brake MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER 2014 Workshop Manual

This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right
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
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed and to call up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control
lever.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp =
= off: DISTRONIC
PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected. Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec- ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS; storing,
maintaining and calling up a speed Important safety notes
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following
conditions must be fulfilled: R the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R your vehicle must not be secured by the
electric parking brake.
R ESP ®
must be activated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the bonnet must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door must be closed.
R the vehicle must not be skidding. Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, or press it up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed up :
or down Auntil the desired speed has
been set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
If the vehicle in front has been detected and is
shown in the multifunction display, you can
also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when driving
at speeds below 30 km/h. If the vehicle in
front is no longer detected and displayed, for
example because it has changed lanes, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated. You will hear a
warning tone if this is the case.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS inactive
DISTRONIC PLUS inactive
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained. You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Pulling away and driving
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated when you
depress the brake, except when the vehicle is
stationary.
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control. If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
It maintains the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. Without your intervention, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and the distance warning lamp will light up in theinstrument cluster. Brake immediately to
increase the distance to the vehicle driving in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up to the speed you have stored.
Changing lanes
If you wish to move into the overtaking lane (in countries where traffic drives on the right, thepassing lane is the left-hand lane), DIS-
TRONIC PLUS assists you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you have switched on the corresponding
turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
Vehicles with COMAND Online
i The following function is not operational
in all countries. 174
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic situa-
tions. This is the case if, while following a
vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system. Example: roundabout
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately ten seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and for approx-
imately 1.5 second s when driving onthe
roundabout
R approximately twelve seconds before
reaching a motorway exit and approx-
imately four seconds after the motorway
exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified. Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi- cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 178).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake. After a short period the vehicle is
secured by the electric parking brake, thus
relieving 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.
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 Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

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 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)
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.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed, or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :past the pressure point for
a higher speed, or down Afor a lower
speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS maintains to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 177). 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Make sure that you maintain a sufficient and
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if neces-
sary. Cruise control lever
X To increase: turn control=in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control=in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster Displays in the speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments ;in the set speed range light
up. If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated Assistance graphic
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle Distance display
:
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
A Own vehicle Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

X
Vehicles with black and white multi-
function display: select theDistance Distance
display
display function using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 210).
X Vehicles with colour multifunction dis-
play: select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 210).
In the Assistance menu of the on-board com-
puter, you can also activate or deactivate
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 211).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted Assistance graphic
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS activated Distance display
:
DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle =
Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected
X Vehicles with black and white multi-
function display: select theDistance Distance
display display function using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 210).
X Vehicles with colour multifunction dis-
play: select the Assistance graphic Assistance graphic
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 210).
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS Cruise control lever
There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
DISTRONIC PLUS PLUSoff
offmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

i
The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the
electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle in front is no longer detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door is open
R the vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐
DIS‐
TRONIC TRONIC PLUS
PLUSoff
offmessage in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
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 which are not driving in the mid- dle of their lane DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these. Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a lower gear in good time. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents
the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 182)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of acci-180
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Sports tuning
The firmer suspension settings in sports
mode ensures even better contact with the
road. Select this mode if you wish to experi-
ence direct feedback from the road surface,
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. Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 184).
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 bonnet is closed
R the electric parking brake is released
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

Activating the HOLD function
Example: vehicles with colour multifunction display
X Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :HOLD
HOLD appears in the multifunction
display.
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.
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 HOLD HOLDdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a short period the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. 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
Brake immediately
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
In vehicles with automatic transmission: Select Park (P) Select Park (P) .
X Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
A horn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you: R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and 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.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOLD func- tion is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated. 184
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking