MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER 2013 Owners Manual

The Park Assist Active Select R
Observe
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
complete, the Park Assist Finished
message appears in the multifunction
display. PARKTRONIC continues to be
available.
X Maneuver if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages
displayed by PARKTRONIC (Y

page 185).
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive past the parking
space as close as possible.
R parking spaces

that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
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
position 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 abort the
parking procedure with Active Parking
Assist.
R you can also engage forward gear
prematurely. The vehicle redirects and
does not drive as far into the parking space.
Should a gear be changed too early, the
parking procedure will be canceled. A
sensible parking position can no longer be
achieved from this position. Exiting a parking space G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist does not monitor street
traffic. In some cases, the vehicle will also
take you onto sections of the oncoming lane
when exiting a parking space.
You are

responsible for safety at all times and
must pay attention to any road users
approaching or passing. Stop the vehicle if
necessary or cancel Active Parking Assist.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle 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 D or R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message

appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the
% button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
X To exit a parking space using Active
Parking Assist: press the a button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message 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 deactivated.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before. Driving systems
189
Driving and parking Z

X
Shift the transmission to position D or R as
required while the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
i You will achieve the best results by
waiting for the steering procedure to
complete before pulling away.
If you

back up after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead
position.
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
completely, the steering wheel is moved to
the straight-ahead position. You hear a tone
and the message Park Assist Finished
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.
X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. The Park Assist canceled
message appears in the multifunction
display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
center console (

Y page 185).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
The Park Assist canceled message
appears in the multifunction display. Active Parking Assist is canceled
automatically if:
R
parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible.
R you are driving faster than 6mph
(10 km/h).
R a wheel

spins, ESP®
intervenes or fails. The
÷ ESP warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking space
symbol disappears and the multifunction
display shows the Park Assist canceled
message.
When Active Parking Assist is canceled, you
must steer again yourself. Rear view camera
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the maneuvering range. Otherwise, they
could be injured. G
WARNING
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles
R from a distorted perspective
R inaccurately
R may not display obstacles at all
The rear view camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to be cautious. Take care
and pay careful attention. The rear view
camera may not show objects which are
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R above the trunk handle
You are

responsible for safety at all times and
must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of, and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself and/or others. 190
Driving systems
Driving and parking

G
WARNING
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera
will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
R if the trunk lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not use the rear view camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise injure
others or damage objects and your vehicle
while you are parking.
General notes Rear
view camera
: is
in the trunk lid handle.
Rear view camera : is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind
your vehicle with guide lines in the COMAND
display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
i The text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of rear view camera messages in the COMAND
display.
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera X
To activate: make
sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2 in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the function "show rear
view camera display" is selected in
COMAND (Y page 276).
X Engage reverse gear.
The area

behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines.
To deactivate: the rear view camera is
deactivated if you:
R shift the transmission to position P
R drive forwards 33 ft (10 m)
R shift the transmission from position R to
another position (after 15 seconds)
R drive forwards at a speed of over 5 mph
(10km/h)
Displays in the COMAND display G
WARNUNG
Using
the rear view camera can be dangerous
if you are color-blind or if your ability to
distinguish colors is impaired.
Only use the rear view camera if you can see
and distinguish

between all the colored guide
lines that are displayed by the rear view
camera in the COMAND display. G
WARNING
Please
note that objects that do not touch the
ground may appear to be further away than
they actually are, for example:
R the bumper

of a vehicle parked behind you
R the trailer drawbar
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear end of a truck
R a slanted post
In such cases, you should not use the guide
lines to judge the distance. You may misjudge Driving systems
191
Driving and parking
Z

the distance, which increases the risk of
impacting the objects.
Even
if
the object you approach is directly on
the ground, do not approach the object any
closer than the red guide line. :
White guide line without turning the
steering wheel, vehicle width including
the exterior mirrors (static)
; Yellow guide line at a distance of
approximately 13 ft

(4.0m) from the rear
of the vehicle
= Red guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking tires at current
steering wheel angle (dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of
approximately 3

ft (1.0m) from the rear of
the vehicle
B Vehicle center axle (marker assistance)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10

in (0.25m) from the rear
of the vehicle The guide lines are shown when the
transmission is in position R.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level.
Additional messages for vehicles with
PARKTRONIC
:
Front warning display
; Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: When
PARKTRONIC is

operational (Y page 185), the
additional operational readiness
indicator ; appears in the COMAND Display.
If the PARKTRONIC warning displays are
active or light up, then the := warning
displays are also active or light up
correspondingly in the COMAND display. 192
Driving systems
Driving and parking

"Reverse parking" function
Backing up straight into a parking space
without turning the steering wheel
:
White guide line without turning the
steering wheel, vehicle width including
the exterior mirrors (static)
; Red guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
= Yellow guide line at a distance of
approximately 3 ft (1.0 m
) from the rear
of the vehicle
? Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10 in (0.25 m

) from the
rear of the vehicle
X Make sure that the rear view camera is
switched on (Y page 191).
The lane and the guide lines are shown.
X With the help of white guide line :, check
whether the
vehicle will fit into the parking
space.
X Using white guide line : as a guide,
carefully back up until you reach the end
position.
Red guide line ? is then at the end of the
parking space. The vehicle is almost
parallel in the parking space. Reverse perpendicular parking with the
steering wheel at an angle
Turning the steering wheel
:
Red guide line for the vehicle width
through the exterior mirror, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
; Parking space marking
X Make sure that the rear view camera is
switched on (Y page 191).
The lane and the guide lines are shown.
X Drive past the parking space and bring the
vehicle to a standstill.
X While the vehicle is at a standstill, turn the
steering wheel in the direction of the
parking space until red guide line :
reaches parking space marking ;.
X Keep the steering wheel in that position
and back up carefully. Backing up with the steering wheel turned
:
Red guide line for the vehicle width
through the exterior mirror, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic) Driving systems
193
Driving and parking Z

X
Stop the vehicle when it is almost exactly
in front of the parking space.
The white
lane should be as close to parallel
with the parking space marking as
possible. Driving to the final position
:
White guide line at current steering wheel
angle
; Parking space marking
X Turn the steering wheel to the center
position while the vehicle is stationary. :
End of parking space
; White guide line without turning the
steering wheel
= Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10 in (0.25 m

) from the
rear of the vehicle
X Back up carefully until you have reached
the end position.
Red guide line = is then at the end of
parking space :. The vehicle is almost
parallel in the parking space. ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the
driver. It might not recognize fatigue or
increasing inattentiveness in time or fail to
recognize them at all. The system cannot
substitute a rested and attentive driver.
Fatigue can cause you to recognize dangers
too late, to misjudge potential dangers, or to
react slower. Therefore, make sure to be
rested before

and during your trip. Take rests
early enough and regularly, especially during
long trips. Failure to do so could cause you to
recognize dangers too late which could result
in an accident and serious injury to you and/
or others.
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on freeways
and interstate highways. It is active in the
range between 50 mph (80 km/h) and
112 mph (180 km/h).
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration on the part of the driver, it
suggests you take a break.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
R your personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
R driving conditions, e.g. time, driving time
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
R if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the
surface is uneven or if there are potholes
R if there is a strong side wind
R if you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration194
Driving systems
Driving and parking

R
if you are predominantly driving slower
than 50 mph (80 km/h) or faster than
112 mph (180 km/h
)
R if you are currently using COMAND or
making a telephone call with it
R if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer ( Y page 214).
Symbol : appears in the multifunction
display.
X The Attention Assist: Take a
Break! message appears in the
multifunction display. If necessary, take
a break.
X Press the a or % button to confirm
the message.
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no

sooner than 20 minutes after your
journey has begun. In addition to the message
shown in the multifunction display, you will
then hear an intermittent warning tone twice.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST
still detects increasing lapses in
concentration, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest. ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you
continue your journey and starts assessing
your tiredness again if:
R
you switch off the engine.
R you take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door,

e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS
(

Y page 164),
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 195) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 199).
Active Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid, and
may detect vehicles/obstacles incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect
narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles or
bicycles, or may only detect them too late. It
cannot detect vehicles that are overtaken at
a small

distance and then enter the blind spot
area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognize dangers in time, Driving systems
195
Driving and parking
Z

cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
i USA only:
This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automotive radar system only. Removing,
altering or tampering with the device will
void any warranties, and is not permitted
by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or
use the device in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
the device in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated ( Y page 218) and operational.
General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are in back of the driver. A
warning display in the exterior mirrors draws
your attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lanes,
you will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. If a risk of lateral collision
is detected, 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 system.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately
20 mph (30 km/h).
Monitoring area G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in

the immediate vicinity of your vehicle.
Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor
audible warnings are emitted and the system
does not brake the vehicle to correct your
course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be
possible to monitor the complete width of the
neighboring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
that edge of their lane which is furthest away
from your vehicle.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others. Active
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft ( 3.0m) behind your vehicle and
directly next to your vehicle, as shown in the 196
Driving systems
Driving and parking

diagram. For this purpose, Active Blind Spot
Assist
uses
radar sensors in the rear bumper.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when
driving close to crash barriers or similar
solid lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, for
example trucks, for a prolonged time.
Two Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors
are integrated into the front and rear bumpers
respectively. An additional radar sensor is
located behind the cover in the radiator grill.
Make sure that the bumpers and the cover in
the radiator grill are free of dirt, ice or slush.
The rear sensors must not be covered, for
example by cycle racks or overhanging cargo.
Following a severe impact or in the event of
damage to the bumpers, have the function of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist
may otherwise no longer work properly.
Indicator and warning display G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below 20

mph (30km/h). The indicator lamps
in the exterior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp :

in the exterior mirrors lights
up yellow at speeds of up to
20 mph(30km/h). At speeds above 20 mph
(30km/h), the indicator lamp goes out and
Active Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
20 mph (30km/h), warning lamp : on the
corresponding 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 (12km/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 audible collision warnings Driving systems
197
Driving and parking Z

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 : flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the
flashing of red warning lamp :. There are no
further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to

assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. In some cases, the
course-correcting brake application is not
sufficient to avoid a collision. In such a case,
you must steer, brake or accelerate.
In very rare cases, the system may
erroneously detect a danger of collision in the
area of crash barriers or similar lane borders
and apply the brakes. Active Blind Spot Assist
does not detect all traffic situations and road
users. Always make sure that there is
sufficient distance on the side for other traffic
or obstacles. An inappropriate brake
application may be interrupted at any time if
you steer slightly in the opposite direction or
accelerate.
You are responsible for driving at appropriate
speeds, braking in good time, and steering
correctly. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognize dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and
others. If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp
: flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In

addition, display ; appears 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) and120 mph (200km/h).
There will be either no or only a weak course-
correcting brake application if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your
vehicle.
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.198
Driving systems
Driving and parking