
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and drivingsafety systems adjusts automatically while acertain distance is being driven after the vehi-cle has been delivered or after repairs. Fullsystem effectiveness is not reached until theend of this teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs onlyreach their optimum braking effect after sev-eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-sate for this by applying greater force to thebrake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it isnew, the more satisfied you will be with itsperformance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicleand engine speeds for the first 1000 miles(1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-tle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-ometer needle is

take advantage of engine braking. For thisyou must first activate manual gearshifting.This helps you to avoid overheating thebrakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking,it is possible that a drive wheel will notrotate for some time, e.g. on a slippery roadsurface. This could cause damage to thedrive train. This type of damage is not cov-ered by the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal ondownhill gradients while the manual drive pro-gramMis temporarily activated: the automatictransmission may switch to the last activeautomatic drive programEorS. The automatictransmission may shift to a higher gear. Thiscan reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving, the braking system can over-
heat. 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 constantlyresults in excessive and premature wear tothe brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavyload, do not stop the vehicle immediately.Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rainwithout braking, there may be a delayed reac-tion from the brakes when braking for the firsttime. This may also occur after the vehicle hasbeen washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal morefirmly. Maintain a greater distance from thevehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-cle washed, brake firmly while paying attentionto the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quicklyand 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 brakepads. This can result in a significantly longerbraking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, applythe brakes occasionally while paying atten-tion to the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and thebeginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicleahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up inthe instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engineis running
Observe additional warning messages in themultifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due tobrake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should onlybe carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. Ifyou wish to operate the vehicle on such adynamometer, please consult a qualifiedspecialist workshop in advance. You couldotherwise damage the drive train or thebrake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-cally, the engine and the ignition must beswitched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-tion

Have brake pads installed and brake fluidreplaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject tomoderate loads, you should test the function-ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist(BAS) on (Ypage 61).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you onlyhave brake pads/linings installed on your vehi-cle which have been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond to anequivalent quality standard. Brake pads/linings which have not been approved forMercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not of anequivalent quality could affect your vehicle'soperating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only usebrake fluid that has been specially approvedfor your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or whichcorresponds to an equivalent quality standard.Brake fluid which has not been approved forMercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of anequivalent quality could affect your vehicle'soperating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining thick-ness using a test gage. Color-coding (green orred) on the test gage allows you to determinewhether the brake pad/lining thickness is stillsufficient. The test gage is in the vehicle docu-ment wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel
Rear wheel
XBring the vehicle and wheels into a suitableposition so that you can attach test gage

RDrive slowly and evenly, if necessary at awalking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact withthe ground at all times.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road routes where visibility is poor. Forsafety reasons, get out of the vehicle firstand survey the off-road route.
RCheck the depth of water before fording riv-ers and streams.
RWatch out for obstacles.
RTake care when turning on an uphill ordownhill slope or when driving across aslope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
RAlways keep the side windows and the pan-orama roof with power tilt/sliding panelclosed during the journey.
RDo not deviate from marked routes.
RDo not use the HOLD function when drivingoff-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradi-ents or on slippery or loose surfaces. TheHOLD function cannot hold the vehicle onsuch surfaces.
Checklist before driving off-road
XEngine oil level:check the engine oil leveland add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engineoil level must be sufficiently high to ensure acorrect oil supply in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires:check the tire treaddepth and tire pressure.
XCheck for damage and remove any foreignobjects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
XReplace dented or damaged wheels.
XRims:dented or bent rims can result in aloss of tire pressure and damage the tirebead. Before driving off-road, check thewheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle afterdriving off-road, have the vehicle checkedimmediately at a qualified specialist work-shop.
XDeactivate off-road program (Ypage 132).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 169).
XClean the headlamps and rear lights andcheck for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the wheels and tires with a water jetand remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and thevehicle underside with a water jet; check forany foreign objects and damage.
XCheck whether twigs or other parts of plantshave become trapped. These increase therisk of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brakehoses or the air bellows of the axle jointsand propeller shafts.
XAfter the trip, examine without fail the entireundercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-work structure, steering, chassis andexhaust system for damage.
XAfter driving in sand, mud, gravel, water orsimilar dirty conditions, have the followingchecked and cleaned:
Rbrake discs
Rwheels
Rbrake pads
Raxle joints
XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-roadtravel, check for foreign objects in thewheels and drive train and remove them ifnecessary. Foreign objects can disturb thebalance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places greaterdemands on your vehicle than driving on nor-mal roads. After driving off-road, check thevehicle. This allows you to detect damagepromptly and reduce the risk of an accident toyourself and other road users.
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving onsand:
RActivate the off-road program (Ypage 132).
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddleshifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate tothe terrain.
Drivingtips155
Driving an d parking
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