MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER 2012 Owner's Manual

Product Information
Please observe the following in your own best
interest:
We recommend using Genuine Mercedes-
Benz Parts as well as conversion parts and
accessories explicitly approved by us for your
vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine their
reliability, safety and special suitability for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be held
responsible for them, even if in individual
cases an official approval or authorization by
governmental or other agencies should exist.
Use of such parts and accessories could
adversely affect the safety, performance or
reliability of your vehicle. Please do not use
them.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts and pre-
approved conversion parts and accessories
are available at any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. In addition, you will receive
comprehensive information on permissible
technical modifications and expert
installations.
Operator’s Manual
Notes
This Operator’s Manual contains a great deal
of useful information. We urge you to read it
carefully and familiarize yourself with the
vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life of
the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
Operator’s Manual. Ignoring them could
result in damage to the vehicle or personal
injury to you or others. Vehicle damage
caused by failure to follow instructions is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
We continuously strive to improve our
product and ask for your understanding that
we reserve the right to make changes in
design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from your
vehicle.
Vehicle equipment
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
operating particular equipment, any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad
to demonstrate the proper procedures.
Optional equipment is also described in this
manual, including operating instructions
wherever necessary. Since they are special-
order items, the descriptions and illustrations
herein may vary slightly from the actual
equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are not
shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures. The
Operator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be kept
with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
booklet contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Mercedes-Benz,
including:
R New Vehicle Limited Warranty
R Emission System Warranty
R Emission Performance Warranty
R California, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
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Rhode Island, and Vermont Emission
Control System Warranty
R State Warranty Enforcement Laws (Lemon
Laws)
Important notice for California retail
buyers and lessees of Mercedes-Benz
automobiles
Under California law you may be entitled to a
replacement of your vehicle or a refund of the
purchase price or lease price, if after a
reasonable number of repair attempts
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and/or its
authorized repair or service facilities fail to fix
one or more substantial defects or
malfunctions in the vehicle that are covered
by its express warranty. During the period of
18 months from original delivery of the
vehicle or the accumulation of 18 000 miles
(approximately 29 000 km) on the odometer
of the vehicle, whichever occurs first, a
reasonable number of repair attempts is
presumed for a retail buyer or lessee if one or
more of the following occurs:
(1)the same substantial defect or
malfunction results in a condition that is
likely to cause death or serious bodily
injury if the vehicle is driven, that defect
or malfunction has been subject to repair
two or more times, and you have directly
notified Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC in
writing of the need for its repair,(2)the same substantial defect or
malfunction of a less serious nature than
category (1) has been subject to repair
four or more times and you have directly
notified us in writing of the need for its
repair, or(3)the vehicle is out of service by reason of
repair of the same or different substantial
defects or malfunctions for a cumulative
total of more than 30 calendar days.
Written notification should not be sent to a
dealer, it should be addressed to
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Customer Assistance Center
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
Maintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
service. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory-trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to the
toll-free Roadside Assistance number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
(in the USA) 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program brochure (in the USA) or the
Roadside Assistance section of the Service
and Warranty Information Booklet (in
Canada) in your vehicle literature portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to send
in the “Change of Address Notice” found in
the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet, or simply call the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372), or
Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100. This will assist us in
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contacting you in a timely manner should the
need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it available
to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used Car”
found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or call the Mercedes-
Benz Customer Assistance Center (in the
USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372), or Customer Service (in
Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in foreign
countries, please be aware that:
R Service facilities or replacement parts may
not be readily available.
R Unleaded gasoline for vehicles with
catalytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts.
R Gasoline may have a considerably lower
octane rating, and improper fuel can cause
engine damage.
Certain Mercedes-Benz models are available
for delivery in Europe under our European
Delivery Program. For details, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or write to:
In the USA:
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9
Operating safetyGWarning!
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because the
vehicle’s electronic components are
interconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other
systems. Electronic malfunctions could
seriously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore never
turn off the engine while driving.
GWarning!
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody or
tires/wheels may cause serious damage and
impair the operating safety of your vehicle.
Such blows can be caused, for example, by
running over an obstacle, road debris or a
pothole. If you feel a sudden significant
vibration or ride disturbance, or you suspect
that damage to your vehicle as occurred:
R turn on your hazard warning flashers
R slow down carefully
R drive with caution to an area which is a safe
distance from the road
Inspect the vehicle underbody and tires/
wheels for possible damage. If the vehicle
appears unsafe, have it towed to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or other
qualified maintenance or repair facility for
further inspection or repairs.
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Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you are
familiar with the following information and
rules:
R the safety precautions in this manual
R the “Technical data” section in this manual
R traffic rules and regulations
R motor vehicle laws and safety standardsGWarning!
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended to
make you and others aware of various risks.
Do not remove any of these warning labels
unless explicitly instructed to do so by
information on the label itself. Removing
warning labels may cause you and others to
be unaware of certain risks which may result
in an accident and/or personal injury.
Problems with your vehicle
If you should experience a problem with your
vehicle, particularly one that you believe may
affect its safe operation, we urge you to
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately to have the problem diagnosed
and corrected if required. If the matter is not
handled to your satisfaction, please discuss
the problem with the Mercedes-Benz Center
management or, if necessary, contact us at
one of the following addresses:
In the USA:
Customer Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada:
Customer Relations Department
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9
Reporting safety defects
For the USA only:
The following text is published as required of
manufacturers under Title 49, Code of U.S.
Federal Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the
“National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act
of 1966”.
Reporting safety defects
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause
injury or death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your
dealer, or Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
www.safercar.gov ; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA Headquarters,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, West Building,
Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from
www.safercar.gov .
Vehicle data recording
Information regarding electronic
recording devices
( Including notice pursuant to California Code
§ 9951)
Please note that your vehicle is equipped with
devices that can record vehicle systems data
and, if equipped with the Tele Aid system, may
transmit some data in certain accidents.
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This information helps, for example, to
diagnose vehicle systems after a collision and
to continuously improve vehicle safety.
Daimler may access the information and
share it with others
R for safety research or vehicle diagnosis
purposes
R with the consent of the vehicle owner or
lessee
R in response to an official request by law
enforcement or other government agency
R for use in dispute resolution involving
Daimler, its affiliates or sales/service
organization and/or
R as otherwise required or permitted by law
Please check the Tele Aid subscription
service agreement for details regarding the
information that may be recorded or
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Exterior view .......................................26
Multifunction steering wheel .............27
Cockpit .................................................28
Instrument cluster ..............................30
Center console ....................................33
Overhead control panel ......................35
Door control panel ..............................35
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Exterior view
iThis Operator’s Manual describes all features, standard or optional, potentially available
for your vehicle at the time of purchase. Please be aware that your vehicle might not be
equipped with all features described in this manual.
FunctionPage:Trunk:Locking and unlocking68Opening and closing73,
75
Valet locking77;Rear window defroster155=Fuel filler flap178?Doors:Locking and unlocking68,
267
AExterior rear view mirrors86BRetractable hardtop155CWindshield:Wiping with washer fluid96Cleaning219DWipers95FunctionPageWiper blades, replacing275Wiper blades, cleaning219EHood180FFront lamps271GHeadlamp cleaning system93HFront towing eye288ITires and wheels186Rims and tires299JRear lamps271KRear towing eye28826Exterior viewAt a glance
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Multifunction steering wheelFunctionPage:Left multifunction display114;Right multifunction display114=Press button ~:to end a call129to reject an incoming call129Press button 6:to answer a call129to dial1129to redial1129Press button W or X:to select submenus in the
Settings menu122
to set valuesto operate the RACETIMER2117to set the volume?Press button V or U
to select next/previous
menu.113
FunctionPagePress button & or *
briefly:
to move within a menuto select previous or next
track, scene or stored
station within Audio/DVD
menu119
to switch to the phone book
and select a name or
number within Telephone
menu129
Press and hold button
& or *:
to select previous or next
track with quick search or
to select previous or next
station in station list or
wave band within Audio/
DVD menu119
to start the quick search in
the phone book within
Telephone menu129
1Function only available in telephone menu.2AMG vehicles only.
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CockpitFunctionPage:Exterior lamp switch89;Headlamp cleaning button93=Cruise control lever:Cruise control131Distronic136?Left steering wheel
gearshift control108
AInstrument cluster30,
111
BMultifunction steering
wheel
27,
113
CRight steering wheel
gearshift control108
DLever for Voice Control
System3EFront Parktronic warning
indicators 146
FDigital clock FunctionPageGStorage compartments
(locking/unlocking)161
HOverhead control panel35IGlove box161JCenter console33KStarter switch78LHorn MSteering wheel adjustment85NCombination switch:Turn signals92Wipers95High beam92OParking brake pedal102POn-board diagnostics
(OBD) socket
QHood lock release1803See separate operating instructions.28CockpitAt a glance
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