200 Intellig ent technol ogy
briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter
va ls so as to improve reaction time when brak
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver wi ll not no
tice anything.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applicat ions of the brake¢,& .
Co rrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed <=>,& .
Fa ul ts in th e brak e sys te m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢,& .
Low b rak e flu id l evel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster wor ks w ith vacuum pres
sure which is created only when the engine is running
c> ,& .
Brake lining wear st atu s
Brake lining wea r may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in
spection ¢ page 269, Changing a wheel .
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld the pedal down too
long o r too often . T his could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa
ter, dr iving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coa t
ings wi ll be cleaned off after a few care
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt -covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effective ness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the eng ine shut off.
