manual transmission MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER 2014 User Guide

Manual transmission
X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral N.
i You can only start the engine when the
clutch pedal is fully depressed.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position indicator in the
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the key X
To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 141)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 141).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3
(Y page 141) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
i To start the engine using the key instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button
out of the ignition lock.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine i
The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the key into the ignition lock. The key must
be in the vehicle and the Start/Stop button must be inserted in the ignition lock. This
mode for starting the engine operates inde- pendently of the ECO start/stop automatic
engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X To start a petrol engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 141).
The engine starts.
X To start a diesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 141).
Preglow is activated and the engine starts. Pulling away
Manual transmission !
Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam- age the vehicle.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Release the electric parking brake
(Y page 163).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal.
i Follow the shift recommendations in the
multifunction display for an economical
driving style (Y page 152).
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock- ing feature (Y page 216).
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R, 144
DrivingDriving and parking

ECO symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
In vehicles with a colour multifunction dis-
play, the èECO symbol appears in yel-
low in the multifunction display after the
fourth automatic engine start. When the
è ECO symbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display, automatic engine
switch-off is again possible.
i AMG vehicles:
the number of consecu-
tive automatic engine stops is unlimited.
i The HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic
stop phase. When you depress the accel-
erator pedal, the engine starts automati-
cally and the braking effect of the HOLD
function is deactivated.
Vehicles with manual transmission The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X Brake the vehicle.
X Engage neutral N(follow gearshift instruc-
tion :to engage neutral N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the engine automatically. Automatic engine start Operation
The engine is started automatically if:
R
you deactivate the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R you engage reverse gear R
R you switch to drive program Sor M(AMG
vehicles)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Vehicles with manual transmission
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal fully
R depress the accelerator pedal
Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if you: R release the brake pedal in transmission
position Dor Nwhen the HOLD function is
not active
R depress the accelerator pedal
R move the transmission out of position P
i Shifting the transmission to position
P
does not start the engine. Driving
147Driving an d parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be on and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 283). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting between
5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch. Gear lever
k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Select neutral N.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left,
beyond the point of resistance, then for-
wards. Manual transmission
151Driving and parking Z

Program selector button
General notes Example: program selector button
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 156).
In addition to permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 155).
On AMG vehicles, drive program Eis called
drive program C. E
Economy
C Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program E(drive program
C in AMG vehicles) each time the engine is
started.
i AMG vehicles:
when in drive program C
and under low load, the engine operates on
just four cylinders. This is the case in urban
traffic or on a country road, for example. This reduces fuel consumption. Cylinder
shut-off is inactive in drive programs
Sand
M, so that the engine will operate with all
eight cylinders.
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 155). Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever (Y page 155).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Ypage 156).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Ypage 155).
i The full range of functions of the steering
wheel gearshift paddles is available only
once the operating temperature is reached.
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D.154
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S Drive program
E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) is characterised by the following:
R comfort-orientated engine and transmis-
sion settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles. The transmission must be
in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
i In addition to temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro- gram M(Y page 154).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 156). Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting X Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts up to the next
gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
Gearshift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster. Automatic trans
mission
155Driving an d parking Z

Downshifting
X Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts down to the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine damage by not shifting down.
i Automatic downshifting occurs when
coasting.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M, it will remain active for a certain amount of time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel gear-
shift paddle and hold it in place
(Y page 154).
or
X Use the lever to switch the transmission
position. or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 154).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S. Manual drive program
General notes In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission
must be in position D.
i In addition to permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(Y page 155).
Activating the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mdiffers from drive
program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and the smoothness of the
gear changes.
You can select manual drive program Mwith
the program selector button. You can change gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever in manual drive pro-
gram Mif the transmission is in position D.
The selected gear appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 154) until Mappears in the multi-
function display.
Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the next gear. 156
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
AMG vehicles !
In manual gearshift program
M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the engine limiting
speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. You must make sure that the engine speed does not reach the red
area of the rev counter. Otherwise, there is
a risk of engine damage. :
Gear indicator
; Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X If the colour in the speedometer multifunc-
tion display changes to red and the UP
UP dis-
play message is shown, shift up a gear. Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program
M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
i AMG vehicles:
it is not possible to use
kickdown in manual drive program M.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 154) repeatedly until E(C in AMG
vehicles) or Sappears in the multifunction
display. Automatic transmission
157Driving and parking Z

Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Releasing the parking lock manually
! Do not use any sharp-edged objects to
remove the selector lever gaiter from the
centre console. This could damage the
selector lever gaiter. X
Engage the electric parking brake.
X Press the frame of selector level gaiter :
together somewhat on the side edge at the back and hold with one hand ;.
X With the other hand, prise out the frame of
selector level gaiter :with a flat, blunt
object (e.g. a screwdriver wrapped in cloth) at rear edge
=, pulling it up and out at the
same time.
X Press release button ?down and simul-
taneously move the selector lever out of
position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely until it is returned to position P.
In the event of an electrical fault, it is possible
to release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P. This occurs if the
vehicle is towed away, for example. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refuelling. 158
RefuellingDriving and parking

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
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-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle
components. In particular, do not park on dry grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start 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 key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged. To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage 1st gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in park position P
and the transmission position display in the
multifunction display must show P.
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R the front wheels must be turned towards
the kerb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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 manual transmission X
Shift to either 1st gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.162
ParkingDriving and parking

Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can only be removed if the trans-
mission is in position P.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 141).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
i 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 key
position 0: "key removed".
i The engine can be switched off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for about three sec-
onds. This function operates independently of the ECO start/stop automatic engine
switch-off function. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start 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 key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended 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 if there is a malfunc-
tion in the system, it may not be possible to
apply the released parking brake.
X If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it from
rolling away.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first gear.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or if there is a malfunction in the system. Con-
tact a qualified specialist workshop.
i The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off. Noises that
occur are normal.
Applying/releasing manually X
To apply: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the red !indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released: Parking
163Driving and parking Z