Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehiclehas been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly briefly allow the engine to reach a max-
imum engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
during this period.
RDo not exceed Ôof the maximum permitted
engine speed for each gear.
RShift up into manual mode Mand temporary
manual drive program in good time.
RDo not carry out a RACE START.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
After 1,000 mile s(1,500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on break-
ing in if the engine or parts of the drive train on
your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the respective maximu m per-
missibl
e speed.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
104Driving
Driving and parking
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous componentsinexhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exact ly inaccordance with the
manufacturer's specific ations.Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
men dsthat you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for th ispurpose. Inparticular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must becarried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not bechanged under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must becarried out at regular
intervals and inaccordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements.
You can obtain current information concerning
the servicing of your veh icleat any time from a
qualif ied specialist workshop.This couldbean
overview of the maintenance work or any addi-
tional maintenance work, for example.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
If you shift downon aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There isan increased danger of skiddin g and
acc iden ts.
Do not shift downforaddit ional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes byshifting to a
lower gear ingood time. This allowsyou to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
driv e wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage
is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results inexcessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allowsthe airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time inheavy rain
wit hout braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle infront.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This willwarm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance.
Driving tips127
Driving and parking
Z
Observe the following rules when driving on salt-
treated roads:
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage 58).
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake disks and brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time. Always
install new brake pads/linings when replacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connection is matched. The use of brake disks other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz can change the
track width and is subject to approval, if appli-
cable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can lead
to a reduction in comfort when driving with light-
weight brake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes
The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking. This
will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age 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 and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the brake wear
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake status messages in the multifunction
display. Especially for high performance driving,
it is important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
128Driving tips
Driving and parking
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The yellow!warning lamp lights up and th ered F (USAonly)
or ! (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tpossibl eto apply th eelectric parking brak emanually.
XShift th etransmission to position j.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
$(USAonly)
J(Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak eflui din th ebrak efluid reservoir .
In addition ,th e$ (USAonly) or J(Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in th einstrumen tcluste rand awarning tone sounds.
GWARNIN G
The braking effec tmay be impaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 122).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid .This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
CheckBrakePadWear
The brak epads/linings hav ereached their wear limit.
US Aonly: th ered $ brakesystem warning lamp also lights up while
th eengin eis running.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
Oneor mor emain features of th embrace system are malfunctioning .
XHaveth embrace system checke dimmediately at aqualified spe -
cialist workshop .
ActiveBrakeAssistFunctionsCurrentlyLimitedSee Opera‐tor's Manual
Active Brake Assis tis temporarily inoperative.
Possibl ecauses are:
Rth eradar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to elec -
tromagneti cradiation emitted by nearby TV or radi ostation sor
other source sof electromagneti cradiation
Rth esystem is outside th eoperating temperature range
Rth eon-boar dvoltag eis to olow
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis tis operational again .
If th edisplay message does no tdisappear :
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 122).
XRestart th eengine.
Display messages17 5
On-board computer and displays
Z
Safety systems
Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
$JN$ (USA only), J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is lit
while the engine is running. A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
The brake boosting effect is malfunctioning and the braking characteristics may be
affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 122).
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
$JN $ (USA only), J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is lit
while the engine is running. A warning tone also sounds.
There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
GWARNING
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 122).
XDo not add brake fluid. Adding more will not correct the malfunction.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
$N USA only: the red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The multifunction display also shows a display message with the #symbol.
The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster195
On-board computer and displays
Z
Displaying service messages
XSwitchon th eignition .
XUseò on thesteerin gwhee lto cal lup th e
list of menus.
XPress 9or: on thesteerin gwhee lto
selec tth eServic emenuand confirm wit h
a.
XPress 9or: on thesteerin gwhee lto
selec tth eASSYST PLU Ssubmenuand con-
fir m wit ha.
The servic edue dat eappears in th emulti-
function display.
Information about Service
Resetting th eASSYS TPLUS service
interva ldisplay
!If th eASSYST PLU Sservic einterval display
has bee ninadvertentl yreset ,this setting can
be correcte dat aqualified specialis twork-
shop.
Hav eservic ewor kcarrie dout as described in
th eMaintenance Booklet .Thi smay otherwise
lead to increase dwear and damage to th e
major assemblies or th evehicle.
A qualified specialis tworkshop ,e.g. an author -
ized Mercedes-Ben zCenter, will reset th e
ASSYST PLU Sservic einterval display after th e
servic ewor khas bee ncarrie dout .You can also
obtain further information on maintenance
work, fo rexample.
Specia lservice requirement s
The specifiedmaintenance interval take sonly
th enormal operation of th evehicle into
account. Under arduous operatin gcondition sor
increase dload on th evehicle, maintenance
wor kmus tbe carrie dout more frequently, fo r
example:
RRegular city drivin gwit hfrequent intermedi-
at estops
RIf th evehicle is primarily used to trave lshort
distances
RUse in mountainous terrain or on poo rroad
surfaces
RIf th eengin eis ofte nlef tidling fo rlon gperiods
RIn racetrac kmode Under these or similar conditions, have, fo
r
example, th eair filter, engin eoil and oil filte r
replaced or changed more frequently. Under
arduous operatin gconditions, th etires mus tbe
checke dmore often. Further information can be
obtained at aqualified specialis tworkshop ,e.g.
an authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
iIn racetrac kmode, th evehicle is subjec tto
higher loads, meaning that additional main -
tenance wor kis required. If you plan race-
track use, consult aqualified specialis twork-
sho pfirst .Mercedes-Ben zrecommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Ben zCente r
fo rthis purpose.
Drivin gabroad
An extensive Mercedes-Ben zServic enetwor kis
also available in other countries. You can obtain
further information from any authorized
Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
Car e
General notes
HEnvironmental not e
Dispose of empty packagin gand cleanin g
cloths in an environmentally responsible man -
ner.
!Whe ncleanin gyour car ,do no tuse:
Rdry, coars eor har dcloths
Rabrasiv ecleanin gagents
Rsolvents
Rcleanin gagents containin gsolvents
Do no tscrub .
Do no ttouch th esurfaces and films wit hhar d
objects ,e.g. rings or ic escrapers .Otherwise ,
you may scratch or damage th esurfaces and
films .
!Do no tpar kyour vehicle fo r alon gperiod of
time directl yafter cleaning, particularly after
cleanin gth ewhee lrim wit hwhee lcleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to th eincrease dcor-
rosio nof th ebrake discs and pads .Therefore,
drive fo r afew minutes after cleaning. By
heatin gup th ebrakes, th ebrake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parke dfo r a
lon gperiod of time.
238Care
Maintenance and care
XUse a suitable touch-up stick, e.g. MB Touch-
Up Stick, to repair slight damage to the paint-work quickly and provisionally.
Matte finish care
!Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to shine.
!The following can give the paint a glossy
appearance and thus reduce the matt effect:
RRubbing hard with unsuitable agents
RWashing the vehicle in direct sunlight
!Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax, for the
purpose of paintwork care. These products
are only suitable for high-gloss surfaces. Their
use on vehicles with matte paintwork leads to
considerable surface damage or, more spe-
cifically, to shiny, spotted areas.
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Only use automatic car washes which cor-
respond to the latest technological stand-
ards. Never use wash programs which finish
by treating the vehicle with hot wax.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a clear
matte finish. This will help you to avoid damage
to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels with
a clear matte finish.
iUse only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of approved Mercedes-Benz
care products.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park your vehicle for a long period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. Therefore,
drive for a few minutes after cleaning. By
heating up the brakes, the brake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parked for a
long period of time.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
!Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring. There
is otherwise a risk of damaging the windows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals and pollen may under certain circumstances pre-
vent water from draining away. This can lead
to corrosion damage and damage to elec-
tronic components.
XClean the inside and outside of the windows
with a damp cloth and a cleaning product that
is recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Care241
Maintenance and care
Z