engine MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-CLASS ROADSTER 2015 Manual Online

GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter thevehicle. 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 ( Ypage 315). For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( Ypage 314).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( Ypage 314).
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, 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
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If there is a change of drivers, advise the newdriver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
;To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
=To store the current speed or a lowerspeed
?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
RCanada only: e.g. ¯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 :
or down ?.
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).
iCruise 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.
iVehicles 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
GWARNING
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 towardyou =.
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
GWARNING
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.
170Driving systems
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XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :to the
pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for 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 :past
the pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
iCruise 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 :.
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 ConZ
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen 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.
DISTRONIC 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 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 the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
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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 =, up :or down ?.
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 :to the
pressure point for a higher speed, or down ?for 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 speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :past the pressure point for a higher speed, or down
?for 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 thecase.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the
DISTRONICPLUSPassivemes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine 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.
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
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.
174Driving systems
Driving and parking

If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a riskof 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 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),
DISTRONIC 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
GWARNING
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 ( Ypage 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 servicebrake.
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.
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
X Immediately depress the brake firmly until
the warning message in the multifunction
display goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is deac-
tivated.
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Driving and parking
Z

Shift to 'P'Shift to 'P'
XShift 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
DISTRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
iIf 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
GWARNING
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 =.
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 :to the
pressure point for a higher speed or down ?for 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 :past
the pressure point for a higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
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
176Driving systems
Driving and parking

XSelect theAssistance Graphicfunction
using the on-board computer ( Y page 203).
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate
DISTRONIC PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
GWARNING
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
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the
DISTRONICPLUSOffmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
iDISTRONIC 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,R or 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 DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Offmessage in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec- onds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
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. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking

Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!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
Deactivating the HOLD function( Y page 181).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
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 hood is closed
R the electric parking brake is released
R the selector lever is in position D,R or Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :
HOLDappears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf 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 automati-
cally if: R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position Pon
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until
HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function 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.
Driving systems181
Driving an d parking
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Brake ImmediatelyBrake Immediately
XImmediately depress the brake firmly until
the warning message in the multifunction
display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
In vehicles with automatic transmission:
Shift to 'P'Shift to 'P'.
X Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
The horn will also sound at regular intervals if the HOLD function 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 the
HOLD function is still activated. If you attempt to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOLD func- tion is deactivated.
iIf the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R move the selector lever to position D,R or
N on vehicles with automatic transmission
R release the electric parking brake.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lowerspeeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con- sideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loadingramps.
182Driving systems
Driving and parking

The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted between the roll bars.
The warning display for each side of the vehi- cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selector lever position or selected auto-
matic transmission position and the direction
in which the vehicle is rolling determine which
warning display is active when the engine is
running.
Manual transmission:
Gear lever posi- tionWarning display
Forwards gear or
NeutralFront area activated
Reverse gear or
the vehicle is rolling backwardsRear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission:
Transmission positionWarning display
DFront area activated
R ,N or the vehicle
is rolling back- wardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle. From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :is on then PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti- vated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
184Driving systems
Driving and parking