tor/warni nglamp sdo not light up atlow tempera tures,itis very likelythat thedis-
charge dbattery hasfrozen. Inthis case, youmay neither chargethebattery norjump-start the
vehicl e.The service lifeofathawe d-outbattery maybeshorter. Thestarting characteristics can
be impa ired,particu larlyat low tempera tures.Havethethawe d-outbattery checked ataqua li-
fied speci alist worksho p.
Do not start thevehicl eusi ng arapi dchargi ngdevi ce.Ifyou rvehicl e'sbattery isdischa rged,the
engine canbejump-started fromanother vehicleor from adonor battery using jumper cables.
Observe thefollowi ngpoints:
R The battery isnot accessi bleinall vehicl es.Ifthe other vehicle'sbattery isnot accessi ble,
jump-start thevehicl eusi ng adonor battery orajump-starting device.
R You may onlyjump-start thevehicl ewhen theengine andexhau stsystem arecold.
R Do not start theengine ifthe battery isfrozen. Letthe battery thawfirst.
R Only jump-start frombatterie swith a12 Vvoltag erating.
R Only usejumper cableswhi chhave asuffi cient cross-section andinsul ated terminal clamps.
R Ifthe battery isfull ydischa rged,leavethe battery thatisbei ng used tojump-start connected
for afew minutes beforeattempting tostart. Thischarge sthe battery slightly.
R Make surethatthetwo vehicl esdo not touch. Jump-star
ting
289Breakdown assistance Z

Chec
kwheel sand tires for damag eat least
on ce amon th.Chec kwheel sand tires after
driv ingoff-road oron roug hroad s.Dam aged
wheel scan caus ealoss oftirepre ssur e.Pay
part icular attentio nto damag esuc has:
R cut sin thetir es
R punc tures inthetir es
R tears inthetir es
R bulges ontires
R def orm ationor sev ere corrosio non wheel s
Regular lych eck thetir etread dept hand the
co ndi tionof thetread across thewhole width
of all tires (Y page 297). Ifne ces sary, turnth e
fr on twheel sto full lockin ord erto ins pec tth e
inn erside ofthetir esurf ace.
All wheel smust haveavalv ecap topro tect
th evalv eagain stdirt and mois ture.Do not
moun tanyt hingon to thevalv eot her than the
st and ard valvecap orother valvecaps
appro vedbyMer cedes-Ben zfor your vehicle.
Do notuse anyother valvecaps orsyst ems ,
e.g .tir epre ssur emon itorin gsyst ems .
Regular lych eck thepre ssur eof all thetir es
part icular lyprio rto lon gtrips. Adjus tth etir e
pre ssur eas neces sary (Ypage 299).
The servicelife oftires depen ds,amon got her
th ing s,on thefoll owin gfac tors:
R Dr ivin gst yle
R Tire pressur e
R Dis tan cecover ed Not
eson tiretread G
WAR
NING
If th ere isins ufficie nttiretread, thetir etrac-
tio ndec reas es.The tiretread isno longer
able todiss ipatewate r.This increas esthe
ris kof hydr oplan ingwhen theroad surface
is wet ,part icular lywhen theveh icle'sspee d
is no tadapt edtotheroad condi tions.Ther e
is aris kof an acc iden t.
When thetir epre ssur eis toohigh ortoo
low, tires may wear differe ntly at diff ere nt
poin tson thetir etread. Therefore, regularly
ch eck thetir etread dept hand theco ndi tion
of thetread across thewhole widthof all
tir es. Min
imum tiretread dept hon :
R Sum mer tires: 00CEin(3 mm)
R M+S tires: 00CFin(4 mm)
For safe tyreas ons,have thetir es rep lace d
bef ore they reac hth elegally prescribe dmin -
imum tiretread dept h. Mark
ing0043sho wswher eth ebar indicat orfor
tr ead wear (arrow) isint egr atedint oth etir e
tr ead.
Tre adwear indicat ors (TWI )are required by
law. Sixindicat ors are posi tionedon thetir e
tr ead. They arevisible once atread dept hof
appr oximat ely00CD in(1.6 mm)ha sbe en
re ach ed. Ifth is isthecas e,thetir eis so worn
th at itmust berepl aced . Select
ing,mou nting and replacing
tir es
Tire sand wheels
R On lymoun ttir es and wheels ofthesame
type andmake.
Ex cep tion:itis perm issibleto moun ta dif-
fer ent type ormak ein theeven tof aflat
tir e. Obse rveth e"MOE xtend edtires (tires
with run-flat charac terist ics)"sec tion
(Y page 281).
R On lymoun ttir es ofthecor rectsiz eon to the
wheels .
R Break innew tires atmode ratespee dsfor
th efir st 60 miles (100km). Thenew tires
on lyreac hth eir full perf ormanceaft erthis
dist ance. Oper
ation
297Wheels andtires Z