MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER 2014 Owners Manual

i
When you shift the transmission from Rto
D, the ECO start/stop function is available in the following cases:
R after the èECO symbol appears in
the multifunction display in vehicles with
black and white multifunction display
R after the èECO symbol appears in
green in vehicles with colour multifunc-
tion display
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;and the èECO sym-
bol in the multifunction display go out.
X To activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If all conditions for an automatic engine
switch-off are met:
R the è ECO symbol appears in the
multifunction display in vehicles with a
black-and-white multifunction display
R the è ECO symbol appears in green in
the multifunction display in vehicles with
a colour multifunction display If not all conditions for an automatic engine
switch-off are met:
R the è ECO symbol does not appear in
the multifunction display in vehicles with
a black-and-white multifunction display
R the è ECO symbol appears in yellow
in the multifunction display in vehicles
with a colour multifunction display
If this is the case, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is not available.
Conditions for the automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 146).
i If indicator lamp
;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops.
AMG vehicles X
To deactivate: in drive program C, press
ECO button :.
or X Switch to drive program Sor M
(Y page 154).
Indicator lamp ;and the èECO sym-
bol in the multifunction display go out.
X To activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If drive pro-
gram Sor Mis active, the automatic trans-
mission switches to drive program C.148
DrivingDriving and parking

If all conditions for an automatic engine
switch-off are met:
R the è ECO symbol appears in the
multifunction display in vehicles with a
black-and-white multifunction display
R the è ECO symbol appears in green in
the multifunction display in vehicles with a colour multifunction display
If not all conditions for an automatic engine
switch-off are met:
R the è ECO symbol does not appear in
the multifunction display in vehicles with a black-and-white multifunction display
R the è ECO symbol appears in yellow
in the multifunction display in vehicles
with a colour multifunction display
If this is the case, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is not available.
Conditions for the automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 146).
i If indicator lamp
;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops. Driving
149Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The engine does not
start. The HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 183) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 171).
X Try to start the engine again. The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Turn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
or X Press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster go out.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 143). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine, as this will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 304).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. 150
DrivingDriving and parking

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be on and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 283). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting between
5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch. Gear lever
k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Select neutral N.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left,
beyond the point of resistance, then for-
wards. Manual transmission
151Driving and parking Z

i
The ECO start/stop function is not avail-
able when reverse gear is engaged.
For further information on the ECO start/
stop function, see (Y page 146).Gearshift recommendation
X
Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :when shown in the multi-
function display of the instrument cluster.
The gearshift recommendations assist you in adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. i
Bear in mind that power transmission
between the engine and the transmission is interrupted when the engine is switched
off. For this reason, shift the automatic
transmission to Pwhen the engine is
switched off and the vehicle is stationary.
Apply the electric parking brake to prevent
the vehicle from rolling away. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions Selector lever
j
Park position with selector lever lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. 152
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P (Y page 152) unless the vehicle is
stationary. The parking lock should not be used as a brake when park-
ing. In order to secure the vehicle,
always apply the electric parking
brake in addition to the parking
lock.
The key can only be removed if the transmission is in position P. If the
key is removed from the ignition
lock, the selector lever is locked. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal will allow
you to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 154)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 153)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Double-clutch function When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch functionreduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up. Automatic transmission
153Driving and parking Z

Program selector button
General notes Example: program selector button
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 156).
In addition to permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 155).
On AMG vehicles, drive program Eis called
drive program C. E
Economy
C Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program E(drive program
C in AMG vehicles) each time the engine is
started.
i AMG vehicles:
when in drive program C
and under low load, the engine operates on
just four cylinders. This is the case in urban
traffic or on a country road, for example. This reduces fuel consumption. Cylinder
shut-off is inactive in drive programs
Sand
M, so that the engine will operate with all
eight cylinders.
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 155). Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever (Y page 155).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Ypage 156).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Ypage 155).
i The full range of functions of the steering
wheel gearshift paddles is available only
once the operating temperature is reached.
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D.154
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S Drive program
E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) is characterised by the following:
R comfort-orientated engine and transmis-
sion settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles. The transmission must be
in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
i In addition to temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro- gram M(Y page 154).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 156). Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting X Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts up to the next
gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
Gearshift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster. Automatic trans
mission
155Driving an d parking Z

Downshifting
X Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts down to the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine damage by not shifting down.
i Automatic downshifting occurs when
coasting.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M, it will remain active for a certain amount of time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel gear-
shift paddle and hold it in place
(Y page 154).
or
X Use the lever to switch the transmission
position. or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 154).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S. Manual drive program
General notes In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission
must be in position D.
i In addition to permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(Y page 155).
Activating the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mdiffers from drive
program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and the smoothness of the
gear changes.
You can select manual drive program Mwith
the program selector button. You can change gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever in manual drive pro-
gram Mif the transmission is in position D.
The selected gear appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 154) until Mappears in the multi-
function display.
Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the next gear. 156
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
AMG vehicles !
In manual gearshift program
M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the engine limiting
speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. You must make sure that the engine speed does not reach the red
area of the rev counter. Otherwise, there is
a risk of engine damage. :
Gear indicator
; Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X If the colour in the speedometer multifunc-
tion display changes to red and the UP
UP dis-
play message is shown, shift up a gear. Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program
M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
i AMG vehicles:
it is not possible to use
kickdown in manual drive program M.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 154) repeatedly until E(C in AMG
vehicles) or Sappears in the multifunction
display. Automatic transmission
157Driving and parking Z