brake MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class 2015 R131 Repair Manual

R
SPORT handling mode is activated.
(Y page 76)
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 X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 163) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is canceled. The mul-
tifunction display shows the RACE START
RACE START
Canceled
Canceled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel pad-
dle shifter (Y page 164).
or X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
paddle shifter (Y page 164).
The RACE START Available Depress
RACE START Available Depress
gas pedal
gas pedal message appears in the multi-
function display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is canceled. The RACE START Not RACE START Not
Possible
Possible See
SeeOperator's
Operator's Manual
Manualmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases to at least
3,500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to
RACE START Release brake to
start start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is can- celed. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START Canceled
RACE START Canceled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START Active
RACE START Active appears in the
multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 30 mph
(Canada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+is acti-
vated. SPORT handling mode remains activa-
ted.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE RACESTART
START
Not Possible See Operator's Manual
Not Possible See Operator's Manual
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available
again after the vehicle has been driven a
certain distance. Adaptive Damping System
General notes The adjustable damping system adapts to the
current driving conditions. The adjustment
depends on whether you have selected Sport or Comfort mode. Your selection remains
stored even if you remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock. Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

Example: displays in the COMAND display
0043 Selection of raised level (Y page 197)
0044 Activity of ABC spring struts for roll and
pitching support
0087 Selected suspension tuning, i.e. sporty or
comfortable (Y page 198)
0085 G-FORCE (longitudinal and lateral accel-
eration)
0083 Current vehicle level PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park- ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure thatthere are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps. 0043
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example) Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

!
If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example:
R where parking or stopping is prohibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R On narrow roads, drive as close to the park-
ing space as possible.
R Parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R Parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R Pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 200) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R You can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Active Parking
Assist will then be canceled.
R When transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
R Never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed.
R Make sure that the tire pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Parking Important safety notes
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. In some circumstances, Active Park-
ing Assist may therefore guide you into the
parking space too early. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range, Active Parking Assist may turn prematurely.
You may cause a collision as a result. There is
a risk of an accident.
If there are objects above the detection range,
stop and deactivate Active Parking Assist. G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter- vening actively in the steering. If you do not
brake there is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself when
maneuvering and parking.
Detecting parking spaces Example: detected parking space
Active Parking Assist is switched on automat- ically when driving forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately22 mph (35 km/h). While in operation, the
system independently locates and measures
parking spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30 km/h) you will see parking symbol 0044as
a status indicator in the instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an arrow towards the right 0087or the left 0043also
appears.
By default, Active Parking Assist only displays parking spaces on the front-passenger side.
Parking spaces on the driver's side are dis-
played as soon as the turn signal on the driv-
er's side is activated. If you wish to park in a Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

space on the driver's side, the indicator on
the driver's side must remain on. The turn
signal must remain switched on until you
acknowledge the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the 0076button on the multi-
function steering wheel.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 40 in (1.0 m) longer than
your vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Backing up into the parking space
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
0038 message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the0038
button on the multifunction steering wheel
or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press the 0076button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
Park Assist Active Accelerate
and and Brake
Brake Observe
Observe Surroundings
Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Back up the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. Do not exceed a maximum speed of approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) when
backing up. Otherwise Active Parking
Assist will be canceled.
i When parking in tight spaces, you will
achieve the best results by backing up as far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Additional maneuvering may be required in
tight parking spaces.
The Park Assist Active Select D
Park Assist Active Select D
Observe Observe Surroundings
Surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position Dwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate Park Assist Active Accelerate
and
and Brake
Brake Observe
Observe Surroundings
Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
The Park Assist Active Select R
Park Assist Active Select R
Observe
Observe Surroundings
Surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Drive forwards and back up according to
the information shown in the multifunction
display.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the Park Assist Finished Park Assist Finished message
appears in the multifunction display. PARK-
TRONIC continues to be available.
X Maneuver if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 200).
Parking tips: R On narrow roads, drive as close to the park-
ing space as possible.
R Parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R The way your vehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parking is dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the location. In some cases, Active Parking
Assist may guide you too far into a parking
space, or not far enough into it. In some
cases, it may also lead you across or onto
the curb. If necessary, you should cancel
the parking procedure with Active Parking
Assist.
R You can also engage forward gear prema-
turely. The vehicle redirects and does not
drive as far into the parking space. Should a
gear be changed too early, the parking pro- cedure will be canceled. A sensible parking
position can no longer be achieved from
this position.
Exiting a parking space Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked thevehicle using Active Parking Assist.
X Start the engine.
X Switch on the turn signal on the side facing
the street.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
0038 message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the0038
button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
X To exit a parking space using Active
Parking Assist: press the0076button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
Park Assist Active Accelerate
and and Brake
Brake Observe
Observe Surroundings
Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. X
Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle or drive forwards, being
ready to brake at all times. Do not exceed a maximum speed of approximately 6 mph
(10 km/h) when exiting a parking space.
Otherwise Active Parking Assist will be can-
celed.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor Ras
required while the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
If you back up after activation, the steeringwheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards or back up the vehicle, being
ready to brake at all times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
X Drive forwards and back up as instructed
by the PARKTRONIC warning displays.
Once you have exited the parking space com- pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and
the Park Assist Finished
Park Assist Finished message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available.
Canceling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time. Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windshield is fogged up on the inside.
X Fold down camera cover (Y page 544).
X Defrost the windshield (Y page 144). The windshield is iced up.
X De-ice the windshield (Y page 143). The windshield wipers are smearing the windshield.
X Replace the wiper blades (Y page 131). The windshield is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X Clean the windshield (Y page 542). There is windshield chip damage in the camera's field of vision.
X Replace the windshield. The pedestrian and ani-
mal recognition is not
available. The infrared camera in the radiator grill is dirty.
X Use a soft cloth and water to clean the infrared camera. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 182), Active
Blind Spot Assist (Y page 214) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 217).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your vehi-
cle which are behind the driver. A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lanes, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. If a risk of lateral collision is detec-
ted, corrective braking may help you avoid a collision. To support the course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist
also uses the forward-facing radar sensor sys-
tem.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to detect some vehicles and is no substi-
tute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle 214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, e.g.
trucks, for a prolonged time.
Indicator and warning display 0043
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at
speeds below approximately 20 mph
(30 km/h). Vehicles in the monitoring range
are then not indicated.
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp 0043in the exterior mirrors lights
up yellow at speeds of up to 20 mph
(30 km/h). At speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), the indicator lamp goes out and
Active Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp 0043on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always given when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 7 mph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse gear is engaged. In this event, Active Blind
Spot Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. Visual and acoustic collision warning
When you switch on the turn signals to
change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the
side monitoring range, you receive a visual
and acoustic collision warning. You then hear a double warning tone and red warning
lamp 0043flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the flash-
ing of red warning lamp 0043. There are no fur-
ther warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application G
WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the sides. 216
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp 0043flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display 0044appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a
collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between 20 mph (30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your vehi-
cle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 235) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 231) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of camera 0043
at the top of the windshield. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane.
If you select km
km on the on-board computer in
the Display Unit Speed-/Odometer
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer func-
tion (Y page 232), Active Lane Keeping Assist
is activated starting at a speed of 60 km/h. If
the miles
miles display unit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active
Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the
risk of accident nor override the laws of phys- ics. Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into
account the road, traffic and weather condi-
tions. Lane Keeping Assist is merely an aid.
You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in your lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continu-
ously keep your vehicle in its lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation. The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflections (e.g. when the road
surface is wet)
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R there are no, several or unclear lane mark-
ings for a lane, e.g. in areas with road con- struction work
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
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 strong shadows cast on the lane
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of intermittent vibration in the steer-
ing wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane marking, the system recognizes certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a high-
way.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Lane-correcting brake application
G
WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic conditions or road users. In very rare
cases, the system may make an inappropriate brake application, e.g. after intentionally driv-
ing over a solid lane marking. There is a risk of an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance on the side for
other traffic or obstacles.
In rare cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist can
recognize unclear markings or particular
structures on the roadway as solid lane mark-
ings. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction. If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display 0043appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
If you leave your lane, under certain circum-
stances the vehicle will brake briefly on one side. This is meant to assist you in bringing
the vehicle back to the original lane.
This function is available in the range between
40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/hand
200 km/h).
A lane-correcting brake application can only
be made after driving over a solid, recogniz-
able lane marking. Before this, a warning
must be given by means of intermittent vibra-
tion in the steering wheel. In addition, a lane
with lane markings on both sides must be
recognized. The brake application also
slightly reduces vehicle speed.
i A further lane-correcting brake applica-
tion can only occur after your vehicle has
returned to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs
if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you have switched on the turn signals.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R the transmission is not in position D.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire has
been detected and displayed.
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic situations or road users. An inappro-
priate brake application may be interrupted at
any time if you:
R steer slightly in the opposite direction
R switch on the turn signal
R clearly brake or accelerate Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z