2014 Mercedes-Benz SL ROADSTER Owner’s Manual

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster is a beautiful roadster that shows how luxury and high-performance driving can go hand in hand. This roadster is the epitome of style and excitement. It has an iconic look, a choice of strong engines, and a luxurious interior. The SL Roadster is thrilling and refined, and it sets the bar for grand touring convertibles.

Safety

Useful information
This Operator’s Manual describes all models and all standard and optional equipment of your vehicle available at the time of publication of the Operator’s Manual. Country-specific differences are possible. Please note that your vehicle may not be equipped with all the features described. This also applies to safety-related systems and functions.

Panic alarm

• To activate: press the PANIC button: for at least one second. An alarm sounds and the exterior lighting flashes.
• To deactivate: press the PANIC button: again.
• Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
• Press the KEYLESS-GO Start/Stop button. The KEYLESS-GO key must be in the vehicle.

Important safety notes: Modifications to the restraint systems could result in them not functioning properly anymore. The restraint systems could then no longer protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do and could fail in the event of an accident or activate unexpectedly, for example. There is an increased risk of injury. Never modify parts of the restraint systems. Do not attempt to modify the wiring as well as electronic components or their software. If it is necessary to modify an airbag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz center.

In this section, you will learn the most important facts about the restraint system components of the vehicle.
The restraint system consists of:

• Seat belts
• Child restraint systems
• LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat securing system

Additional protection is provided by:

• SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
• NECK-PRO head restraints
• PRE-SAFE®
• Rollbar

Airbag system components with:

• PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
• Front-passenger seat with Occupant Classification System (OCS)

Although the systems are independent, their protective functions work in conjunction with each other. Not all airbags are always deployed in an accident.

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
SRS consists of:

• The SRS warning lamp
• Air bags
• The airbag control unit with crash sensors
• Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) for seat belts
• Seat belt force limiter

SRS reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming into contact with parts of the vehicle’s interior in the event of an accident. It can also reduce the forces to which vehicle occupants are subjected during an accident.

SRS warning lamp
WARNING: If SRS is malfunctioning, child restraint system components may be triggered unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with a high rate of vehicle deceleration. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Have SRS checked and repaired immediately at a qualified specialist workshop.

SRS functions are checked regularly when you switch on the ignition and when the engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in good time. The SRS warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out no later than a few seconds after the engine is started. The SRS components are in operational readiness when the SRS warning lamp goes out while the engine is running.
There is a malfunction if:

• the SRS warning lamp does not light up when the ignition is switched on
• the engine is running and the SRS warning lamp does not go out after a few seconds
• the engine is running and the SRS warning lamp lights up again

Safety guidelines for seat belts, Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs), and airbags
WARNING

• Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have been subjected to stress in an accident must be replaced. Their anchoring points must also be checked. Only use seat belts installed or supplied by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
• Airbags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material, which may require special handling and regard for the environment. Check your national disposal guidelines. In California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.
• Airbags and ETDs are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or ETD that has deployed must be replaced.
• Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They could tear.
• Do not make any modifications that could change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
• Do not bleach or dye seat belts, as this may severely weaken them. In a crash, they may not be able to provide adequate protection.
• Do not make any modifications to the SRS wiring or components.
• Do not modify or remove any components or parts of the SRS.
• Do not install additional trim material, seat covers, badges, etc. to the:
  • padded steering wheel boss
  • knee bag covers
  • front-passenger airbag cover
  • outer side of the front seat bolsters
  • outer seat bolsters of the rear bench seat backrest
  • roof frame trim
• Do not install additional electrical/ electronic equipment on or near SRS components and wiring.
• Keep the area between the airbags and occupants free of objects (e.g. packages, handbags, umbrellas, etc.).
• Do not hang any objects such as coat hangers on the coat hooks or the grab handle above the door. These items may be thrown around in the vehicle and cause head and other injuries when the window curtain airbag is deployed.
• Airbag system components will be hot after an airbag has inflated. Do not touch them.
• Never rest your feet on the dashboard or the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat.
• Improper repair work on the SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or causing unintended airbag deployment. Work on the SRS must therefore only be performed by qualified technicians. Consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
• For your protection and the protection of others, when scrapping the airbag unit or ETD, our safety instructions must be followed. These are available from any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
• Given the considerable deployment speed, required inflation volume, and the material of the airbags, there is the possibility of abrasions or other, potentially more serious injuries resulting from airbag deployment.

If you sell your vehicle, Mercedes-Benz strongly recommends that you inform the subsequent owner that the vehicle is equipped with SRS. Also, refer them to the applicable section in the Operator’s Manual. If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a bang and a small amount of powder may also be released. Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hearing. The powder that is released generally does not constitute a health hazard and does not indicate that there is a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause some temporary breathing difficulty for people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. You can also open the window to allow fresh air to enter the vehicle interior. The SRS warning lamp lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified by the AIR BAG symbol. The airbags are deployed if the airbag control unit detects the need for deployment. Only in the event of such a situation will the airbags provide their supplemental protection. If the driver and front passenger do not wear their seat belts, it is not possible for the airbags to provide supplemental protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and impacts below airbag deployment thresholds, the airbags will not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be protected to the extent possible by a properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also needed to provide the best possible protection in a rollover. Airbags provide additional protection; they are not, however, a substitute for seat belts. All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat belts. It is important for your safety and that of your passenger to have deployed airbags replaced and to have any malfunctioning airbags repaired. This will help to make sure the airbags continue to perform their protective function for the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. After an airbag has been deployed, have the vehicle towed to the nearest qualified specialist workshop, even if your vehicle is ready to drive.

Front airbags

Driver’s airbag: deploys in front of the steering wheel; front-passenger front airbag; deploys in front of and above the glove box. The front airbags increase protection for the driver’s and front passenger’s head and chest. They are deployed:

• at the start of an accident with a high rate of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a longitudinal direction
• if the system determines that air bag deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
• independently of other airbags in the vehicle

The release time of the front airbags is dependent upon the use of the seat belt. If the vehicle rolls over, the front airbags are generally not deployed. Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front airbags. In the event of a collision, the airbag control unit evaluates the vehicle’s deceleration. In the first deployment stage, the front airbag is filled with enough propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed if a second deployment threshold is exceeded within a few milliseconds. The deployment of the front-passenger airbag is also influenced by the weight category of the front passenger, which is determined by the Occupant Classification System (OCS). The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required (predicted at the start of the impact) for second-stage inflation of the front-passenger air bag. In the second stage, the front airbags are inflated with the maximum amount of propellant gas available. The front airbags are not deployed in situations where a low impact severity is predicted. You will then be protected by the fastened seat belt.
The front-passenger front airbag will only deploy if:

• the system, based on the OCS weight sensor readings detects that the front passenger seat is occupied
• the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp on the center console is not lit
• the airbag control unit predicts a high-impact severity

FAQ’s