Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
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Never switch the engine off while the vehicle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steering and the service brake when the engine is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to steer and brake and you could therefore lose control of the vehicle and cause an accident.
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Braking
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Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.
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Make sure that other road users are not endangered by your braking.
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Downhill gradients
On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden, you must select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time.
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This also applies if you have activated cruise control, Speedtronic or Distronic*.
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This uses the braking effect of the engine and you will not have to brake to such an extent to maintain the same speed. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need additional braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
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 airflow to cool the brakes more quickly.
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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.
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If the brakes have been used only moderately, you should occasionally test their effectiveness. 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 braking for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This way the brake discs will become warm, drying more quickly, which will protect them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salted roads
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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 longer braking distance, which could lead to an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
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occasionally brake carefully, without putting other road users at risk, when you are driving on salted roads. This helps to remove any salt that may have started to build up on the brake discs and the brake pads/linings.
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maintain a greater distance to the vehicle ahead and drive with particular care.
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carefully apply the brakes at the end of a trip and immediately after commencing a new trip, so that salt residues are removed from the brake disc.
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New brake linings
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only have only brake pads/linings fitted to your vehicle that 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 or which are not of an equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's operating safety.
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New brake pads/linings only reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometres of driving. Before this optimum braking 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.
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High-performance brake system for AMG vehicles
The high-performance brake system is designed for heavy loads. Braking can therefore cause noises. This will depend on:
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.
Because of this, it is impossible to state a mileage that will be valid under all circumstances. An aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
Tyre grip
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Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce your speed on wet or icy roads to achieve the same road safety. Otherwise you could cause an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g. from fog), a light film of water rapidly forms on the ice when you brake, considerably reducing tyre grip. Drive with particular care in such weather conditions.
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Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplaning occurring, even if:
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on which water has collected, please bear in mind that:
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Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes, otherwise damage may occur to the engine, electrics and transmission.
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