MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2018 Owner's Manual

EEconomy
(vehicles with
adjustable
damping)Particularly economical
driving characteristics
CV CURVE
(vehicles with
Active Body
Control)Particularly economical
driving characteristics with
cornering function
Additional information for drive programs
(Ypage 134).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
General information
Select the drive program using the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller.
Available drive programs:
I IndividualIndividual settings
C ComfortComfort-oriented, opti-
mum-economy engine and
transmission settings
SSportSporty engine and trans-
mission settings
S+ Sport PlusParticularly sporty trans-
mission settings
RaceMaximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Depending on the drive program selected the
following vehicle characteristics will change:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
RESP®
Rthe suspension
Rthe steering
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop function
Rthe driver assistance systems
Rthe availability of gliding mode
Further information for automatic drive program
characteristics (
Ypage 134). Additionally, in drive program
Iyou can config-
ure the respective vehicle characteristics using
the multimedia system. You can find informa-
tion about this in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program Cis
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 123).
Selecting the drive program
XTurn DYNAMIC SELECT controller :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The symbol of the selected drive program is
shown in the multifunction display.
In addition, the current drive program settings
are displayed briefly in the multimedia system
display.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :lights up in red.
Additional information for drive programs
(
Ypage 134).
DYNAMIC SELEC T controller (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)129
Driving and parking
Z

Additional settings
:ECO start/stopfunction (Ypage 125)
;ESP®(Ypage 65 )
=Suspension (Ypage 166)
?Permanentactivation of manual gearshifting
(Ypage 136)
When you press buttons :-? thecorre-
sponding setting is selected. The DYNAMIC
SELECT controller setting is overwritten.
These setting swill also be maintaine dif you
switch to drive program RACE,S+, Sor Cwit h
th eDYNAMIC SELECT controller .
If you switch to drive program I,all store dchar-
acteristics will be accepted. This is also th ecas e
if you hav epreviously presse dbuttons :-?.
Aut oma tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
Selector lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AM G vehi-
cles)
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is in motion ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom htok, from ktoh
or directl yto j.
Do no topen th edriver's door while th evehi-
cle is in motion .At low speeds in transmission
position hork, otherwise park position j
is engage dautomatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
jPark position
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
The selector lever always return sto it soriginal
position .The curren ttransmission position j,
k, iorh is shown in th etransmission posi-
tion display in th emultifunction display.
Mercedes-AM G vehicles
!If theengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is in motion ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom htok, from ktoh
or directl yto j.
Do no topen th edriver's door while th evehi-
cle is in motion .At low speeds in transmission
position hork, otherwise park position j
is engage dautomatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
130Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

jPark position
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
The selector lever always returns to its original
position. The current transmission position j,
k, iorh is shown in the transmission posi-
tion display in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
:Transmission position
;Drive program The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
In addition to drive program
;being shown in
the multifunction display, the currently selected
drive program is indicated in red on the
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (
Ypage 129).
Engaging park position P
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPress button :.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPress button:.
Automatic transmission131
Driving and parking
Z

Engaging park position P automatically
Park positionjis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
Ryou open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position hork
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position jif the HOLD function or Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the infor-
mation on the HOLD function (
Ypage 160) and
on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Ypage 154).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only move the automatic transmission to
k when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 125).
Shifting to neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies to mobile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app.
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever forwards or back to
the first point of resistance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to jautomatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to jautomatically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral i, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a
towing system:
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles: switch the ignition on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XEngage neutral i.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
XPush the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
132Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Transmission positions
BPark position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion B (
Ypage 130) when the
vehicle is stationary. The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
If the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock, the transmission is
locked.
The automatic transmission shifts to B automatically:
Rwhen the SmartKey is removed
from the ignition lock
Rwhen the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
Cor7 and one of the doors
is opened
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position B. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion C when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to A
while driving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal will allow
you to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Aif
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
!Coasting in neutral imay
cause damage to the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position h. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Automatic transmission133
Driving an d parking
Z

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress theaccelerato rpedal beyon dth e
pressur epoint.
The automatic transmission shift sto alower
gear depending on th eengin espeed.
XEas eoff th eaccelerato rpedal once th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmission shift sbac kup.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Dri veprogram C(Com fort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forward
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
pedal is depressed fully.
Rlow fuel consumption resulting from th eauto -
matic transmission shifting up sooner. The
vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espee drange
and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rthesuspension exhibits comfortable damping
settings.
Rth esteering exhibits acomfortable steering
curve.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66).
iSelec tthis drive progra mfor difficult roa d
conditions, e. g. snow and ice or wet road sur -
faces.
Dri veprogram S(Sport )
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rthevehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmission shift sup later, th e
fuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits fir mdamping set -
tings.
Rth esteering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Driveprogram S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive progra mS+ is characterized by th efol -
lowing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits particularly sport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmission shift sup later, th e
fuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automatic transmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits particularly fir m
damping setting s(vehicles wit hadaptive
adjustable damping).
Rth esuspension exhibits fir mdamping set -
ting s(vehicles wit hActive Body Control).
Rth esteering exhibits asport ysteering curve.
RES P®emphasize sth evehicle's own over-
steering and understeering characteristics .
This enables amor eactive drivin gstyle. This
drive progra mrequire sincreased driver inter-
action .Fo rfurther information about ES P
®,
see (Ypage 66) .
iOnly select this drive progra mif th eroa d
condition sare good, e.g. th eroa dis dry and
th erout eahead is clearly visible.
Dri veprogram I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowin gproperties of th e
drive progra mcan be select ed:
Rthedrive (engin eand transmission manage-
ment)
Rth esuspension
Rth esteering
Rth econtrol threshold sof ES P®
Information about configuring drive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
134Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Vehicles with adaptive adjustable damp-
ing: drive program E (Economy)
Drive programEis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rthe suspension exhibits comfortable damping
settings.
Rthe steering exhibits a comfortable steering
curve.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is disconnec- ted from the drive train. The vehicle uses
kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromise
between traction and stability. For further
information about ESP
®, see (Ypage 66).
Vehicles with Active Body Control: drive
program CURVE
CURVE drive program is characterized by the
following:
Rincreased driving comfort on bends.
Rthe vehicle tilts actively into the bend. Further
information on the cornering function
(
Ypage 164).
Rthe vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
ped
al is depressed fully.
Rcomfortable suspension setting.
Rthe steering exhibits a comfortable steering
curve.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Rduring deceleration, the engine is disconnec-
ted from the drive train. The vehicle uses kinetic energy and consumes less fuel (coast-
ing mode).
RESP®provides the optimum compromise
between traction and stability. For further
information about ESP
®, see (Ypage 66).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
RACE drive program
The RACE drive program is characterized by the
following:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
Rthe gearshift recommendation gives you
information for slowly warming up the drive
assemblies and for adopting a fuel-efficient
driving style (
Ypage 136). You can follow the
gearshift recommendations at all times and
shift gear accordingly using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. On the basis of the
gearshift recommendation, using the steering
wheel paddle shifters, you can optimize the
drive train and engine operating mode at any
time.
Rif you have selected a gear manually, this will
be maintained until the vehicle speed increa-
ses or decreases dramatically.
Rthe vehicle pulls away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later, the
fuel consumption possibly being higher as a
result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly firm
damping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
RESP®switches to SPORT handling mode. The
M SPORT handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The SPORT
HandlingModemessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display. Observe the important
safety notes for the SPORT handling mode
(
Ypage 67).
RESP®only improves driving stability to a limi-
ted degree. The engine's torque is only
restricted to a limited degree and the drive
wheels can spin. For further information
about ESP
®, see (Ypage 67).
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

Drive program S+ (SportPlus)
Drive progra mS+ is characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits particularl ysport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later, th e
fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl yfir m
dampin gsettings.
Rglidin gmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program S(Sport)
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rthevehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later, th e
fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as a
result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl yfir m
dampin gsettings.
Rglidin gmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program C(Comfort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl edeliver scomfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
The vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espeed
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis available.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is available.
RES P®provides th eoptimum compromise
between traction and stability. Fo rfurther
information about ES P
®,see (Ypage 66) .
Drive program I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin emanagement)
Rth etransmissio nmanagemen t
RESP®
Rthesuspensio n
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Dig
ital Operator' sManual.
iTo permanentl yselect th egear sin drive
progra mIusin gth esteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifters ,select th eM (manual) setting fo rth e
transmission.
Manua lgea rshifting
General notes
You can chang egear yourself usin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters .The transmissio nmus tbe
in position hto do this.
Dependin gon whic hsteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifter is pulled, th eautomati ctransmissio n
immediately shift sinto th enext gear down or
up, if permitted.
To use manual shifting, you hav etw ooptions:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activat emanual gearshifting, th emulti-
function display will sho wthecurren tgear
instead of transmissio nposition h.
If manual gearshiftin gis deactivated, th egear s
will be selected automatically.
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Temporary setting
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to h.
XPull steering wheel paddle shifter :or;.
The temporary setting is active for a certain
amount of time. Under certain conditions, the
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during overrun
mode or when driving on steep terrain.
XTo deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;and hold it in place.
or
XUse the lever to switch the transmission posi-
tion.
or
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to
change the drive program.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram.
Permanent setting
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo activate: shift the selector lever to h.
XPress button:.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to h.
XPress button:.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XIf position D (automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro-
gram I: shift to drive program Iwith the
DYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
XTo shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
If the maximum engine speed in the currently engaged gear is reached and you continue to
accelerate, the automatic transmission auto-
Automatic transmission137
Driving an d parking
Z

matically shifts up in order to prevent engine
damage.
XTo shift down:pull steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine were to exceed the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
!If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-
vated, the automatic transmission does not
shift up automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
XTo shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
XTo shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine were to exceed the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!If manual gearshifting is permanently acti-
vated, the automatic transmission does not
shift up automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
138Automatic transmission
Driving and parking