brake pads MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class 2016 R231 Owner's Manual

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 34).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1,000 miles (1,500 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 Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-
AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed.
Self-locking rear axle differential
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle.
Change the oil to improve protection of the
rear axle differential:
Rafter a breaking-in period of 1,850 miles
(3,000 km)
Revery 31,000 miles (50,000 km) or
3 years
These oil changes prolong the service life of
the differential. Have the oil change carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
150Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Driving and parking

!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
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.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed 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 depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster and you hear a warning
tone even though the parking brake has
been released, the brake fluid level may be too low. Observe additional warning mes-
sages in the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition system
must be switched off (SmartKey in position
0 or 1in the ignition lock or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when:
Rtesting the parking brake on a brake
dynamometer.
Ryou intend to have the vehicle towed with
the front axle raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically by ESP
®may seriously damage the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 72).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on 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 vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
Driving tips177
Driving and parking
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which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brake
system (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
RAmbient conditions, e.g. temperature 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.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain more informa-
tion on this from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake system warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note any brake status messages
in the multifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving, it is important to
maintain and have the brake system checked
regularly.
Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining thick-ness using a test gauge. Color-coding (green
or red) on the test gauge allows you to deter-
mine whether the brake pad/lining thickness
is still sufficient. The test gauge is in the vehi- cle document wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel
Rear wheel
XBring the vehicle and wheels into a suitable
position so that you can attach test gauge
A.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away
(
Ypage 171).
XMove the selector lever to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XPlace test gauge Abetween the wheel's
spokes on brake pad/lining =.
178Driving tips
Driving and parking

XHold test gaugeAvertically on brake
disc :and slide measuring pin ;onto
brake disc :.
XCheck which color field ?the arrow on
measuring pin ;is pointing to.
Green: the brake pad/lining thickness is
sufficient.
Red : the brake pad/lining thickness is not
sufficient. Have the brake pads/lining
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
iTo avoid an inaccurate measurement:
Rmake sure you position the wheels suit-
ably
Rdo not put the measuring pin on a recess
in the brake disc
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans-
mission. Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steeringand braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise
control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The
vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. Always adapt your driving style
Driving tips179
Driving and parking
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Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
$(USA
only)
J(Canada
only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak eflui din th ebrak eflui dreservoir .
In addition ,th e$ (USAonly) or J(Canada only) warnin g
lamp lights up in th einstrumen tcluster and awarnin gtone
sounds.
GWARNIN G
The brakin geffec tmay be impaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinue drivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 171).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid. This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
Check Brake Pad
Wear
The brak epads/lining shav ereached their wear limit.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
Oneor mor emain features of th embrace system are malfunc -
tioning.
XHav eth embrace system checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
PRE-SAFE Inopera‐
tiv eSee Opera‐
tor's Manual
Importan tfunction sof PRE-SAF E®havefailed. Al lother occupant
safet ysystems ,e.g. air bags ,remain available.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop immediately.
246Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Displaying service messages
XSwitchon th eignition .
XPress th e= or; buttonon th esteer -
in g whee lto selec tth eServ.
menu.
XPress th e9 or: buttonto selec tth e
ASSYST PLU S
submenuand confirm by
pressing th ea button.
The servic edue dat eappears in th emulti-
function display.
Information about Service
Resetting th eASSYS TPLUS service
interva ldisplay
!If th eASSYST PLU Sservic einterval dis -
play has been inadvertentl yreset ,this set -
ting can be correcte dat aqualified special-
ist workshop .
Hav eservic ewor kcarrie dout as described
in th eMaintenance Booklet .Thi smay oth-
erwise lead to increase dwear and damage
to th emajor assemblies or th evehicle.
A qualified specialis tworkshop ,e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter, will reset
th eASSYST PLU Sservic einterval display
after th eservic ewor khas been carrie dout .
You can also obtain further information on
maintenance work, fo rexample.
Specia lservice requirement s
The specifiedmaintenance interval take sonly
th enormal operation of th evehicle into
account. Under arduous operatin gcondition s
or increase dload on th evehicle, mainte -
nance wor kmus tbe carrie dout more fre-
quently, fo rexample:
Rregular city drivin gwit hfrequent intermedi-
at estops
Rif th evehicle is primarily used to trave l
short distances
Ruse in mountainous terrain or on poo rroad
surfaces
Rif th eengin eis ofte nlef tidlin gfo rlon gperi-
ods
Under these or similar conditions, have, fo r
example, th eair filter, engin eoil and oil filte r
replaced or changed more frequently. Under
arduous operatin gconditions, th etires mus t
be checke dmore often. Further information
can be obtained at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Ben zCen -
ter.
Drivin gabroad
An extensive Mercedes-Ben zServic enetwor k
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain further information from any author -
ized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
Car e
Note son car e
HEnvironmental not e
Dispose of empty packagin gand cleanin g
cloths in an environmentally responsible man -
ner.
!Fo rcleanin gyour vehicle, do no tuse any
of th efollowing :
Rdry, rough or har dcloths
Rabrasiv ecleanin gagents
Rsolvents
Rcleanin gagents containin gsolvents
Do no tscrub .
Do no ttouch th esurfaces or protective
films wit hhar dobjects ,e.g. arin gor ic e
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage th esurfaces and protective film.
!Do no tpar kth evehicle fo ran extended
period straight after cleanin git,particularly
after havin gcleaned th ewheels wit hwhee l
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could caus e
increase dcorrosion of th ebrake discs and
brake pads/linings. Fo rthis reason ,you
Care541
Maintenance and care
Z

should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!It is preferable to use car washes with
adjustable high-pressure pre-cleaning that
corresponds to the specification for the
Cabriolet program. In car washes that use
high water pressures, there is a risk that a
small amount of water may leak into the
vehicle.
!Vehicles with HANDS-FREE ACCESS: if a
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is within the
detection range of the KEYLESS-GO
antenna, the following situations could lead
to the unintentional opening of the trunk
lid:
Rusing a car wash
Rusing a power washer
Make sure that the SmartKey is at least
6.5 ft (2 m) away from the vehicle.
!Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If you have your vehicle cleaned in a high-
pressure automatic car wash, small
amounts of water may enter the vehicle.
!Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in position Nwhen washing your
vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The vehi-
cle could be damaged if the transmission is
in another position.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows and the roof are com-
pletely closed
Rthe climate control blower is switched off
Rthe windshield wiper switch is at position
0
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windshield and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
shield.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
542Care
Maintenance and care

ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
!Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise,
you will damage the hood.
!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 a risk of damaging the
windows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away. This
can lead to corrosion damage and damage
to electronic components.
XClean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent that is recommended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield orwiper blades.
!Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
!Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
!Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if
the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
XFold the windshield wiper arms away from
the windshield.
XCarefully clean the wiper blades with a
damp cloth.
XFold the windshield wiper arms back again
before switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting
!Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic light lenses.
XClean the plastic lenses of the exterior
lighting using a wet sponge and a mild
cleaning agent, e.g. Mercedes-Benz car
shampoo or cleaning cloths.
Cleaning the mirror turn signals
!Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths that are suitable for plastic lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths could scratch or damage the plastic lenses of the mirror turn signals.
XClean the plastic lenses of the mirror turn
signals in the exterior mirror housing usinga wet sponge and mild cleaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Care545
Maintenance and care
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