MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2012 Owners Manual

sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 205) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R at any time, you can intervene in the steer-
ing procedure to correct it. Active Parking
Assist will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Parking Important safety notes
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles. In some circumstances, Active Park- ing Assist may therefore guide you into the
parking space too early. G
WARNING
If objects are located above the detection
range, Active Parking Assist may start to steer into the parking space too soon. As a result,
you could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop the vehicle and switch Active
Parking Assist off. G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter- vening actively in the steering. There is a risk
of accident if you do not apply the brakes
yourself.
Always apply the brakes yourself when park-
ing and manoeuvring.
Detecting parking spaces Example: detected parking space
Active Parking Assist is activated automati-
cally when driving forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately 35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde- pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will see
parking symbol ;as a status indicator in the
instrument cluster. When a parking space has
been detected, an arrow towards the right =
or the left :also appears.
Active Parking Assist only displays parking
spaces on the front-passenger side as stand- ard. Parking spaces on the driver's side are
displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. If you wish to park in
a space on the driver's side, the turn signal on 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

the driver's side must remain on. The turn
signal must remain switched on until you
acknowledge the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the abutton on the multi-
function steering wheel.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are at least 1.0 m longer than your
vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.
Reversing into the parking space X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position 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 park using Active Parking Assist:
press the abutton 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, being ready to brake at
all times. Do not exceed a maximum speed of approximately 10 km/h when reversing.
Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will be
cancelled.
i When parking in tight spaces, you will
achieve the best results by backing up as far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Additional manoeuvring may be required in
tight parking spaces.
The Park Assist active Select D Park Assist active Select D
Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position Dwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist active Accelerate Park Assist active Accelerate
and
and brake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
The Park Assist active Select R
Park Assist active Select R
Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Drive forwards and reverse according to
the information shown in the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the Park ParkAssist
Assist switched
switched off
off mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
PARKTRONIC continues to be available.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 205).
Parking tips: R On narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R Parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

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

X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console (Y page 206).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately cancelled.
The Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automati-
cally if:
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ ESP®
warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
goes out and the Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer again yourself. Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is in the boot lid handle.
Reversing camera :is an optical parking
and manoeuvring 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
reversing camera messages in the
COMAND display.
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate 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
case, have the camera position and setting checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack). Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the function "show revers-
ing camera display" is selected in COMAND Online (Y page 322).
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown with
guide lines in the COMAND display.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the COMAND display The reversing camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles or show them incorrectly or
not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the
reversing camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bot-
tom-most guideline. :
White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
; Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
= Red guide line for the vehicle width includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer- ing wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres
will take at the current steering wheel
angle (dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
B Vehicle centre axis (marker assistance)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.25 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
The guide lines are shown when the trans-
mission is in position R.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Additional display for vehicles with PARKTRONIC
: Front warning display
; Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: when PARK-
TRONIC is operational (Y page 205), addi-
tional measurement operational readiness
indicator ;appears in the COMAND display.
If the PARKTRONIC warning displays are
active or light up, warning displays :and =
are also active or light up correspondingly in
the COMAND display.
"Reverse parking" function Reversing straight into a parking space
without turning the steering wheel :
White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
; Red guide line for the vehicle width includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer-
ing wheel angle (dynamic) =
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
? Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.25 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
X Make sure that the reversing camera is
switched on (Y page 212).
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, care-
fully reverse until you reach the end posi-
tion.
Red guide line ?is then at the end of the
parking space. The vehicle is almost paral-
lel 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 includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer-
ing wheel angle (dynamic)
; Parking space marking
X Make sure that the reversing camera is
switched on (Y page 212).
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 park- Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

ing space until red guide line
:reaches
parking space marking ;.
X Keep the steering wheel in that position
and reverse carefully. Reversing with the steering wheel turned
:
Red guide line for the vehicle width includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer-
ing wheel angle (dynamic)
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 possi-
ble. Driving to the final position
:
White guide line at current steering wheel
angle
; Parking space marking
X Turn the steering wheel to the centre posi-
tion while the vehicle is stationary. :
End of parking space
; White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel
= Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.25 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
X Reverse carefully until you have reached
the end position.
Red guide line =is then at end of parking
space :. The vehicle is almost parallel in
the parking space. ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on motorways
and trunk roads. It is active in the 80 km/h to
180 km/h range.
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical indica-
tors of fatigue or increasing lapses in con-
centration on the part of the driver, it sug-
gests taking 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 journey-related parameters, e.g. time of
day, length of journey 214
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

always have priority over the Speed Limit
Assist display.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity of the camera
R the traffic signs are covered, for instance by
dirt, snow or trees
R the traffic signs are poorly illuminated
R there are ambiguous traffic signs, for
instance near roadworks or on multi-lane
roads
Information in the multifunction display Briefly showing detected traffic signs
X Activate the Speed Limit Assist warning
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 237).
When you activate the Speed Limit Assist
warning function, a traffic sign indicating the
speed limit or end of speed limit zone may
appear in the multifunction display. The traffic
sign appears for approximately five seconds
as soon as it is detected. Any other informa-
tion in the multifunction display is hidden for
this period. Permanently showing detected traffic
signs :
Maximum permissible speed (example)
; Maximum permissible speed for vehicles
subject to the restriction in the additional
sign (example)
= Additional character in fog
? Speed Limit Assist is available and
switched on
X Display the assistance graphic using the
on-board computer (Y page 237).
A traffic sign indicating a speed limit or the
end of a speed limit appears in the multi-
function display as soon as it is detected.
Traffic sign indicating a speed limit :is gen-
erally displayed until:
R a traffic sign indicating the end of the speed
limit is detected
R you make a turn
R you leave or enter a town
R the road type changes (e.g. motorway,
country road)
R you have travelled a certain minimum dis-
tance without the traffic sign being repea-
ted or detected again
i You can also activate Speed Limit Assist
using COMAND Online; see the separate
COMAND Online operating instructions.
The maximum permissible speed is shown
in the COMAND display. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Night View Assist Plus
General notes In addition to the illumination provided by the
normal headlamps, Night View Assist Plus
uses infrared light to illuminate the road.
Camera ;of Night View Assist Plus picks up
the infrared light and displays a black and
white image in COMAND. The image shown in COMAND corresponds to a road lit up by
main-beam headlamps. This enables you to
see the road's course and any obstacles in
good time. When pedestrian recognition is
active, pedestrians recognised by the system are visually highlighted in colour in the Night
View Assist Plus display with small frame cor-
ners.
i Infrared light is not visible to the human
eye and therefore does not dazzle. Night
View Assist Plus can therefore remain
switched on even if there is oncoming traf- fic.
In addition, thermal imaging camera :is
integrated in the radiator grille. The camera
helps detect pedestrians and animals.
Observe the notes on cleaning the thermal
imaging camera and cleaning the windscreen (Y page 572).
Important safety notes Night View Assist Plus is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. Do not rely
on the Night View Assist Plus display. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good time. Drive carefully and always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and traffic conditions.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity of the camera
R the thermal imaging camera in the radiator
grille is dirty, misted up or covered
R on bends, on hilltops or in dips
R at high outside temperatures
Night View Assist Plus cannot display objects
directly in front of or beside the vehicle. The
actual distance to objects and pedestrians
cannot be gauged accurately by looking at a
screen.
It may be the case that other objects are
marked or highlighted as well as pedestrians
and animals.
Pedestrian and animal recognition General notes
Pedestrian or animal recognition may be
impaired or inoperative if:
R pedestrians or animals are partially or
entirely obscured by other objects, e.g.
parked vehicles
R the silhouette of the pedestrian or of the
animal in the Night View Assist Plus display
is incomplete or interrupted, e.g. by pow-
erful light reflections
R pedestrians or animals do not contrast with
the surroundings
R the camera system no longer recognises
pedestrians as persons due to special
clothing or other objects
R pedestrians are not in an upright position,
e.g. sitting, squatting or lying
R animals are not recognised by the system,
e.g. because of their size or shape Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z