transmission MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2016 Owner's Guide

Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
it is only partially
possible to engage the gears, or the transmission is in position N.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to shift into secondgear
and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: ifD is selected, the transmission shifts
into second gear; ifRis selected, the transmission shifts into
reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refuelling. G
WARNING
Fuels are poisonous and hazardous to health. There is a danger of injury.
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale fuel
vapours. Keep fuels out of the reach of chil-
dren. If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash the fuel off any affected areas of skin
with water and soap immediately.
R If you get fuel in your eyes, rinse them thor-
oughly with clean water immediately. Seek
immediate medical attention.
R If fuel is swallowed, seek immediate medi-
cal attention. Do not induce vomiting.
R Change any clothing that has come into
contact with fuel immediately. G
WARNING
Electrostatic charge can cause sparks and
thereby ignite fuel vapours. There is a risk of
fire and explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. This discharges any electrostatic
charge that may have built up. Refuelling
151Driving and parking Z

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
There is a risk of fire or explosion. X Turn the key to position 0immediately and remove it (Y page 132).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
X Unlock the vehicle (Y page 77). The key battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element (Y page 79).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle
components. In particular, do not park on dry grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied
R the transmission must be in position P
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R the front wheels must be turned towards the
kerb on steep uphill or downhill gradients Switching off the engine
G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi- Parking
153Driving and parking
Z

cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 142).
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With KEYLESS-GO: press the Start/Stop
button (Y page 132).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to key position 1. When the driver's
door is open, this corresponds to key position
0 (Y page 132).
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for about three seconds. This func-
tion operates independently of the ECO start/
stop automatic engine switch-off function. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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. The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or if there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake.
X If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it from
rolling away.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or if there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake carries out a function
check at regular intervals when the engine is
switched off. Noises that occur are normal.
Applying or releasing manually X
To apply: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red !indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be released:
R when the key is in position 1in the ignition
lock (Y page 132) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button 154
ParkingDriving and parking

Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position P
and:
R the engine is switched off or
R the driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
To prevent the electric parking brake from being automatically applied, pull handle :.
The electric parking brake is also applied auto-
matically if:
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brings the vehicle
to a standstill or
R the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle sta-
tionary
In addition, at least one of the following condi-
tions must be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off
R the driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
R there is a system malfunction
R the power supply is insufficient
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake is released automat-
ically when all of the following conditions are
fulfilled:
R the engine is running
R the transmission is in position Dor R
R the driver's seat belt is fastened
R you depress the accelerator pedal
If the transmission is in position R, the boot lid
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed
R you have shifted out of Por you have previ-
ously driven faster than 3 km/h
Ensure that you do not depress the accelerator
pedal unintentionally. Otherwise, the parking brake will be released and the vehicle will start
to move.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an emer-
gency by using the electric parking brake.
X While driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake.
The vehicle is braked for as long as the handle of the electric parking brake is pressed. The
longer the electric parking brake handle is
depressed, the greater the braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release parking brake
Release parking brake message
appears
R the red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is applied. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
X Contact a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably Driving tips
155Driving and pa rking
Z

Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
! Take care not to damage the sealing strip
and the moulding on the side of the rear win- dow when scraping ice off the rear window.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres. Do not use
cruise control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your driving style. Always adapt your driving style and drive at a speed to
suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on driving with snow chains (Y page 307).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 306).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 306). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select a lower gear in good time.
By doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can set any
road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. Cruise control can-
not take road, weather and traffic conditions
into account. Cruise control is only an aid. You
are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for maintaining lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
heavy traffic or winding roads.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
may cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow. Driving systems
159Driving and parking Z

Setting a speed
X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the
desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
X Brake. or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control lever lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R Brake Assist intervenes
R you shift from transmission position D.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes Distance Pilot DISTRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes auto-
matically to avoid exceeding the set speed or to
maintain the designated distance from the vehi- cle in front.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing
too quickly.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent a colli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately
to increase the distance to the vehicle driving in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is safe
to do so.
For Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational. Driving systems
161Driving and parking Z

Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
:
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower speed
B To switch between Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and variable limiter
C To deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
You can operate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and
the variable limiter with the cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp =
= off: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable limiter is
selected.
Selecting Distance Pilot DISTRONIC X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
selected. Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
and storing, maintaining and calling up
a speed Important safety notes
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door must be closed.
R the vehicle must not be skidding.
Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down A.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed up :or
down Auntil the desired speed is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the Distance Pilot passive Distance Pilot passive mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. The position of the accelerator pedal will determine the
speed.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 30 km/h. Driving systems
163Driving and parking Z

i
The following function is not operational in
all countries.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC uses additional infor- mation from your navigation system so that it
can adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following a vehicle, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detection
range, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current map
data in the navigation system.
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to the
speed you set.
The system takes into account the fact that
overtaking on the right is not permitted on
motorways or high-speed major roads at speeds
above 80 km/h. The driving speed is adjusted to the speed of the queue of vehicles in the adja-
cent lane to the left.
i Prevention of overtaking on the right applies
to countries where traffic drives on the right.
In countries where traffic drives on the left,
overtaking on the left is prevented accord-
ingly.
Stopping If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake. After a short period, the vehicle is
secured by the electric parking brake, thus
relieving the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function R
a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the
desired speed is reached or press the cruise
control lever repeatedly until the desired
speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated and adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance for
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function you can set the minimum distance that Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi-
cle in front, dependent on vehicle speed. You
can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play (Y page 166).
The specified minimum distance can be
changed when Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is acti- vated or deactivated.
Make sure that you maintain a sufficient and
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z

Deactivating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights up.
When you deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC,
the Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off message will appear
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is not deactivated
if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac- tivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec-
tric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door is open
R the vehicle has skidded If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically
deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. The
Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off message will appear in
the multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must be particularly attentive. In such situations, brake if
necessary. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC will then
be deactivated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend The ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to
detect vehicles when cornering is limited. Your
vehicle may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles which are not driving in the mid-
dle of their lane Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect vehi-
cles which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will be
too short. Driving syste
ms
167Driving an d parking Z

Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
R you depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until HOLD HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.
R you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position P automatically. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, outside
of public road use.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑ AMG vehicles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tyres and vehicle being in good condition. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 62).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP ®
(Y page 67). Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z