brake pads MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER 2018 Owner's Manual

Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehiclehas been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate 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 per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
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 (kickdown).
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.
RIdeally, for the first 1000 miles (1500 km),
driv ein progra mC.
RChange gear ingood time.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
veh icle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on break-
ing in if the engine or parts of the drive train on
your veh
i
cle have been replace d.
Alwa ys observe the maximum permis sible
speed.
Self-locking rear axle differential
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Your vehicle isequipped with a self-locking dif-
ferential on the rear axle.
Change the oil to improve protection of the rear axle differential:
Rafter a breaking-in period of 2000 miles (USA)
Rafter a breaking-in period of 3000 km (Can-
ada)
Revery 30,000 miles or 3 years (USA)
Revery 60,000 km or 4 years (Canada)
These oil changes prolong the service life of the
differential. Have the oil change carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects inthe driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardizes the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There isa
risk of an accident.
St ow all objects securely inthe vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
When using floormats or carpets, make sure
that they are properly secured so that they do
not slip or obstruct the pedals. Do not place
several floormats or carpets on top of one
another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There isa risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
Driving121
Driving and parking
Z

you to avoid overheating thebrakes and wear -
in g them out excessively.
Whe nmakin guse of th eengin ebrakin g
effect, it is possibl ethat adrive whee lmay no t
tur nfor som etime, e.g. in th ecas eof sud-
denly changin gor slipper yroa dsurfac econ-
ditions. This could caus edamage to th edrive
train .This typ eof damage is no tcovered by
th eMercedes-Ben zwarranty.
Change into alower gear in goo dtime on lon g
and steep downhill gradients .This is especially
important if th evehicl eis laden .
This also applies if you hav eactivated cruise
control or Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNIN G
If you res tyour foo ton th ebrak epedal while
driving, th ebrakin gsystem can overheat. This
increase sth estopping distanc eand can eve n
caus eth ebrakin gsystem to fail .There is a
ris kof an accident.
Never use th ebrak epedal as afootrest .Never
depress th ebrak epedal and th eaccelerato r
pedal at th esam etime.
!Depressing th ebrak epedal constantl y
result sin excessive and premature wear to
th ebrak epads .
If th ebrakes hav ebeen subjecte dto aheav y
load, do no tstop th evehicl eimmediately, but
drive on for ashort while .This allows th eairflow
to cool th ebrakes mor equickly.
Wet roads
If you hav edriven for alon gtime in heav yrain
without braking, there may be adelaye dreac -
tion from th ebrakes when brakin gfor th efirst
time. This may also occur after th evehicl ehas
been washed or driven through deep water.
You then hav eto depress th ebrak epedal mor e
firmly. Maintai n agreate rdistanc efrom th e
vehicl ein front.
Afte rdrivin gon awet roa dor havin gth evehicl e
washed, brak efirmly while payin gattention to
th etraffic conditions. This will warm up th e
brak ediscs, thereby drying them mor equickl y
and protectin gthem against corrosion.
Limited braking perfor mance onsalt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, alayer of salt resi-
due may for mon th ebrak edisc sand brak e
pads .This can result in asignificantly longer
brakin gdistance.
RIn order to preven tany salt build-up, apply th e
brakes occasionally while payin gattention to
th etraffic conditions.
RCarefull ydepress th ebrak epedal and th e
beginnin gand en dof ajourney.
RMaintai n agreate rdistanc eto th evehicl e
ahead .
Servicing the brakes
!The brak eflui dlevel may be to olow, if:
Rif th ered brak ewarnin glamp lights up in
th einstrumen tcluste rand
Ryou hear awarnin gtone while th eengin eis
running
Observ eadditional warnin gmessage sin th e
multifunction display.
The brak eflui dlevel may be to olow due to
brak epad wear or leakin gbrak elines.
Hav eth ebrak esystem checke dimmediately.
Consult aqualified specialist workshop to
arrang ethis.
!As th eES P®system operate sautomatically,
th eengin eand th eignition mus tbe switched
off (the SmartKey mus tbe in position uor
1 in th eignition loc kor th eStart/Sto pbut -
to nmus tbe in position uor1), if:
Rtheparkin gbrak eis tested usin g abrak e
dynamometer.
Rth evehicl eis towed wit hth efron taxl e
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ES P
®may
caus esevere damage to th ebrak esystem.
Al lchecks and maintenance wor kon th ebrak e
system mus tbe carrie dout at aqualified spe -
cialist workshop .
Hav ebrak epads installed and brak eflui d
replaced at aqualified specialist workshop .
If th ebrak esystem has only been subjec tto
moderat eloads ,you should test th efunctional-
it y of your brakes at regular intervals.
In forma
tion on BA
S(Brake Assist) (Ypage 60)
and on Brake Assis twit hCross-Traffic Assis t
(
Ypage 61).
Driving tips147
Driving and parking
Z

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 vehicle'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 corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or 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 driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain more information on this from a
qualified specialist workshop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate 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 correspond-
ingly 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.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring.
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. Oth-
erwise, water could enter the vehicle interior
or engine compartment. It can then damage
the engine's or automatic transmission's
electronic components. It can also be sucked
in by the engine's air intake connection and
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
148Driving tips
Driving and parking

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The yellow!warning lamp lights up and th ered F (USAonly)
or ! (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tpossibl eto apply th eelectric parking brak emanually.
XShift th etransmission to position j.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
$(USAonly)
J(Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak efluid in th ebrak efluid reservoir .
In addition ,th e$ (USAonly) or J(Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in th einstrumen tcluste rand awarning tone sounds.
GWARNIN G
The braking effec 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 tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 142).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid .This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
CheckBrakePadWear
The brak epads/linings hav ereached their wear limit.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
Oneor mor emain features of th embrace system are malfunctioning .
XHaveth embrace system checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
PRE-SAFE Inopera‐tiv eSeeOperator' sManual
Importantfunction sof PRE-SAF E®havefailed. Al lother occupant
safet ysystems ,e.g. air bags ,remain available.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop immediately.
ActiveBrakeAssistFunctionsCurrentlyLimite dSee Opera‐tor's Manual
Active Brake Assis tis temporarily inoperative.
Possibl ecauses are:
RThe radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagneti cradiation emitted by nearby TV or radi ostation sor
other source sof electromagneti cradiation .
RThe system is outside th eoperating temperature range.
RThe on-boar dvoltag eis to olow.
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis tis operational again .
If th edisplay message does no tdisappear :
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 142).
XRestart th eengine.
206Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
$JN$ (USA only), J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is lit
while the engine is running.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
The brake boosting effect is malfunctioning and the braking characteristics may be
affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 142).
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
$JN $ (USA only) or J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is
lit while the engine is running. A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 142).
XDo not add brake fluid. Adding more will not correct the malfunction.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
$N USA only: the red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The multifunction display also shows a display message with the #symbol.
The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
228Warning and indicator lamps
On-board computer and displays

obtained at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g.
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network is
also available in other countries. You can obtain
further information from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Care
Notes on care
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
!When cleaning your car, do not use:
Rdry, coarse or hard cloths
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rsolvents
Rcleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces and films with hard objects, e.g. rings or ice scrapers. Otherwise,
you may scratch or damage the surfaces and
films.
!Do not park your vehicle for a long period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. Therefore,
drive for a few minutes after cleaning. By
heating up the brakes, the brake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parked for a
long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended 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.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
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 Cab-
riolet 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 unin-
tentional 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 transmission
is in position Nwhen washing your vehicle in
a tow-through car wash. The vehicle could be
damaged if the transmission is in another
position.
Care263
Maintenance and care
Z

Observe the notes in the section on the care and
treatment of matt paintwork (Ypage 265),
these notes also apply to matt decorative film.
To clean, use plenty of water and a mild cleaning
agent without additional or abrasive products,
e.g. a car shampoo approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
XDry vehicles covered with film using a soft,
absorbent cloth after every wash.
Water marks could otherwise form.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
XRemove dirt immediately, where possible,
while avoiding rubbing too hard.
The decorative film may be irreparably dam-
aged.
XSoak insect remains with insect remover and
rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
XSoak bird droppings with water and rinse off
the treated areas afterwards.
The cleaning product, Paint Cleaner, which has
been approved and recommended by
Mercedes-Benz, should be used when dirt has
penetrated the decorative film surface or the
decorative film has become dull.
The manufacturer can provide you with infor-
mation on special care and cleaning products.
Laminated surfaces may exhibit optical differ-
ences to surfaces which were not protected by a decorative film when the decorative film is
removed.
iHave work or repairs on decorative film car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for this
purpose.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park your vehicle for a long period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. Therefore, drive for a few minutes after cleaning. By
heating up the brakes, the brake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parked for a
long period of time.
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 circumstances pre-
vent water from draining away. This can lead
to corrosion damage and damage to elec-
tronic components.
XClean the inside and outside of the windows
with a damp cloth and a cleaning product that
is recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
266Care
Maintenance and care