MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2016 Owners Manual

Other vehicles changing lane
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 carriage-
way 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
obstacle or stationary vehicle is then revealed, Distance 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 in the
following situations, the vehicle could pull away
unintentionally:
R At traffic lights with crossing traffic, for exam-
ple.
R With a vehicle ahead on the other side of a
junction and the HOLD function active.
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 centre of the driving lane by means of
moderate steering interventions in a speed
range from 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 windscreen. 168
Driving systemsDriving and parking

In a speed range from 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 60 km/h, the Steering
Pilot focuses on detected lane markings (left
and right), only focusing on the vehicle in front if detected lane markings are not present at
speeds of up to 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 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 carriageway,
your vehicle could come into contact with the
kerb 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 lane 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, youmust steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it
does not leave the lane. The support offered by the system may be
impaired if:
R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R there are no lane markings, or several unclear
lane markings are present, e.g. around con-
struction sites
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lanes
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are auto-
matically active again.
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide
assistance:
R on very sharp corners
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre has
been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Y page 162).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have Driving systems
169Driving and parking Z

still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you to take control of the vehicle. Steering Pilot and
Stop&Go Pilot then switch to passive mode. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot and Stop&Go
Pilot
X Activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot function
using the on-board computer (Y page 207).
The Steering
Steering Pilot Piloton
onmessage appears in
the multifunctional display. The Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are switched on.
Information in the multifunction display If Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are activated
but not ready for a steering intervention, steer-
ing wheel symbol :appears in grey. If the sys-
tem provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot and Stop&Go
PilotX Deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot function
using the on-board computer (Y page 207).
The Steering Pilot off
Steering Pilot off message appears
in the multifunction display. Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated.
When the Distance Pilot is deactivated or not
available, Steering Pilot and Stop&Go Pilot are
deactivated automatically. Speed limiter
General notes The limiter brakes automatically so that you do
not exceed the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select a lower gear in good time.
By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R variable for maximum permissible speeds,
e.g. in built-up areas
R permanent for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving with winter tyres fitted
(Y page 172)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. The limiter cannot take into account road, weather or traffic con-
ditions. The limiter is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good
time.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Variable speed limiter Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC and variable limiter
B To deactivate the variable limiter 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

You can operate cruise control or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable limiter with the
cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp ;on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp ; ;off: cruise control or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ;
; on: variable limiter is
selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
Selecting the variable speed limiter
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, the variable limiter is already selec-
ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever is on. The variable limiter is selected.
Storing the current speed
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
The current speed is stored. You will see the
stored speed for five seconds in the multi-
function display.
Vehicles with cruise control: the stored speed
is permanently displayed in the status indica-
tor.
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the
segments from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed light up in the speedometer.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
Setting a speed
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : past the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed,
or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Switching the speed limiter to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown), the limiter is
switched to passive mode. The following mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display: Lim‐
Lim‐
iter passive iter passive.
You can then exceed the stored speed. The lim-
iter is activated again if you:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The Limiter passive Limiter passive message in the multi-
function display disappears. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

Switching off the speed limiter
Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate the varia-
ble limiter:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. The variable limiter is deacti-
vated.
Cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
selected.
It is not possible to deactivate the variable lim-
iter by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent limiter If you wish to restrict the maximum speed of the
vehicle for an extended period (e.g. when driving
with winter tyres), the desired maximum speed
can be set with the permanent limiter.
You can use the on-board computer to limit the speed to a value between 160 km/h and
240 km/h(Y page 211).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display. When you
confirm the message with aor%, display
messages no longer appear when switching off
the engine. The speed will only be displayed
again once the engine has been restarted.
The permanent limiter remains active even if the variable limiter is deactivated. The driven speed
will remain below the stored speed even in the
event of kickdown. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! 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:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (Y page 173).172
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
R you depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until HOLD HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.
R you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position P automatically. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, outside
of public road use.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑ AMG vehicles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tyres and vehicle being in good condition. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 62).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP ®
(Y page 67). Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

Activation conditions
You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors are closed
R the engine is running and the engine and
transmission are at operating temperature.
This is the case when the oil temperature
gauge in the multifunction display is shown in
white (Y page 213).
R ESP ®
is functioning correctly (Y page 67)
R the drive program S,S+ orRace is selected
(Y page 140)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D
Activating RACE START i
When manual mode (Y
page 147) is active,
the transmission automatically shifts up to
RACE START in the drive program. This func-
tion supports maximum acceleration with
RACE START. After going through an acceler- ating process once from a stationary position,
this function is automatically deactivated.
X Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is cancelled. The RACE RACE
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
ual
ual message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 147).
or X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 147).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the multi-
function display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator pedal
within a few seconds, RACE START is cancel- led. The
RACE START cancelled
RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases.
The RACE
RACE START START Release
Release brake
braketo
tostart
start
message appears in the multifunction display.
i If the brake pedal is not released after a
short while, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE RACE START
START cancelled
cancelled message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE RACE START
START active
active message appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START not pos‐
RACE START not pos‐
sible See Owner's Manual sible See Owner's Manual orRACE START
RACE START
cancelled
cancelled message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i After using it several times in short succes-
sion, RACE START will be unavailable until a
certain distance has been driven. Adaptive Damping System
General notes Suspension with the adaptive adjustable damp-
ing provides improved driving comfort and con-
tinuously controls the calibration of the damp-
ers. The damping characteristics adapt to the
current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface conditions
R the selected drive program (Y page 139).174
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Selecting the Comfort or Economy drive
programs In the
Comfort andEconomy drive programs,
the driving characteristics of your vehicle are
more comfortable. Select one of these drive
programs if you prefer a more comfortable driv- ing style. Also select these drive programs when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of motorway.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :repeat-
edly until the ComfortorEconomy drive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive program when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sportdrive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode The firmer suspension settings in the
Sport
Plus drive program ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employing
a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads or, ideally, when driving on closed race
circuits.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sport Plusdrive
program is selected. Activating the driving dynamics display
Using the driving dynamics display in the multi-
media system display, you can see the drive
program you selected as well as additional infor- mation on the vehicle's operating state.
X Switch on the multimedia system. You can
find further information in the separate
COMAND Online operating instructions.
X Press button :.
The driving dynamics display appears in the
multimedia system display.
The following information on the vehicle's oper- ating status is displayed in the driving dynamics
display:
R Drive program selected (Y page 139)
R Accelerator pedal position shown in %
R Brake pedal position shown in %
R Steering angle
R Damping setting selected
R G-FORCE cross displaying longitudinal and
lateral acceleration (only available in Sportor
Sport Plus drive programs) Active Body Control ABC (except
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Setting the vehicle level General notes
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT button (Y page 139) or the level button.
The setting always corresponds to the last
selected function.
In order to reduce fuel consumption and
improve the driving dynamics, the vehicle is low- ered as its speed increases. In the Sportand
Sport Plus drive programs, it is lowered by up to Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

13 mm compared to the normal vehicle level. In
the Comfort andCURVE drive programs, it is
lowered by up to 5 mm compared to the normal vehicle level. As the speed is reduced, the vehi-
cle is raised to the set vehicle height.
Select the normal level for normal road surfaces and the raised level for driving with snow chains
or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The vehicle is slightly lowered if you:
R have selected the SPORT suspension tun-
ing at normal level and
R switch off the engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of thewheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
! When the engine is switched off, the vehicle
is lowered if SPORT suspension tuning has
been selected at the normal level. The vehicle
is automatically lowered by approximately
10 mm. Make sure when parking that you
position your vehicle so that it does not make
contact with the kerb as the vehicle is low-
ered. Your vehicle could otherwise be dam-
aged. Setting the raised level X
Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X Make sure that a speed of 120 km/h is not
exceeded.
X If indicator lamp ; ;is not lit: press but-
ton :.
If the engine has been switched off by the ECO
start/stop function, it is now restarted.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 50 mm.
Setting the normal level
X Make sure that the engine is running or that it
has been switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
X If indicator lamp ; ;is lit: press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the normal level.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive faster than approximately 120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h
R or switch to the drive program while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
Suspension settings General notes
The electro-hydraulically controlled suspension
features improved driving dynamics, driving
safety and ride comfort. You can also choose
between a sporty, a particularly sporty, a com-
fortable and a comfortable mode with cornering function (CURVE). 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The suspension is continuously tuned to each
wheel individually and depends on:
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R the vehicle load
R the drive program selected
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected drive program is
activated when the engine is next started. If the
ignition is switched off for more than four hours,
the Comfort drive program is activated when
the engine is next started.
Selecting Comfort mode In the
Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristics of your vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Select this mode if you prefer a more com-
fortable driving style.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Comfortdrive
program is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this mode if you
prefer a firmer suspension setting.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sportdrive pro-
gram is selected.
Selecting Sport Plus mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport Plus drive program ensures even bet-
ter contact with the road. Select this mode if you prefer a firmer suspension setting.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the Sport Plusdrive
program is selected. Selecting the CURVE setting
In the CURVE drive program, the curve tilting
function is activated. The vehicle inclines
inwards by up to 2.65 degrees on bends. The tilt function and the comfort suspension tuning
increase driving comfort in corners. CURVEis
available in the speed range between 15 km/h
and 180 km/h. Select this mode on winding
roads in particular. Outside this speed range,
the CURVE drive program is the same as the
Comfort drive program.
The curve tilting function monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera
attached at the top of the windscreen. This func-
tion is automatically active if you select the
CURVE drive program. The system is opera-
tional at speeds of up to 180 km/h.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the CURVEdrive
program is selected.
The system is deactivated if you select a differ-
ent drive program.
The system may be impaired or may not function if:
R if you are driving slower than 15 km/h or
faster than 180 km/h.
R if the vehicle is fully laden.
R if you drive with very high lateral acceleration.
Activating the driving dynamics display Using the driving dynamics display in the multi-
media system display, you can see the drive
program you selected as well as additional infor-
mation on the vehicle's operating state. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z