Operation
Brakes Wear
The rat
e of
wear of the brake pads depends
on the driving style and on the way in which
the vehicle is used. The brake pads will wear
more quickly if you use your vehicle frequent-
ly in urban traffic and short trips or drive in a
sporty style. Under these demanding condi-
tions, visit your specialised service, even be-
fore the scheduled service date, so that the
thickness of the brake pads can be meas-
ured.
Wet roads or road salt
If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are driv-
ing on roads which have been gritted with
salt, braking power may set in later than nor-
mal. Dry the brakes as soon as possible by
braking repeatedly.
Corrosion
Long periods of inactivity and little use can
lead to rust on the brake discs and dirt on the
brake pads. Where the brake system is sub-
jected to light stress or in the case of corro-
sion, clean the brake discs by braking fully
several times at a high speed.
Brake system fault
If you notice that the braking distance sud-
denly increases and the brake pedal can be
pressed down more fully, there may be a fault in the brake system. Visit a specialised serv-
ice immedi
at
ely and adjust your driving style
to the extent of the damage and to limit the
effect of the brakes.
Low brake fluid level
Insufficient brake fluid could cause faults in
the brake system. The brake fluid level is con-
trolled electronically ››› page 153, Control
lamp.
Brake servo
The brake servo supplements the pressure
you exert on the brake pedal. The brake servo
only works when the engine is running.
Handbrake Fig. 175
Centre console: handbrake. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up all the way. Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and
pr e
s
s the unlock button at the same time
››› Fig. 175.
– Keep the button pressed down and push
the lever al
l the way down.
Control lamp
The warning lamp lights up when the hand-
brake is applied with the ignition on .
Additionally, driving the vehicle at speeds ex-
ceeding 6 km/h (4 mph) for at least 3 sec-
onds produces an audible warning.
The informative display indicates: Release the handbrake!
Braking and stability systems Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) The ESC system increases control of the vehi-
c
l
e in emer
gency situations, e.g. during a
sudden change in direction. Depending on
the driving conditions, it reduces the risk of
skidding and increases driving stability.
The system uses the steering wheel angle
and road speed to calculate the changes of
direction desired by the driver, and constant-
ly compares them with the actual behaviour
of the vehicle. When irregularities occur, for
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