2009 Mercedes CLS-Class Owner's Manual - Page 236

Operation Driving instructions or accelerate. This could lead to accidents and injury. After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on for some time, rather than immediately park, so that the air stream will cool down the brakes faster. Brakes Downhill grades Power assistance G Warning! There is no power assistance for the steering and the service brake when the engine is not running. Steering and braking requires significantly more effort and you could lose control of the vehicle and cause an accident as a result. Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is in motion. ! 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 prevent overheating of the brakes and reduces wear. When using the engine's braking power, a drive wheel may not spin for an extended period of time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. Continuous or hard braking G Warning! 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 effectiveness. It may not be possible to stop the vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an accident. Wet roads G Warning! After driving in heavy rain for some time without applying the brakes or through water deep enough to wet brake components, the first braking action may be somewhat reduced and increased pedal pressure may be necessary to obtain expected brake effect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front. The first time the brakes are applied after a long period of driving in heavy rain without braking, it is possible that there will be a delayed braking response and that you will need to depress the brake pedal more firmly. You should therefore maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front. To help prevent brake disk corrosion after driving on wet or salt-covered roads, it is advisable to brake the vehicle with considerable force prior to parking. The heat generated serves to dry the brakes. 234