2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS brake pads

Note sonb reaking-in an ew vehicle
Important safety notes Th es en so rs ys te mofs om ed riving and driving
safety systems adjusts automaticall yw hile a
certai nd is tance is being driven after the vehicle
ha sb ee nd elivere dora ft er repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reache du nti lt he end of this
teach-i np rocedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
thi sb ya pplyin gg reate rf orce to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (150 0k m)Th em or ey ou look after the engine when it is
new ,t he mor es at isfied yo uw il lbew it hi ts per-
formance in the future. R
Yo us houl dt herefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km). R
Avoi dh eavy loads, e.g .d riving at full throttle,
during thi sp eriod.R
Chang eg ea ring oo dt ime, befor et he tach-
ometer needl ei s

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as: R
load R
tire pressure R
cold start R
choice of route R
active electrical consumers
These factors are not include dint he ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving ah igher valu eint he categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant": R
observe the gearshift recommendations. R
drive the vehicle in drive program C or E .
In urba nt raffic and stop-start traffic, drive pro-
gram C is recommended.
On long journeys at ac onstant speed ,e .g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer area satt he start of aj ourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform am anua lr est
( Y
page 167).
Further information on the ECO display
( Y
page 166).
Braking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheel sc ould lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on as lippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
! On long, steep gradients, you must reduce
the load on the brakes. To use engine braking,
shift to al owe rg ear in good time. This helps you to avoid overheating the brakes and wear-
ing them out excessively.
When making use of the engine braking
effect, it is possible that ad rive wheel may not
turn for some time, e.g. in the case of sud-
denly changing or slippery road surface con-
ditions. This could cause damage to the drive
train. This type of damage is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Change into al owe rg ear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control or Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest you rf oot on the brake peda lw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail .T here is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake peda lasaf ootrest. Never
depres st he brake peda la nd the accelerator
peda latt he same time.
! Depressing the brake peda lc onstantly
results in excessive and premature wea rt o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to ah eavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicle immediately ,b ut
drive on for as hort while. This allows the airflow
to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for al ong time in heavy rain
withou tb raking, there may be ad elayed 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 then have to depres st he brake peda lm ore
firmly .M aintai nag reater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on aw et road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whil ep aying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.136
Driving tips
Driving and parking

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you driv eons alted roads ,al ayer of salt resi-
due may for mont he brak ed isc sa nd brake
pads. This can result in as ignificantly longer
braking distance. R
In orde rtop revent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
th et ra ffic conditions.R
Carefully depress th eb rak ep edal and the
beginnin ga nd end of aj ou rney.R
Maintain ag reater distanc etot he vehicle
ahead.
Servicing th eb rakes
! The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow, if:R
if th er ed brak ew arning lamp light supi n
th ei nstrumen tc luster andR
you hear aw arning tone while th ee ngine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow due to
brak ep ad wear or leaking brak el ines.
Hav et he brak es ystem checked immediately.
Consult aq ualifie ds pecialist workshop to
arrange this.
! As th eE SP ®
system operates automatically,
th ee ngine and th ei gnitio nm ust be switched
off (th eS ma rtKey must be in position

Safety systems Warning/
indicator
lamp Q Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
'M
Q ' (USA only) or M (Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is
lit while the engine is running. Aw arning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is ar isk of an accident.X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances. X
Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y
page 131).X
Do not add brake fluid. Adding more will not correct the malfunction. X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop.X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
'
Q USA only: the red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The multifunction display also shows ad isplay message with the & symbol.
The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop.
%
Q The yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ABS (anti-lock braking system) is malfunctioning.
If there is an additional warning tone, the EBD (electronic brake force distribution)
is malfunctioning.
Other driving systems and driving safety systems may also malfunction.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above. The front and rear wheels could therefore lock if you brake hard, for exam-
ple.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking
distance in an emergency braking situation can increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident. X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display. X
Drive on carefully. X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately.
If the ABS control unit is faulty, there is also ap ossibility that other systems, such
as the navigation system or the automatic transmission, will not be available.204
Warning and indicator lamps
On-board computer and displays

lead to increased wear and damage to the
majo ra ssemblies or the vehicle.
Aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. an author-
ized Mercedes-Ben zC enter, will reset the
ASSYS TP LUS service interval display after the
service work has been carried out. You can also
obtain further information on maintenance
work ,f or example.
Specia ls ervice requirementsThe specified maintenance interval takes only
the normal operation of the vehicle into
account .U nder arduous operating condition so r
increased load on the vehicle, maintenance
work must be carried out more frequently, for
example: R
regular cit yd rivin gw ith frequent intermediate
stops R
if the vehicle is primarily used to travel short
distances R
use in mountainous terrain or on poor road
surfaces R
if the engin eiso ften left idling for long periods
Under these or similar conditions, have, for
example, the air filter, engin eo il and oil filter
replaced or changed more frequently. Under
arduous operating conditions, the tires must be
checked more often. Further information can be
obtained at aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g.
an authorized Mercedes-Ben zC enter.
Driving abroad An extensive Mercedes-Ben zS ervice network is
also available in other countries. You can obtain
further information fro ma ny authorized
Mercedes-Ben zC enter.
Care
Notes on care
H Environmental note
Dispose of empt yp ackaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
! When cleaning your car, do not use: R
dry, coarse or hard cloths R
abrasive cleaning agents R
solvents R
cleaning agent sc ontaining solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touc ht he surfaces and films with hard
objects, e.g. rings or ice scrapers. Otherwise,
you may scratc hord amage the surfaces and
films.
! Do not park your vehicle for al ong period of
tim ed irectly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosio noft he brak ed iscs and pads. Therefore,
drive for af ew minutes after cleaning. By
heatin gupt he brakes, the brak ed iscs and
pads dry. The vehicle can the nbep arked for a
long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is ac ondition for
retainin gt he quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agent sr ecom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing th ev ehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
G WARNING
Braking efficienc yisr educed after washing
the vehicle. There is ar isk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
condition su ntil full braking power is restored.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOL Df unc-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOL Df unction in
the followin gors imilar situations: R
when towin gt he vehicle R
in the car wash
! It is preferable to use car washes with
adjustable high-pressure pre-cleaning that
corresponds to the specification for the Cab-
riolet program. In car washes that use high
water pressures, there is ar isk that as mall
amount of water may leak int ot he vehicle.238
Care
Maintenance and care

Observe the notes in the section on the care and
treatment of matt paintwork ( Y
page 240);
these notes also apply to decorative film.
To clean, use plenty of water and am ild cleaning
agent without additional or abrasive products,
e.g. ac ar shampoo approved by Mercedes-
Benz. X
Remove bird droppings, tree resin or fuel as
soon as possible.
The decorative film may be irreparably dam-
aged. X
Dry vehicles covered with film using as oft,
absorbent cloth after every wash.
Water marks could otherwise form.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by
corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit aq ualified specialist workshop.
The cleaning product Paint Cleaner, which has
been approved and recommended by
Mercedes-Benz ,s hould be used when dirt has
penetrated the decorative film surface or the
decorative film has become dull.
The manufacturer can provide you with infor-
mation on special care and cleaning products.
Surfaces covered with film may appea rs hinier
after the decorative film has been removed.
i Have work or repairs on decorative film car-
ried out at aq ualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for this
purpose.
Cleaning the vehicl ep arts
Cleaning the wheels
G WARNING
The water jet from ac ircular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nent sd amaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly .T here is ar isk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis component sr eplaced 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 al ong period of
time directly after cleaning, particularl ya fter
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 af ew 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
G WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield
wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshiel dorw iper blades. There is ar isk of
injury.
Alway ss witch off the windshiel dw ipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshiel do r
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 ar isk of damaging the windows.
! Clea nt he water drainage channels of the
windshiel da nd 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. X
Clea nt he inside and outside of the windows
with ad amp cloth and ac leaning product that
is recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades
G WARNING
If the windshiel dw ipers are set in motion
while you are cleaning the windshield, you can
be trapped by the wiper arm. There is ar isk of
injury. Care 241
Maintenance and care Z