engine MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-CLASS ROADSTER 2016 Manual PDF

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
Z

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

Cruise control lever
Cruisecontrol leve r
:
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 lower
speed
?To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
RUSA 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
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?.
XRemove 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:
RAlways drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
RChange gear in good time.
RIf 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.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever toward
you =.
XRemove 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 to
a 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.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
Driving systems169
Driving and parking
Z

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.
XTo 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:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ron vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
Ryou 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‐
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. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically to avoid exceeding the set
speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
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.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/ h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
170Driving system s
Driving an d parking

This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
Rbe 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
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To set the specified minimum distance
=To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
?To store the current speed or a lower
speed
ATo 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 damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Ryour vehicle must not be secured by the
electric parking brake.
RESP®must be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe hood must be closed.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromPto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door must be closed.
Rthe vehicle must not skid.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =, up :or down ?.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
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.
or
XTo adjust the speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :past
172Driving systems
Driving and parking

Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe 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.
Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS (Ypage 176).
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.
Vehicles with 7G-TRONIC:
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
maticall y s
witched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
Rthe hood is opened.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe 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
XImmediately depress the brake firmly until
the warning message in the multifunction display goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is deac-
tivated.
Vehicles with 7G-TRONIC: 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:
Rswitch the engine off, open the driver's
door and remove your seat belt.
Ropen 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.
Vehicles with 9G‑TRONIC:
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically.
174Driving system s
Driving an d parking

There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards:.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
PLUSOffmessage 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:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door is open
Rthe vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message 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. Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend
The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles traveling on a different line
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
traveling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lanes
Driving systems177
Driving and parking
Z

XIf indicator lamp:is not lit:press but-
ton ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
Comfort tuning
Select comfort mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style.
XIf indicator lamp :is lit:press but-
ton ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a comfortable driv-
ing style.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
When leaving the veh icle,it can still roll away
despite being braked bythe HOLD function if:
Rthere isa malfunction inthe system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g.bya veh icleoccupant.
Rthe electrical system inthe engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There isa 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 damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (
Ypage 180) .
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto- matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z