2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON brake pads

Driving
tips 21
8
Downhill gradient
sOn long and steep downhill stretches, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
select shift range 1,2 or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control* or Speedtronic*.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an exten t
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking ,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously.
Heavy and light loads 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. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu -
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If you drive for a long time in the rain without
braking, there may be a delayed reaction
when you first brake and you will have to
depress the pedal harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. Thi
s
way the brake discs will become warm, dryin g
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion. Limited braking performance on salted
roads G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake linings may cause a delay in the brak-
ing effect, resulting in a significantly longer
braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully when you
are driving on salted roads, so that any
layer of salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
linings is removed without putting other
road users at risk.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicl e
ahead and drive with particular car e
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues ar e
removed from the brake disc.
New brake linings For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom
-
mends that you have only brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle that have been approved Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 218

Driving
tips 21
9
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard.
Brake pads/linings which have not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz or which which
are not of an equivalent quality could affect
your vehicle's operating safety. G
Risk of accident
New brake linings only reach their optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilo-
metres of driving. Before this optimum
braking effect is reached, you should com-
pensate for the reduced braking effect by
applying greater pressure when braking.
This also applies after the brake discs or the
brake linings have been replaced .Tyre gri
p G
Risk of accident
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlle d
at a certain speed on dry roads, you must
reduce your speed on wet or icy roads to
achieve the same road safety. Otherwise
you could cause an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road condi-
tions at temperatures around freezing
point. If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a light film of water rapidly forms
on the ice when you brake, considerably
reducing tyre grip. Drive with particular
care in such weather conditions.
Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain dept h
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walkin g
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction creat e
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes, otherwise
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission . Operation
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Car
e 227Care
Notes on care
Regular and proper care maintains the value
of your vehicle.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop immediately, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Repair damage caused by loose chippings
and remove the following substances imme-
diately, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard:
R Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off afterwards .
R Soak bird droppings with water and rins e
off afterwards.
R Remove tree resin, oils, fuels and grease by
rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in clean-
ing or lighter fluid .
R Use silicone remover to remove wax.
R Use tar remover to remove tar stains. H
Environmental not
e
Dispose of empty packaging, cleaning
cloths and polishing wads in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner.
! Do not affix :
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar
to painted surfaces, otherwise you could
damage the paintwork. Vehicle care
! Do not park the vehicle for a long perio d
of time directly after cleaning, especially if
the wheels have just been cleaned with a
wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
rapid corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. After cleaning, park
the vehicle when it is at normal operatin g
temperature.
Automatic car wash You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start,!
Do not use high pressure car wash sys-
tems. The strong water jet could damage
painted parts or attachments.
! Do not use a brush-free automatic car
wash that uses chemical agents to wash
the vehicle.
but preferably one without brushes.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it befor e
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! Make sure that the automatic car wash is
suitable for the size of the vehicle. Fold in
the exterior mirrors before the vehicle is
washed. There is otherwise a risk of dam-
age to the exterior mirrors.
! Make sure the side windows are com-
pletely closed, the ventilation/heater
blower is fully turned off and the wind-
screen wiper switch is set to 0. The rai n
sensor may otherwise be activated, for
instance, leading to inadvertent wiper
sweeps being triggered. This could cause
damage to the vehicle.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen. Operation
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Display
messages 25
0 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
2 4-button multi-function
steering wheel:
Brake wear
12-button luxury multi-
function steering
wheel:
Brake wear The brake pads/linings have reached
their wear limit. X
Have the brake pads/linings replaced as soon
as possible at a qualified specialist workshop .3 Check brake fluid
level
G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir. In addition, the
3 warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster. X
Pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.
X Do not continue driving under any circumstan-
ces .
X Consult the nearest qualified specialist work -
shop.
X Do not top up the brake fluid. This will not rec -
tify the malfunction. Î 4-button multi-function
steering wheel:
Release park.
brake
12-button luxury multi-
function steering
wheel:
Release parkin
g
brake You are driving with the parking brake on.
A warning tone also sounds. X
Release the parking brake. Practical advice
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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