MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-Class 2015 R172 Owner's Manual

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.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
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.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise
control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
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 freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face 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 con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 313).
For more information on driving with summer tires, see (Y page 312).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 312). 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 relievesthe 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 canstore any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, Driving systems
169Driving and parking Z

for braking in good time and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could 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
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
0087 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
0085 To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
R USA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles CRUISE 55 Miles
R Canada only: e.g. 00B290 Km/h
90 Km/h Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining a speed
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up 0043
or down 0085.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R Always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R Change gear in good time.
R If possible, do not shift down several
gears at a time.
Storing or calling up a speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever toward
you 0087.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed G
WARNING
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed toa value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043to the
pressure point for a higher speed or
down 0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043past
the pressure point for a higher speed or
down 0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking. Deactivating cruise control
Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or
X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you engage the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
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 dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. DIS- Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

TRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially 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.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front, DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle. It
maintains the preset distance to the vehicle infront.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar
sensor system must be operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automotive radar system only. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter- ference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden- tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly 172
Driving systemsDriving and parking

There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions. DIS- TRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are respon-
sible for the distance to the vehicle in front,
for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could 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
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line. In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect- edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed.
This speed may:
R be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
R be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
R be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To set the specified minimum distance
0087 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

0085
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
0083 To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS; storing,
maintaining and calling up a speed Important safety notes
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol- lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R your vehicle must not be secured by the
electric parking brake.
R ESP ®
must be activated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the hood must be closed.
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 skid.
Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087, or press it up 0043or down 0085.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043to the pressure point for a higher speed or
down
0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
or X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043past
the pressure point for a higher speed or
down 0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
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.
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h) , you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is no longer detected and
displayed, for example because it has
changed lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS is deactiva-
ted. You will hear a warning tone if this is the
case.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Inactive
DISTRONIC PLUS Inactive
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Pulling away and driving
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary. 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
It maintains the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and the distance warning lamp will light up in theinstrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance from the vehi-
cle in front, or take evasive action, provided it
is safe to do so.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up to the speed you have stored.
Changing lanes
If you wish to change to the passing lane (in
countries where traffic drives on the right, the passing lane is the left-hand lane), DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/ h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you have switched on the corresponding
turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 178).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake. After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever. Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS 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 the hood is opened.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If there is a malfunction in the vehicle elec-
tronics, a warning message may also appear
in the multifunction display.
Brake Immediately
Brake Immediately
X Immediately depress the brake firmly until
the warning message in the multifunction
display goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is deac- tivated.
Shift to 'P'
Shift to 'P'
X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated. The warn-
ing message in the multifunction display
disappears.
The horn will also sound at regular intervals if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and remove your seat belt.
R open the hood.
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until DISTRONIC
PLUS has been deactivated. Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the speed set.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043to the
pressure point for a higher speed or
down 0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043past
the pressure point for a higher speed or
down 0085for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced. 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func- tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 177).
Make sure that you maintain a sufficiently
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if neces-
sary. Cruise control lever
X To increase: turn control0087toward 0044.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control0087toward 0043.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front. DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster Displays in the speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
0044in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front, segments 0044between speed of the vehicle in
front 0043and stored speed 0087light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated 0043
Vehicle in front, if detected
0044 Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
0087 Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
0085 Own vehicle Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

X
Select the Assistance Graphic
Assistance Graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 203).
In the Assistance menu of the on-board com- puter, you can also activate or deactivate
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 203).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted 0043
Vehicle in front, if detected
0044 Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
0087 Own vehicle
0085 DISTRONIC PLUS activated
X Select the Assistance Graphic Assistance Graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 203).
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated and releases the brakes if the vehicle is slowed down to a
speed below 20 mph (30km/h) by the system,
provided that DISTRONIC PLUS does not
detect a vehicle directly in front. At this point,
the driver must apply the brakes in order to
slow down further and bring the vehicle to a
standstill. Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
DISTRONIC PLUS PLUSOff
Offmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel- erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if: R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer detec-
ted
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking