MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-CLASS ROADSTER 2016 Owners Manual

Opening the fuel filler flap
:Fuel filler flap
;To insert the fuel filler cap
=Tire pressure table
?Instruction label for fuel type to be refu-
eled
XSwitch the engine off.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
XPress the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow:.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
XTurn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise
and remove it.
XInsert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of fuel filler flap ;.
XCompletely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank, hook in place
and refuel.
XOnly fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
iDo not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise,
fuel may leak out.
Closing the fuel filler flap
XReplace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
XClose fuel filler flap :.
iClose the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle.
iIf you are driving with the fuel filler cap
open, the 8reserve fuel warning lamp
flashes. The ;Check Engine warning
lamp may also light up. A message appears
in the multifunction display (
Ypage 230).
For further information on warning and indi- cator lamps in the instrument cluster, see
(
Ypage 249).
Refueling159
Driving and parking
Z

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
GWARNING
Risk of explosion or fire.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0immediately and remove it
(
Ypage 139).
XDo not restart the engine under any circumstances.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
XUnlock the vehicle (Ypage 72).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XUnlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Ypage 74).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
GWARNING
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
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart 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
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
160Parking
Driving and parking

To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe electric parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in positionPand
the transmission position display must
show Pin the multifunction display.
Rthe SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XWith the SmartKey:turn the SmartKey to
position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
7G-TRONIC: the key can only be removed if
the transmission is in position P.
XWith KEYLESS-GO:press the KEYLESS-
GO Start/Stop button (
Ypage 140).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to
SmartKey position 0: "SmartKey removed". If you try to switch off the engine when the
transmission is not in position
P, a message
appears in the multifunction display. A signal
sounds.
Electric parking brake
General notes
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart 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
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised 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 there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll-
ing away.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
iThe electric parking brake performs a
function test at regular intervals while the
engine is switched off. The sounds that can
be heard while this is occurring are normal.
Parking161
Driving and parking
Z

Applyingorreleasing manually
XTo engage: push handle :.
When th eelectric parking brak eis
engaged, th eF (USAonly) or !
(Canada only) red indicator lamp lights up
in th einstrumen tcluster.
iThe electric parking brak ecan also be
applie dwhen th eSmartKey is removed.
XTo release: switch on theignition .
XPull handle :.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in th einstrumen tclus -
te rgoes out .
iThe electric parking brak ecan only be
released:
Rif th eSmartKey is in position 1in th e
ignition loc k (
Ypage 139) or
Rif theignition was switched on usin gth e
Start/Sto pbutto n
Applying automatically (7G-TRONIC)
The electric parking brak eis applie dauto -
matically if:
RDISTRONI CPLU Sbrings th evehicl eto a
standstill or
Rth eHOLD function is keepin gth evehicl e
stationary
In addition ,at least on eof th efollowin gcon-
dition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rtheengin eis switched off .
Rthedriver' sseat belt is no tinserted in th e
belt buckl eand th edriver' sdoor is open .
Rthevehicl eis stationary for alengthy
period.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in th einstrumen tcluste r
lights up.
The electric parking brak eis no tautomati-
call yengage dif th eengin eis switched off by
th eECO start/sto pfunction .
Applying automatically (9G-TRONIC)
The electric parking brak eis automatically
applie dwhen th etransmission is in position P
and :
Rtheengin eis switched off or
Rth edriver is no twearing aseat belt and th e
driver' sdoor is opened.
To preven tth eelectric parking brak efrom
bein gautomatically applied, pull handle :.
The electric parking brak eis also engage d
automatically if:
RDISTRONI C PLUSbrings th evehicl eto a
stand still or
RtheHO LD function is keepin gth evehicl e
stationary
In addition ,at least on eof th efollowin gcon-
dition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rthere isasystem malfunction .
Rthepower suppl yis insufficient.
Rth evehicl eis stationary for alengthy
period.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in th einstrumen tcluste r
lights up.
The electric parking brak eis no tautomati-
call yengage dif th eengin eis switched off by
th eECO start/sto pfunction .
162Parking
Driving and parking

Releasing automatically
The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when all of the following conditions
are fulfilled:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position Dor R.
Rthe driver's seat belt is fastened.
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R, the trunk
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
Rthe driver's door is closed.
Ryou have shifted out of Por you have pre-
viously driven faster than 2 mph (3 km/h).
Ensure that you do not depress the acceler-
ator 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
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
XWhile driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake.
iThe 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:
Ra warning tone sounds
Rthe Please Release Parking Brake
message appears
Rthe red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus- ter flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is engaged.
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
iYou can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements for the coun-
try in which you are driving. Some jurisdic-
tions prohibit the driver from using a mobile
phone while driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
Driving tips163
Driving and parking
Z

unsure,pullover to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear inmind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a dist ance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per
second.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Observe the fol lowing tips to save fuel:
RThe tires should always beinflated to the
recommended tire pressure.
RRemove unnecessary loads.
RWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
RAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
RObserve the service intervals inthe Main-
tenance Booklet or inthe service interval
disp lay. Have all the maintenance work car-
ried inaccordance with Daimler AG regu-
lations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driv-
ing inco ldweather, instop-start traff icand in
hilly terrain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNIN G
Drinking and driving and/o rtaking drug sand
driving are ver ydangerous combinations.
Even asmal lamoun tof alcohol or drug scan
affect your reflexes, perception sand judg-
ment.
The possibilit yof aserious or eve nfatal acci-
den tis greatl yincreased when you drin kor
tak edrug sand drive.
Do no tdrin kor tak edrug sand driv eor allow
anyone to driv ewho has been drinkin gor tak -
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNIN G
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gase ssuc has carbon monoxide. Inhalin g
these exhaust gase sleads to poisoning .Ther e
is aris kof fatal injury. Therefore never leav e
theengin erunnin gin enclosed spaces with-
out sufficien tventilation .
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
theleve l ofpois onous components inexhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exact ly inaccordance with
the manufacturer's specifications. All work
on the engine must becarried out only by
qualif ied and authorized Mercedes-Benz
technicians.
The engine settings must not bechanged
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific service work must becarried out at
regular intervals and inaccordance with the
Mercedes-Benz service requirements. Detai ls
can befound inthe Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display
The ECO display provide s feedbac k on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you inachieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailin g conditions. Your
driving style can significant lyinfluence the
vehicle's consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAccel.
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value isthe average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50 %.A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
164Driving tips
Driving and parking

The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
RAccel.(evaluation of all acceleration pro-
cesses):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessment of driving behavior
at all times):
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes):
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
iAn economical driving style specially
requires driving at moderate engine
speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
and Constant:
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive in drive program E.
iOn long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the highway, only the bar for Constant
will change.
iThe ECO display summarizes the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey
to its completion. For this reason, the bars change dynamically at the beginning of the
journey. On longer journeys, there are
fewer changes. For more dynamic changes,
carry out a manual reset.
For more information on the ECO display, see
(
Ypage 198).
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
Downhill gradients
!On long, steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes. To use
engine braking, shift to a lower gear in good
time. This helps you to avoid overheating
the brakes and wearing them out exces-
sively.
When making use of the engine braking
effect, it is possible that a drive wheel may
not turn for some time, e.g. in the case of
suddenly changing or slippery road surface
conditions. This could cause damage to the
drive train. This type of damage is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, SPEEDTRONIC or DISTRONIC PLUS.
Driving tips165
Driving and parking
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Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine
is running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in
the ignition lock) if the electric parking
brake is being tested on a brake dynamom-
eter (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 62).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
166Driving tips
Driving and parking

pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brake
system (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The high-performance brake system is only
available on Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
RAmbient conditions, e.g. temperature and
humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain more informa-
tion on this from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake system warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and note any brake status messages in the multifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving, it is important to
maintain and have the brake system checked
regularly.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving
through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans-
mission. Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
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.
Driving tips167
Driving and parking
Z

GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gase s
suc has carbon monoxide (CO) may ente rth e
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicl e
become strapped in snow. There is aris kof
fatal injury.
If you leav eth eengin eor th eauxiliary heating
running, mak esur eth eexhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur ean adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethat is no t
facing int oth ewind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinter-proofe dat aquali-
fie dspecialist workshop at th eonset of win -
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yroad
surfaces. Avoid sudde nacceleration ,steering
and brakin gmaneuvers .Do no tuse cruise
control .
If th evehicl ethreaten sto skid or canno tbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
XShift th etransmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gdevice
and is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose .
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtemperatures jus tabov eth efreez -
in g poin tdo no tguarantee that th eroad sur -
fac eis free of ice .The road may still be icy,
especially in w
ooded areas or on bridges
.The
vehicl ecould skid if you fail to adapt your
drivin gstyle. Always adapt your drivin gstyle
and drive at aspee dto suit th eprevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
dition swhen temperatures are around freez -
in g point.
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsnow
chains, see (
Ypage 311).
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsummer
tires ,see (
Ypage 310). Observ
eth enote sin th e"Winte roperation "
section (
Ypage 310).
Driving systems
Cruise Control
Genera l notes
Cruisecontrol maintains aconstan troad
spee dfor you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoi dexceedin gth eset speed. On lon gand
steep downhill gradients ,especially if th e
vehicl eis laden ,you mus tselect alower gear
in goo dtime. By doin gso, you will mak euse of
th ebrakin geffec tof th eengine. This relieves
th eload on th ebrak esystem and prevents
th ebrakes from overheating and wearing to o
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
dition smak eit appropriat eto maintai n a
steady spee dfor aprolonged period. You can
store any road spee dabov e20 mph
(30 km/h).
Import ant safety notes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, cruise
control can neither reduce th eris kof an acci-
den tno roverride th elaws of physics .Cruis e
control canno ttak einto accoun tth eroad ,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruis econtrol
is only an aid. You are responsibl efor th edis-
tance to th evehicl ein front, for vehicl espeed,
for brakin gin goo dtime and for stayin gin
lane.
Do no tuse cruise control :
Rin road and traffic condition swhic hdo no t
allow you to maintai n aconstan tspee de.g.
in heav ytraffic or on windin groad s
Ron slipper yroad surfaces. Braking or accel-
eratin gcould caus eth edrive wheels to lose
traction and th evehicl ecould then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog ,
heav yrain or snow
If there is achang eof drivers, advise th ene w
driver of th espee dstored.
168Driving systems
Driving and parking