sensor MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2012 User Guide

specialist workshop, even if your vehicle
can still be driven.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
The time within which the front airbag is
deployed is dependent on whether or not a
seat belt is worn.
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recog- nition in the front-passenger seat: front-
passenger front airbag ;is only enabled if the system determines that the front-
passenger seat is occupied.
Exception:if a
child restraint system with transponder is
installed correctly. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
when the ignition is switched on. The
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp on
the centre console does not light up
(Y page 63).
If a child restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat and the PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp is not on:
R a child restraint system without a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
has been fitted or
R a child restraint system with a transponder
has been fitted incorrectly
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan- 54
Occupant safetySafety

Have roll bars checked immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If you place objects or clothing on the roll bar covers, these could impair roll bar extension.
The roll bars may then not protect the vehicle occupants as intended. In addition, objects
could endanger the vehicle occupants when
the roll bar is extending. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Ensure that the movement area of the roll bar covers is kept clear. Always stow all objects in
the vehicle correctly. The roll bars are located in the rear area of the
vehicle under the two outer rear compart-
ment trim covers.
The roll bars are extended automatically if
systems detect that the vehicle is in danger of
overturning. The two rear compartment trim
covers are opened and the roll bars are exten- ded within fractions of a second.
Once the roll bars are extended, you can no
longer lower them. An open roof can no lon-
ger be closed. In this case, visit the nearest
qualified specialist workshop. PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations. Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
Although your vehicle is equipped with a PRE-
SAFE ®
system, the possibility of injury in the
event of an accident cannot be ruled out.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in
front. Drive carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: if
BAS PLUS brakes hard or the radar sensor
system detects an imminent danger of col- lision in certain situations
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed so that only a small gap remains.
R the front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is
in an unfavourable position.
R Vehicles with a multicontour seat or
active multicontour seat: the air pres-
sure in the side bolsters of the backrest is
increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed. 56
Occupant safetySafety

G
WARNING
Electronic devices on the front-passenger
seat can affect the function of the automatic
child seat recognition, for example:
R laptop
R mobile phone
R transponder cards such as ski passes or
access passes
The front-passenger front airbag could deploy unintentionally or not function as intended
during an accident. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any of the devices mentioned
above or similar devices on the front-
passenger seat. :
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIRBAG ON indicator lamp
The automatic child seat recognition sensor
system on the front-passenger seat detects
whether a special Mercedes-Benz child seat
has been fitted there. The Mercedes-Benz
child seat is equipped with transponders for
automatic child seat recognition so that it can
be detected by the sensor system. In this
case, PASSENGER AIRBAG ON indicator
lamp ;lights up briefly when the ignition is
switched on. PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indi-
cator lamp :remains lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. i
If the front-passenger front airbag is dis-
abled by the automatic child seat recogni-
tion, the following remain enabled on the
front-passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the headbag
R the belt tensioner ISOFIX child seat securing system
G
WARNING
ISOFIX child restraint systems do not offer
sufficient protective effect for children whose weight is greater than 22 kg who are securedusing the safety belt integrated in the child
restraint system. The child could, for example,not be restrained correctly in the event of an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 22 kg, only use
ISOFIX child restraint systems with which the child is also secured with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the child restraint system with the
Top Tether belt, if available.
When installing a child restraint system, be
sure to observe the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions and the instructions for cor- rect use of the child restraint system. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system has not been fit-
ted correctly, it cannot perform its intended
protective function. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The
child could be seriously or even fatally injured. For this reason, when securing a child
restraint system, always observe the manu-
facturer's fitting instructions and the correct
application range of the child restraint sys-
tem.
For safety reasons, only use child restraint
systems with an ISOFIX child seat securing
system which have been tested and approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. 64
Child restraint systemsSafety

Brakes
X
Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System Plus)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor system must be operational.
With the aid of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS can help you to minimise the risk of a collision with a vehicle or reduce the effects
of such a collision. If BAS PLUS detects a
danger of collision, you are assisted when
braking.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detec-
tion can be impaired.
Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the radar sensor settings and oper- ation checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to
the front of the vehicle.
Function To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 30 km/h : if
you depress the brake pedal, BAS PLUS is
activated. Braking assistance from BAS PLUS
is carried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 30 km/h : if
you depress the brake pedal sharply, BAS 72
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 275) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 250). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has the HOLD function (Y page 196) and
hill start assist (Y page 158). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available on vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead, and reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically as
well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE ®Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you also brake. Automatic
emergency braking cannot prevent a colli-
sion. There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detec-
tion can be impaired.
Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the radar sensor settings and oper- ation checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to
the front of the vehicle.
Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer (Y page 238).
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated, the
æ symbol appears in the assistance
graphic in the multifunction display.
This function will issue a warning if:
R at a speed of around 30 km/h or more, the
distance maintained to the vehicle travel-
ling in front is insufficient for several sec-
onds.
The · distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R at a speed of approximately 7 km/h or
more, you rapidly approach a vehicle in
front.
An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so. The PRE-SAFE
®
Brake function can also brake
the vehicle automatically under the following
conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 7 km/h and 200 km/h
At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect stationary
objects. Examples of stationary objects are
stopped or parked vehicles.
i If there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto- matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle STEER CONTROL
General notes STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilisation. 78
Driving safety systemsSafety

The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that has triggered it, for
example. Tow-away protection
Function An audible and visual alarm is triggered if your
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This can occur
if the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for
example.
Activating X
Make sure that:
R the doors are closed
R the boot lid is closed
Only then is the tow-away protection
primed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
Tow-away protection is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
Deactivating X
To switch off: unlock the vehicle with the
key or KEYLESS-GO.
Tow-away protection is switched off auto-
matically.
Deactivating X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
Tow-away protection is deactivated.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until: R the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again
To prevent a false alarm, deactivate the tow-
away protection if you lock your vehicle and it:
R is being transported
R is being loaded onto a ferry or car trans-
porter, for example
R is parked on a movable surface, e.g. in a
split-level garage Interior motion sensor
Function When the interior motion sensor is primed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior. This
can occur if someone reaches into the vehicle interior, for example.
Activating X
Make sure that:
R the side windows are closed
R the stowage compartment under the
armrest is closed
This will prevent false alarms.
X Make sure that: 80
Anti-theft systemsSafety

R
the roof is closed
R the doors are closed
R the boot lid is closed
Only then is the interior motion sensor
primed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 30 second s.
i Only
for the Netherlands and Belgium:
the interior motion sensor is primed even
when the roof is open. However, the roof
should be closed so as to prevent a false
alarm.
Deactivating X
Unlock the vehicle with the key or KEY-
LESS-GO.
The interior motion sensor is automatically
deactivated.
Deactivating X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
The interior motion sensor is deactivated.
To prevent a false alarm, deactivate the inte-
rior motion sensor if you lock your vehicle
and:
R people or animals remain in the vehicle
R the side windows remain open The interior motion sensor remains deactiva-
ted until:
R the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again
i UK only:
your vehicle is equipped with a
double lock function. The doors cannot be
opened from the inside if the vehicle has
been locked with the key or with KEYLESS- GO. Deactivate the interior motion sensor
before you lock the vehicle. The doors can
then be opened from the inside after the
vehicle has been locked from the outside.
Observe the "Important safety notes"
(Y page 90). Anti-theft systems
81Safety Z

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). Key
Important safety notes
United Kingdom only: G
WARNING
When the double locks are activated, the
doors can no longer be opened from the
inside. People in the vehicle can no longer get out, e.g. in hazardous situations. There is a
risk of injury.
Therefore, do not leave any people unsuper-
vised in the vehicle, particularly children, eld-
erly people or people in need of special assis-
tance. Do not activate the double lock when
people are in the vehicle.
If the vehicle has been locked from the out-
side, the double lock function is activated as
standard. It is then not possible to open the
doors from inside the vehicle. You can deac-
tivate the double-lock function by deactivat-
ing the interior motion sensor (Y page 80).
The doors can then be opened from the inside after the vehicle has been locked from the
outside. The anti-theft alarm system is trig-
gered if the door is opened from the inside.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 79).
All countries: G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children. G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the key, the key could be unintentionally turned in the
ignition lock. This could cause the engine to
be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
key. Remove any bulky keyrings before insert-
ing the key into the ignition lock.
! Keep the key away from strong magnetic
fields. Otherwise, the remote control func-
tion could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the
vicinity of powerful electrical installations. 84
KeyOpening and closing

X
To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face :.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience
closing feature (Y page 101).
X To unlock the boot lid: pull the boot lid
handle.
The vehicle only unlocks the boot lid. Changing the settings of the locking
system
You can change the settings of the locking
system. This means only the driver's door, the
lockable stowage compartments in the vehi-
cle interior and the fuel filler flap are unlocked when the vehicle is unlocked. This is useful if
you frequently travel on your own.
X To change the setting: press and hold
down the %and& buttons simulta-
neously for approximately six seconds until the battery check lamp flashes twice
(Y page 87).
i If the setting of the locking system is
changed within the signal range of the vehi- cle, pressing the &or% button:
R locks or
R unlocks the vehicle The key now functions as follows:
X To unlock the driver's door: press the
% button once.
X To unlock centrally: press the%but-
ton twice.
X To lock centrally: press the&button.
The KEYLESS-GO function is changed as fol-
lows:
X To unlock the driver's door: touch the
inner surface of the door handle on the
driver's door.
X To unlock centrally: touch the inner sur-
face of the front-passenger door handle.
X To lock centrally: touch the outer sensor
surface on one of the door handles.
X To restore the factory settings: press
and hold down the %and& buttons
simultaneously for approximately six sec-
onds until the battery check lamp flashes
twice (Y page 87). Emergency key element
General notes If the vehicle can no longer be locked or
unlocked with the key, use the emergency
key element.
If you use the emergency key element to
unlock and open the driver's door or the boot
lid, the anti-theft alarm system will be trig-
gered (Y page 79).
There are several ways to deactivate the
alarm:
X To deactivate the alarm with the key:
press the %or& button on the key.
or
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
or
X To deactivate the alarm with KEYLESS-
GO: press the Start/Stop button in the igni-
tion lock. The key must be in the vehicle. 86
KeyOpening and closing