Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS 2009 Manual page 235

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Driving tips
232
Heavy and light loads
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads
If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet surface, brake firmly
while paying attention to the traffic condi-
tions. This way the brake discs will become
warm, drying more quickly, which will protect
them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt
treated roads
G Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly lon-
ger braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
occasionally brake carefully, without put-
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ting other road users at risk, when you are
driving on salted roads. This helps to
Version: 2.11.8.1
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
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ahead and drive with particular care.
carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
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trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake disc.
New brake pads/linings
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
G
Risk of accident
New brake pads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you should compensate
for the reduced braking effect by applying
greater pressure when braking. This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings have been replaced.
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles
The high-performance brake system is
designed for heavy loads. Braking can there-
fore cause noises. This will depend on:
speed
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braking force
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environmental conditions, such as temper-
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ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.