sensor MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS ROADSTER 2013 Owner's Guide

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
:
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example) Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function
correctly.
Clean

the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 504).
Front sensors
Center approximately 40in
(approximately
100cm) Corners approximately 24in
(approximately
60cm) Rear sensors
Center approximately 48in
(approximately
120cm) Corners approximately 32in
(approximately
80cm) Minimum distance
Center approximately 8in
(approximately
20cm) Corners approximately 6in
(approximately
15cm) If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a
warning tone sounds. If the distance falls
below the minimum, the distance may no
longer be shown.184
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the
dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is
located on the cover behind the seats in the
rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if
yellow segments showing operational
readiness = light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R, N or the vehicle
is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
R
Front area: following the sixth segment,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone.
From the seventh segment, you will hear a
continuous warning

tone for approximately
two seconds. This indicates that you have
now reached the minimum distance.
R Rear area: from the first segment onwards,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone.
The interval gets shorter after each
segment. At the seventh segment, you will
hear a continuous warning tone for
approximately two seconds. This indicates
that you have now reached the minimum
distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp : lights

up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2 in the
ignition lock. Driving systems
185
Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsOnly the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning
displays
are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five
seconds, and the
indicator lamp in the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning
displays

are lit.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five
seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y page 504).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC and Active Parking Assist are
merely parking aids and may not detect all
obstacles. They do not relieve you of the
responsibility of paying attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking,
exiting parking

spaces and maneuvering. You
could otherwise endanger yourself and
others. G
WARNING
When parking or exiting a parking space, you
need to make sure that no obstacles are
located in

the vicinity of the vehicle during the entire operation. Active Parking Assist does
not relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention. It merely aids you by intervening
actively in the steering.
To stop the vehicle or to avoid an accident,
you need to apply the brakes yourself.
G
WARNING
Make sure no persons or animals are in or
near the area in which you are parking/
maneuvering. Otherwise, they could be
injured.
! 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 is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. Active steering
intervention can assist you when parking or 186
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

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 218) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 215)
are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps : light up red in the
exterior mirrors for approximately
1.5seconds and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and
may detect the lane markings on the road
incorrectly or not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R several or

no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
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. R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera.
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 on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Active Lane Keeping 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, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
General notes Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of a
camera
: at

the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on
the road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the Driving systems
199
Driving and parking Z

Displays and operation
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster: miles
:
Speedometer with segments ( Y page 206)
; Fuel gauge
= Tachometer (Y page 206)
? Coolant temperature ( Y page 205)
A Multifunction display ( Y page 208)
B Instrument cluster lighting (Y page 205) Instrument lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle
interior can

be adjusted using the brightness
control knob.
The brightness control knob is on the bottom
left of the instrument cluster ( Y page 205).
X Turn the brightness control knob counter-
clockwise or clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã, T or
L, the brightness is dependent upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light

sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display. In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not lit. Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some

fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the Displays and operation
205
On-board computer and displays
Z

R
side marker lamps
R surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off
If you activate the Interior Lighting
Delay function, the interior lighting remains
on for 20seconds after you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Lights submenu.
X Press the a button to confirm.
X Press : or 9 to select the
Interior Lighting Delay function.
When the Interior Lighting Delay
function is

activated, the vehicle interior is
displayed in red in the multifunction
display.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
Vehicle submenu Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
X
Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the : or 9
button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the a button to confirm.
X Press : or 9 to select the
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic

Door Lock function
is activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in red in the multifunction display.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
If you activate the Automatic Door Lock
function, the

vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of around 9 mph (15 km/h).
For further information on the automatic
locking feature, see ( Y page 76). Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal
If
you

switch on the Acoustic Lock function,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the : or 9
button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the a button to confirm.
X Press the :
or 9
button to select the
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction
display lights up red.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. menu.
X Press the : or 9
button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the a button to confirm.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual).
You will see the selected setting: On or
Off.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 164)
R BAS PLUS (

Y page 58)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 63)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 195)
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. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the 218
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsPRE-SAFE
Functions
Currently Limited
See Operator's
Manual
PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is deactivated or temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes are:
R the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grill is dirty.
R function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the sensors in the bumpers are dirty.
R the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio
stations or other sources of electromagnetic radiation.
R AMG vehicles: ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 154).
X Clean the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grill
(Y page 504).
X Clean the bumpers ( Y page 504).
X Restart the engine.
X AMG vehicles: reactivate ESP ®
(Y page 61).
If the system detects that the sensors are fully operational, the
display message disappears.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is operational again. PRE-SAFE
Functions Limited
See Operator's
Manual
PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is inoperative due to a malfunction. BAS PLUS
or the distance warning signal may also have failed.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. A
Malfunction
Service Required The roll bars are defective.
G WARNING
The roll bars will then possibly not be extended in the event of an
accident.
There is an increased risk of injury.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages
231On-board computer and displays Z