!
Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
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.
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 road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac- tion from the brakes when braking for the firsttime.
This may also occur after the vehicle has been
washed.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm upthe brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of
salt may form on the brake discs and pads.
This can increase the braking distance con-
siderably.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Ensure that you do not endan-
ger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the
end of the journey and when starting the
next journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the
vehicle in front. New brake pads/linings New or replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for the reduced braking effect by apply-
ing greater force to the brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings fitted to your vehicle which 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 vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brake
system for AMG vehicles The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This is dependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R ambient conditions, e.g. temperature 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.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage (service life) that will be valid under
all circumstances. An aggressive driving style
will lead to high wear. You can obtain more
information on this from a qualified specialist
workshop.
New brake pads/brake pads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effect by applying greater force to the brake pedal. Always be aware of this and
adapt your driving and braking accordingly
during the running-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the 180
Driving tipsDriving and parking
damage. Hidden tyre damage could also be
causing the unusual handling characteristics. If you find no signs of damage, have the tyres
and wheels checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb or
other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over
kerbs, speed humps or similar elevations, try
to do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tyres, particularly the sidewalls,
may be damaged. Regular checking of wheels and tyres
G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damage and replace any damaged tyres immediately.
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of your
vehicle for damage at least once a month, as well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of
tyre pressure. Pay particular attention to
damage such as:
R cuts in the tyres
R punctures
R tears in the tyres
R bulges on tyres
R deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and the condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tyre (Y page 597). If necessary, turn
the front wheels to full lock in order to inspect
the inner side of the tyre surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not fit
anything onto the valve other than the stand-
ard valve cap or other valve caps approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Do not fit any other valve caps or systems, e.g. tyre pres-
sure monitoring systems. Regularly check the pressure of all the tyres,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tyre
pressure as necessary (Y page 600).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 614).
The service life of tyres depends on various
factors, including the following:
R driving style
R tyre pressure
R mileage Important safety notes on the tyre
tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tyre tread will reduce tyre trac-
tion. The tyre is no longer able to dissipate
water. This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk of aquaplaning increases, in particularwhere speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, tyres may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tyre tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tyres.
Minimum tyre tread depth for:
R summer tyres: 3 mm
R M+S tyres: 4 mm
For safety reasons, replace the tyres before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tyre tread depth is reached. Selecting, fitting and replacing tyres
G
WARNING
Exceeding the stated tyre load-bearing capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tyre damage or the tyre bursting. There is a risk of accident.
Therefore, only use tyre types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the Operation
597Wheels and tyres
Z
