2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV brake pads

Driving
tips 233
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must select shift range
1,2or 3in 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- cantly 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 pads/linings For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle that have been approved
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 are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety. Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 234 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. Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
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 walking
pace
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
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
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
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,V ersion: 2.10.6
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Care
244 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 items
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.
Automatic car wash You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start. !
Do not use a touch-free automatic car
wash that uses chemical agents to wash
the vehicle.
Preferably use one without brushes.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it before
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 that the automatic transmis-
sion is not in position Pwhen washing your
vehicle in an automatic car wash.
R Vehicles with a key:
Do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this automatically shifts
the automatic transmission to park posi-
tion Pand locks the wheels, unless you
have shifted the automatic transmission
to N.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS GO*:
Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this shifts the automatic transmission to park position
Pand locks
the wheels.
! 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 rain
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.
High-pressure cleaners G
Risk of accident
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with cir-
cular-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean
your vehicle or - especially - the tyres. You
could otherwise damage the tyres and
cause an accident.
! Observe the instructions issued by the
equipment manufacturer concerning the
distance to be maintained between the Operation
* optional
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Display
messages 265Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
$ At least one door is open. X
Close the doors. D The cooling fan for the coolant is faulty. X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †,
you can continue driving to the nearest quali-
fied specialist workshop.
X In doing so, avoid heavy loads on the engine
(e.g. driving in mountainous terrain) and stop-
and-go driving. # The battery is not being charged. Possible
causes are:
R
a faulty alternator
R a torn poly-V-belt
R a malfunction in the electronics X
Stop immediately and safely when traffic con-
ditions allow and check the poly-V-belt.
X If it has torn: do not drive on. Contact the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X If it is not damaged: have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. # Battery/Alternator
Stop vehicle The battery is faulty. 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. 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. Practical advi
ce
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
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