engine MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2012 Owners Manual

warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the cover behind the seats in the rear
compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi- cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards 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 seg-
ment. At the seventh segment, you will hear a continuous warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds. This indicates that
you have now reached the minimum dis-
tance. 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 2in the
ignition lock. 206
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 kerb. 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 cancelled. A sensible parkingposition 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:
% 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 theabutton 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
Release 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 10 km/h
when exiting a parking space. Otherwise,
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled.
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 reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi- tion.
X Drive forwards or reverse 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 reverse as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
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 switched off
Park Assist switched off message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available.
Cancelling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.210
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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 sur-
face 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
acceleration
R if you are predominantly driving slower
than 80 km/h or faster than 180 km/h
R if you are currently using COMAND Online
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
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It may not
always detect fatigue or lapses in concentra-
tion until too late, or may not detect them at
all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 238).
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after
your journey has begun. You then hear an
intermittent warning tone twice and the
Attention Assist: Take a break!
Attention Assist: Take a break!
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Press the aor% button to confirm
the message.
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 concentra-
tion, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest. ATTENTION ASSIST is reset and starts
assessing your tiredness again when you con-
tinue your journey 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
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the
é symbol appears in the multifunction
display in the assistance graphic display. Speed Limit Assist
General notes Speed Limit Assist detects the traffic signs
with camera
:attached at the top of the
windscreen.
i Speed Limit Assist is not operational in all
countries.
Speed Limit Assist shows you detected speed
limits in the multifunction display. Data from
the navigation system is also used for this
purpose. The display appears if Speed Limit
Assist detects a traffic sign indicating a speed
limit or the end of a speed limit. If Speed Limit Assist does not detect any traffic signs, the
speed limit from the digital road map is taken
and shown in the display.
Important safety notes Speed Limit Assist is only an aid and does not
always detect traffic signs specifying the
maximum permissible speed. Traffic signs Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Pedestrian and animal recognition is deacti-
vated at temperatures above 32 †. The spot-
light function and automatic activation are
then no longer active.
Pedestrian recognition :
Night View Assist Plus display in the
COMAND display
; Standby symbol for active pedestrian rec-
ognition
= Highlighting
? Pedestrian recognised
Night View Assist Plus can recognise pedes-
trians using typical characteristics, e.g. the
body contours and posture of a person stand- ing upright.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated
R you are driving faster than approximately
10 km/h
R it is dark
If pedestrian recognition is active, symbol ;
appears. Persons who are detected are high-
lighted by framing =. If the pedestrian rec-
ognition system has brought a pedestrian to
your attention, look through the windscreen
to evaluate the situation.
Animal recognition
Animals can be recognised in the following
situations:
R darkness
R outside built-up areas
R below an outside temperature of 32 † Night View Assist Plus can recognise larger
animals such as deer, cows or horses using
typical characteristics.
The system does not detect:
R smaller animals, e.g. dogs and cats
R animals whose silhouette is not clearly rec-
ognisable
When detected, animals are marked with
small coloured frame corners. In contrast to
pedestrian recognition, there is no separate
standby symbol in the multifunction display.
Activating/deactivating Night View
Assist Plus Activation conditions
You can only activate Night View Assist if all of
the following conditions have been fulfilled:
R the ignition is switched on (Y page 155) or
the engine has been started
R the light switch is in the ÃorL posi-
tion
R reverse gear has not been engaged
Activating Night View Assist Plus X
Press button :.
The Night View Assist Plus display appears in the COMAND display.
i The infrared headlamps only switch on in
the dark when the vehicle is being driven at speeds of at least 10 km/h. This means
that you do not have the full visual range
while stationary and cannot check whether
Night View Assist Plus is working. The infra- 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 34). Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognise function
restrictions relevant to safety. The operating
safety of your vehicle may be impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving when operating the on-board computer.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the mul- tifunction display. You should therefore make
sure your vehicle is operating safely at all times. Otherwise, a vehicle that is not oper-
ating safely may cause an accident.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (Y
page 40). Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con- trol knob.
The brightness control knob is on the bottom
left of the instrument cluster (Y page 40).
X Turn the brightness control knob anti-
clockwise or clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependant 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 gauge
G
WARNING
If you open the bonnet while the engine is
overheating or while there is a fire in the
engine compartment, you could come into
contact with hot gases or other leaking ser-
vice products. There is a danger of injury.
Allow an overheating engine to cool down
before opening the bonnet. If there is a fire in the engine compartment, leave the bonnet
closed and notify the fire brigade.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 40).
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †. 228
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
The outside temperature display is in the mul- tifunction display (Y page 230).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available. R Cruise control activated (Y page 182):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R Variable SPEEDTRONIC activated
(Y page 193):
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 185):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in front and the stored speed light
up. Operating the on-board computer
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Switches on LINGUATRONIC; see the sep-
arate operating instructions
= Right control panel
? Left control panel
A Back button
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the key to position 1in the ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. Displays and operation
229On-board computer and displays Z

R
Checking the tyre pressure electronically
(Y page 602)
R Calling up the service due date
(Y page 567) Settings menu
Introduction In the
Settings Settings menu, you have the following
options:
R changing the instrument cluster settings
(Y page 239)
R changing the light settings (Y page 239)
R changing the vehicle settings
(Y page 242)
R changing the convenience settings
(Y page 243)
R restoring the factory settings
(Y page 244)
Instrument cluster Selecting the unit of measurement for dis-
tance
You can determine whether the multifunction
display shows some messages in miles or kil- ometres.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm. X
Press the :or9 button to select the
Display unit Speed-/odometer Display unit Speed-/odometer func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: km kmor
miles
miles.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to: R digital speedometer in the Trip Tripmenu
R total distance recorder and the trip meter
R trip computer
R current consumption and the range
R navigation instructions in the Navi Navimenu
R cruise control
R SPEEDTRONIC
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting the permanent display function
Vehicles for the United Kingdom: this func-
tion is unavailable.
You can determine whether the multifunction display permanently shows your speed or the
outside temperature.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Permanent display
Permanent display function.
You will see the selected setting outside
outside
temperature
temperature orDig. speedo [mph]
Dig. speedo [mph].
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
i The speed is displayed in mph.
Lights Setting the daytime driving lights
The
Daytime driving lights Daytime driving lights function can
only be switched on with the engine turned
off. Menus and submenus
239On-board computer and displays Z

Setting the brightness of the ambient
lighting
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Amb. light +/-
Amb. light +/- function.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust the
brightness to a level from Off
OfftoLevel 5
Level 5
(bright).
X Press the aor% button to save the
setting.
Setting the ambient lighting colour
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Ambient light colour
Ambient light colour function.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to set the
colour to SOLAR
SOLAR,SOLAR orange
SOLAR orange orSOLAR
SOLAR
red
red.
X Press the aor% button to save the
setting.
Activating/deactivating the surround
lighting and exterior lighting delayed
switch-off X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Surround lighting
Surround lighting function.
When the Surround lighting
Surround lighting function is
activated, the light cone and the area around the vehicle are displayed in orange
in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Deactivating delayed switch-off of the exte-
rior lighting temporarily: X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the next time you start the
engine.
If you have activated the Surround light‐
Surround light‐
ing ing function and the light switch is set to
Ã, the following functions are activated
when it is dark:
R surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 seconds after unlocking
with the key. If you start the engine, the
surround lighting is switched off and auto-
matic headlamp mode is activated
(Y page 127).
R exterior lighting delayed switch-off: the
exterior lighting remains lit for 60 seconds
after the engine is switched off. If you close all the doors and the boot lid, the exterior
lighting goes off after 15 seconds.
i Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
when the surround lighting and delayed
switch-off exterior lighting are on, the fol-
lowing light up:
R side lamps
R dipped-beam headlamps
R daytime driving lights
R surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activate the Lighting delayed sw.- Lighting delayed sw.-
off
off function, the interior lighting remains on
for 20 seconds after you remove the key from
the ignition lock. Menus and submenus
241On-board computer and displays Z

mirrors in using button
:, they will not fold
out automatically (Y page 121).
You can then only fold out the exterior mirrors using button :.
If you have switched the function on and you fold the exterior mirrors in using the button on
the door (Y page 121), they will not fold out
automatically. The exterior mirrors can then
only be folded out using the button on the
door.
Resetting to factory settings X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Factory setting
Factory setting submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
The Reset all settings?
Reset all settings? message
appears.
X Press the :or9 button to select No
No
or Yes
Yes.
X Press the abutton to confirm the selec-
tion.
If you have selected Yes Yes, the multifunction
display shows a confirmation message.
For safety reasons, not all functions are reset: the Limit
Limit speed
speed(winter
(winter tyres)
tyres)function
in permanent SPEEDTRONIC can only be set
in the Vehicle
Vehicle submenu. If you want to reset
the Daytime
Daytime driving
drivinglights
lightsin theLights
Lights
submenu, you must turn the key to position 1
in the ignition lock. AMG menu in AMG vehicles
AMG displays :
Digital speedometer
; Gear indicator
= Upshift indicator
? Engine oil temperature
A Coolant temperature
B Transmission fluid temperature
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG
AMG menu.
Upshift indicator UP
UP= indicates that the
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator UP UP= fades out other
messages until you have shifted up.
If the engine oil temperature is below 80 †, oil temperature ?is shown in blue. Avoid
using the full output of the engine during
this time.
If the transmission fluid temperature is
below 50 †, oil temperature Bis shown in
blue. Avoid using the full output of the
engine during this time.
SETUP :
Drive program (C C/SS+SS+/M M)
; ESP ®
mode (ON ON/OFFOFF) or SPORT handling
mode (SPORT SPORT)
= Suspension tuning (SPORT SPORT/COMFORT COMFORT) 244
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

SETUP shows the drive program, the ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program) mode, the
SPORT handling mode and the suspension
setting. X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG AMGmenu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until
SETUP is displayed.
or
X Briefly press the AMG button on the centre
console (Y page 167).
RACETIMER Displaying and starting the RACETIMER
The RACETIMER is only intended for use on a closed race circuit. Do not use the function on
public roads. :
Lap
; RACETIMER
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the key is in position 2
in the ignition lock.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG
AMGmenu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the
RACETIMER is shown.
X To start: press the abutton to start the
RACETIMER.
Displaying the intermediate time X
Press the =or; button to select
Interm. Time
Interm. Time.
X Press ato confirm.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
Starting a new lap :
RACETIMER
; Fastest lap time (best lap)
= Lap
X Press ato confirm New Lap New Lap.
i A maximum of 16 laps may be stored. The
16th lap can only be completed with Fin‐
Fin‐
ish Lap
ish Lap .
Stopping the RACETIMER X
Press the %button on the steering
wheel.
X Press ato confirm Yes
Yes.
The RACETIMER interrupts timing if you stop
the vehicle and turn the key to position 1in
the ignition lock. If you turn the key to position
2 or 3and then press ato confirm Start
Start,
timing is continued.
Resetting the current lap
X Stop the RACETIMER.
X Press the =or; button to select
Reset Lap Reset Lap .
X Press ato reset the lap time to "0". Menus and submenus
245On-board computer and displays Z