bonnet MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER 2012 User Guide

DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by a passenger
or fro
moutside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the elec-
tric parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g .bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave th evehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tis 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.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically 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 bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunctioning,
the multifunction display may also show a
warning message.
Brake immediately X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated.
Select Park (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 take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
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. 160
Driving systemsDriving and parking

stored even if you remove the key from the
ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode if you want to
experience direct contact with the road sur-
face, when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
X If 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 style of driving.
X
If 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:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
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 if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the electric parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
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 ëdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake. G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the elec-
tric parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator peda lorthe
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted 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 bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunctioning,
the multifunction display may also show a
warning message.
Brake immediately X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. This deactivates the
HOLD function.
In vehicles with automatic transmission:
Select Park (P) .
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
Ah orn 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 take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
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. 166
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
# The battery is no
tbeing charged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
Possible causes:
R faulty alternator
R torn poly-V-belt
R a malfunction in the electronics
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 4
Check eng. oil
lev. when next
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to the minimum level.
Aw
arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kthe oil level when next refuelling, at the latest
(Y page 250).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 250).
X Have the engine checked at a qualified specialist workshop if
the engine oil needs topping up more often than usual. 8
Reserve fuel level The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. C There is only a very small amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station without fail. 212
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Vehicle
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
To start engine,
shift to either P
or N You have attempted to start the engine with the transmission in
position
Ror D.
X Shift the transmission to position Por N. P
Select Park (P) A malfunction has occurred while the HOLD function or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is active.
At
one may also sound at regular intervals. The tone becomes
louder if you attempt to lock the vehicle.
You cannot start the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
You can restart the engine. N The boot lid is open.
X
Close the boot lid. M G
Risk of accident
The bonnet is open. Awarning tone also sounds.
X Pull ove rand stop the vehicle safely as soo nas possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Engage the electric parking brake.
X Close the bonnet. Active bonnet mal‐
function See Own‐
er's Manual The active bonnet (pedestrian protection) is not active due to a
malfunction or because it has already been triggered
(Y
page 248).
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. C At least one door is open.
Awarning tone also sounds.
X Close all doors. J
Close boot separa‐
tor The boot separato
ris open.
X Close the boot separator (Y page 80).220
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviations are possible. Please
note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all features described. This also
applies to safety-relevan tsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 22).Engine compartment
Bonnet
Active bonnet (pedestrian protection) Operating principle
The active bonne tcan reduce the ris kofinjury
to pedestrians in certain accident situations.
Raising the active bonnet increases the clear-
ance to hard components, such as the engine.
If the active bonnet has been triggered, it will
be raised in the area of the bonnet hinges by
approximatel y85 mm. The active bonnet is
triggered by pyrotechnics.
! An active bonnet that had bee ntriggered
must be repaired at a qualified specialist
workshop. The active bonnet function will
then be available again. The additional
pedestrian protection provided by the
active bonnet will then be restored.
For the drive to the workshop, reset the trig-
gered active bonnet yourself. If the active
bonnet has been triggered, pedestrian pro-
tection may be limited.
Resetting G
WARNING
There is a risk of injury if the bonnet is open,
even if the engine is not running. Some engine components can become very
hot.
To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those
components described in the Owner's Manual
and observe the relevant safety notes. X
With yourh and flat near the bonne thinges
(arrows), push down active bonnet :until
you feel it engage.
If you can raise the active bonnet slightly at
the rear beside the bonnet hinges, it is not
engaged correctly. Repeat the step. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
as you close the bonnet.
Opening the bonnet G
WARNING
Do not pull the release lever while the vehicle
is in motion. If you do so, the bonnet may open
up and block your view. G
WARNING
There is a risk of injury if the bonnet is open,
even if the engine is not running.
Some engine components can become very
hot.
To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those
components described in the Owner's Manual
and observe the relevant safety notes. 248
Engine compartmentMaintenance and care

G
WARNING
The radiator fan between the radiator and the
engine can start automatically, even if the key
has been removed from the ignitio nlock. For
this reason, you must not reach into the fan
rotation area. You could otherwise be injured.
Vehicles with apetrol engine: The elec-
tronic ignitio nsystem uses high voltage. For
this reason, you mus tnever touch ignition
system components (ignition coil, ignition
cables, spark plug connectors or test socket)
while:
R the engine is running
R the engine is being started
R the ignition is switched on and the engine
is being cranked by hand
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
Vehicles with adiesel engine: The elec-
tronic injection control uses high voltage. For
this reason, you must never touch injection
system components while:
R the engine is running
R the engine is being started
R the ignition is switched on
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
X Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. G
WARNING
The windscreen wipers and wiper linkage
could be set in motion.
When the bonnet is open, you or others could
be injured by the wiper linkage.
Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. Remove the key or make sure
that no ignition position has been selected
with KEYLESS-GO. All indicator lamps must be
off in the instrument panel. X
Pull release lever :on the bonnet.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
not folded away from the windscreen .Oth-
erwise, you could damage the windscreen
wipers or the bonnet. X
Reach into the gap, pull bonnet catch han-
dle ;up and lift the bonnet.
If you lift the bonnet by approximately
40 cm, the bonnet is opened and held open
automatically by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the bonnet G
WARNING
Make sure tha tnobody can become trapped
as you close the bonnet. Engine compartment
249Maintenance and care Z

X
Lower the bonnet and let it fall from a
heightofa pproximately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with a little more force. Radiator
i Vehicles with adiesel engine: do not
cover the radiator. Do not use thermal
mats, insect protection covers or anything
similar. Doing so can cause the Onboard
Diagnostics System to display inaccurate
values. Some of these values are legally
required and must be correct. Engine oil
Notes on oil level Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sumes up to 0.
8lof oil per 1,000 km .The oil
consumption may be higher than this when
the vehicle is new or if you frequently drive at
high engine speeds.
AMG vehicles: before operation on race
tracks, check the oil level and (Y page 250)
top up if necessary (Y page 250). Race track
operation is only permitted with a maximum
engine oil level.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be installed at a different location.
When checking the oil level:
R park the vehicle on a level surface.
R the engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature.
R if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature, e.g. if the engine was only
started briefly: wait about 30 minutes
before carrying out the measurement. Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick
Example: vehicles with a petrol engine
Example: vehicles with a diesel engine
X
Pull oil dipstick :out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick :.
X Slowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark =and
MAX mark ;, the oil level is correct.
X If the oil level has dropped to MIN mark
= or below, add 0.5to 1.0litre of engine
oil.
Adding engine oil G
WARNING
If engine oil comes into contact with hot
engine parts, it may ignite and you could burn
yourself. Do not spill any engine oil on hot
engine parts. 250
Engine compartmentMaintenance and care

G
WARNING
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for yourv ehicle by
Mercedes-Benz .These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event
of an accident.
To prevent acid burns, observe the following
safety notes when handling batteries:
R do not lean over the battery.
R do not place any metal objects on a battery.
Otherwise, you could cause a short circuit
and the battery's gas mixture could ignite.
R make sure that you do not create an elec-
trostatic charge, e.g. by wearing synthetic
clothing or as a result of friction on fabrics.
Therefore, you should not pull or slide the
battery over carpets or other synthetic
materials.
R never touch the battery first. To discharge
a possible electrostatic charge, step out of
the vehicle first and touch the bodywork.
R do not wipe the battery using a cloth. The
battery may explode as a result of electro-
static charge or due to flying sparks.
! Switch off the engine and remove the key
before disconnecting the terminal clamps
from the battery. On vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO, make sure that the ignition is
switched off. Check that all the indicator
lamps in the instrumentc luster are off.You
may otherwise destroy electronic compo-
nents, such as the alternator.
i When you park the vehicle, remove the
key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little
energy, thus conserving battery power.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you do not
carry out work on batteries yourself, e.g.
removing or charging. Have this work per-
formed at a qualified specialist workshop. Installation location of the battery
Your vehicle is equipped with a battery in the
engine compartment.Iti s located on the front
bulkhead under the water tank on the right-
hand side of the vehicle when viewed in the
direction of travel.
X Apply the electric parking brake and shift
the transmission to position P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g.
radio, blower, etc.).
X Turn the key to position 0(Ypage 127) in
the ignition lock and remove it, or, on vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, make sure that the
ignition has been switched off
(Y page 127). All indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster must be off.
X Open the bonnet (Y page 248). X
Turn fasteners ;a quarter of a turn.
X Remove water tank :.
The battery is located under water
tank :. Disconnecting the battery
! Always disconnect the battery in
the order described below. Never swap the
terminal clamps. You may otherwise dam-
age the vehicle electronics.
In vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehicle
is secured against rolling away. You can
then no longer move the vehicle. 274
BatteryBreakdown assistance

:
Battery
; Negative terminal
= Positive terminal
X Loosen the negative terminal clamp on the
battery and remove it.
X Remove the cover from the positive termi-
nal clamp.
X Loosen the positive terminal clamp on the
battery and remove it.
X Remove the breathe rhose from the side of
the battery. Removing/fitting the battery
X To remove: disconnect the battery
(Y page 274).
X Loosen the bolt that holds the battery in
place.
X Remove the battery.
X To fit: follow the steps described in "To
remove" in reverse order. Reconnecting the battery
! Always connect the battery in the order
described below. Never swap the terminal
clamps. You may otherwise damage the
vehicle electronics.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g.
radio, blower, etc.).
X Connect the positive terminal clamp and
secure the cover.
X Connect the negative terminal clamp. X
Put the water tank back in place.
X Close the bonnet.
i If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if you reconnect the battery, you will
have to:
R set the clock; see the separate operating
instructions.
On vehicles with COMAND Online and a
navigation system, the clock is set auto-
matically.
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once (Y page 95) Charging the battery
G
WARNING
Only charge the battery in a well-ventilated
area. As the battery is being charged, gases
can escape and generate minor explosions.
This could injure you and other persons or
cause damage to the paintwork or acid cor-
rosion on the vehicle.
You can obtain information on battery charg-
ers which allow the battery to be charged
while still installed from a qualified specialist
workshop. G
WARNING
There is a risk of acid burns during the charg-
ing process due to the gases which escape
from the battery. Do not lean over the battery
during the charging process. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact with the
skin, eyes or clothing.
! Only charge the installed battery with a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged
while still installed in the vehicle. Battery
275Breakdown assistance Z