brake pads MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 2006 C209 Owner's Manual

308 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
ject to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS) (
page 88).If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, the brake fluid level in the res-
ervoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected immedi-
ately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.

309 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream can cool down
the brakes faster.High-performance brake system
(CLK 55 AMG only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the


vehicle speed


brake force applied


ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or discs strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under
which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-
ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.
Warning!
G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and re-
placement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain the brake system and
have it checked regularly.

370 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snapes into place.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.

Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have status 0) before cleaning the windshield and/or
the wiper blades. Otherwise, the wiper mo-
tor could suddenly turn on and cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.!To clean the window interior, do not
use a dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or
cleaners containing solvents. Do not
touch the inside of the front, rear or
side windows with hard objects such as
an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
!Only use acid-free cleaning materials.
Acid may cause corrosion or damage
the clear coat.!The vehicle should not be parked for an
extended period of time immediately
after it has been cleaned, especially not
after the wheel rims have been cleaned
with wheel rim cleaner. Wheel rim
cleaners can lead to increased corro-
sion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it
is parked after cleaning. To do so,
please drive your vehicle for several
minutes to allow the brakes to dry.

396 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
2
Brake wear
Visit workshop
The brake pads have reached their wear
limit.

Have the brake pads replaced as soon
as possible.
;
(USA only)
!
(Canada only)
Release parking
brake
You are driving with the parking brake set.

Release the parking brake
(page 50).
3
Brake fluid
Visit workshop
There is insufficient brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle in a
safe location as soon as possible and
notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not add brake fluid! This
will not solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the message “
Brake fluid
Visit workshop
” displayed can result in
an accident. Have your brake system
checked immediately. Do not add brake flu-
id before checking the brake system. Over-
filling the brake fluid reservoir can result in
spilling brake fluid on hot engine parts and
the brake fluid catching fire. You can be se-
riously burned.
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks.
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet.

494 IndexAutomatic transmission 166
Accelerator position 170
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 180
Gear ranges 171
Gear selector lever 48, 166
Gear selector lever position 166, 168
Gear selector lever,
One-touch gearshifting 173
Gear shifting malfunctions 180
Kickdown 170
Manual (One touch) gearshifting 173
Manual shift program 178
One-touch gearshifting, Steering
wheel gearshift control 174
Shift program mode
selector switch 172, 178
Starting engine 48
Transmission fluid level 326
Automatic Transmission Fluid see ATF
B
Backrest
Seat, Multicontour* 121
Seat, Power 38Backup lamps
Messages in display 406
Replacing bulbs 438, 439
Bar 355
BAS 88, 487
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 436
Checking battery condition 99
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Changing 437
Checking battery condition 105
Battery, Vehicle 328, 453
Charging 455
Connecting 455
Disconnecting 454
Installing 455
Jump starting 456
Messages in display 395
Removing 454
Bead 355
Beverage holder see Cup holder
Bi-Xenon headlamps* see Headlamps
Block heater (Canada only) 360
Bolts, Spare wheel 418
Brake Assist System see BASBrake fluid 481
Checking 320
Messages in display 396
Brake lamp
Cleaning lenses 369
High mounted 439
Messages in display 404
Replacing bulbs 439, 443
Brake pads
Messages in display 396
Brakes 308
High-performance brake system
(CLK 55 AMG only) 309
Warning lamp 375
Break-in the vehicle 306
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs
C
CAC 487
California retail buyers and lessees,
Important notice for 11
Call priority (Tele Aid) 294
Can holder see Cup holder
CAN system 487
Capacities and
recommended fuels/lubricants 479
Cargo area see Trunk

503 Index
MOExtended490
MOExtended system* 452
MON 319, 489
Motor Octane Number see MON
Multicontour seat* see
Seats, Multicontour*
Multifunction display 140, 490
Changing settings see
Control system menus and
Control system submenus
Displaying gear range 171
Selecting language 151
Symbol messages 395–412
Text messages 385–393
Multifunction display messages 383
ABS 385
Battery 395
Brake fluid 396
Brake lamp 404
Brake pads 396
Check engine 397
Coolant 397–399
Display 400
Doors 400
Engine 397
Engine coolant 397–399Engine oil 323, 401
ESP
®
387, 388
Fog lamps 405
Front passenger
front air bag 389–392
Fuel cap 400
Fuel reserve tank 403
Gear selector lever 393
Headlamps 404–408
Hood 403
Key, SmartKey 403
KEYLESS-GO* 403
Lamp sensor 405
Lamps 404
Lamps, exterior 404–408
License plate lamp 405
Parking brake 396
Parking lamps 406
Roll bars 408
Seat belts 409
Soft top 410
SRS 409
Steering gear oil 410
Tele Aid 409
Telephone* 411
Trunk 412Turn signals 407
Windshield washer fluid 412
Multifunction
steering wheel 26, 140, 490
Button operation 140
N
Navigation system* 146
See separate
COMAND* operating instructions
Net, Parcel 280
Neutral gear position 168
New vehicle break-in 306
Night security illumination 129
Normal occupant weight 356
Number, vehicle identification (VIN) 468