2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE brake pads

Driving tips
206 Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There
is no power assistance for the steer-
ing and the service brake when the engine
is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and you could therefore
lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. Braking
G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden, you must select
shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time.
i
This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Speedtronic or Distronic*

.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
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 driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed

reaction from the brakes, when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This
way the brake discs will become warm, drying
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 pads/linings may cause a delay in
the braking effect, resulting in a signifi- Operation
* optional
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Driving tips
207cantly longer braking distance, which could
lead to an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R
occasionally
brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you
are driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are
removed from the brake disc.
New brake linings For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have only brake pads/
linings fitted to your vehicle that have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard.

Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz or which
are not of an equivalent quality could affect
your vehicle's operating safety. G
Risk of accident
New brake pads/linings only reach their
optimum braking effect after several hun-
dred

kilometres of driving. Before this opti-
mum braking effect is reached, you should
compensate for the reduced braking effect
by applying greater pressure when braking.
This also applies after the brake discs or the
brake pads/linings have been replaced.
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles The high-performance brake system is
designed for heavy loads. Braking can there-
fore cause noises. This will depend on:
R
Speed
R Braking force
R Environmental

conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
Because of this, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. Tyre grip
G
Risk of accident
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled
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. Operation
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Care
210 Calling up the service due date
Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Press è or ÿ to select the Basic
display menu (Y page 115).
X Press j or k to select the service
information.
The 9 service symbol and the service
due date are displayed.
X To select a different display, press j,
è or ÿ. Care
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 rinse
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 note
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 period
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 operating
temperature. Operation
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Display messages
230 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
@ STOP Car too low
G
Risk of accident
AIRMATIC Dual Control* is faulty. !
Avoid large steering angles, otherwise the
wing or the tyres could be damaged when you
drive on. Listen for scraping sounds.
X Do not exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h .
X Pull over and select a higher vehicle level.
The vehicle may be raised, depending on the
type of fault.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. @ Malfunction
The AIRMATIC Dual Control* function is
restricted. The vehicle's handling charac-
teristics may be affected. X
Do not exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h
.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 2 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 Brake immediately A malfunction occurred with HOLD acti-
vated.
The horn may also sound at regular inter-
vals. The horn becomes louder if you
attempt to lock the vehicle.
The engine cannot be started. X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until

the warning message in the multi-function
display disappears.
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away before
you leave it

(Y page 103).
The engine can be started again. Practical advice
* optional
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