Brake pad wear
The rate of wear of the brake pads de-
pends to a great extent on the conditions
under which the vehicle is operated and the
way in which the vehicle is driven. If the ve-
hicle is used for regular urban or short trips
and is driven with a sporty driving style, the
brake pads must be regularly checked by
a suitably qualified workshop.
Other inuences on the brakes
When driving with wet brakes, for example
aer driving through water, aer heavy
rainfall or aer washing the vehicle, the
braking eect may be delayed as the brake
discs will be wet, or possibly iced up (in
winter). The brakes must be “dried” as
quickly as possible by careful braking at
higher speed. Make sure that no following
vehicle and no other road user is put at risk
as a result of this action → page 141.
Any salt layer accumulating on the brake
discs and pads will delay the braking eect
and increase the braking distance. If the
brakes on the vehicle have not been ap-
plied for a long time on roads that have
been gritted with salt, the layer of salt must
be reduced through careful braking
→ page 141.
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on the
brake pads are facilitated through long pe-
riods of inactivity, low mileage and low load
levels. If the brake pads have been hardly
used, or if they are at all corroded, we rec-
ommend that the brake discs and brake
pads be cleaned by braking strongly sever-
al times from high speed. Please ensure
that no other vehicles and no road users
are put at risk as a result of this action
→ page 141.
WARNING
Driving with worn brake pads or with
a fa
ulty brake system can lead to loss of
control over the vehicle, accidents and al-
so serious or fatal injuries.
·
If you have reason to believe that the
brake pads are worn or the brake sys-
tem is faulty, go to a suitably qualified
workshop immediately and have the
brake system checked and have any
worn brake pads replaced.
WARNING
New brake pads cannot generate the full
braking eec
t during the first around 300
km (around 200 mi) and must first be
bedded in. Inadequate braking eciency
can increase the risk of accidents. This
can cause severe or fatal injuries.
·
Increase the pressure on the brake ped-
al if there is a noticeable reduction in
braking eciency.
·
Drive with particular care when driving
with new brake pads in order to reduce
the risk of accidents, serious injuries
and loss of control of the vehicle.
·
Never drive too close to other vehicles
when bedding in new brake pads, and
never create driving situations that will
place a heavy load on the brakes.
WARNING
Constant braking will cause the brakes to
overheat. This can significantly reduce the
braking performance, increase the braking
distance and, in certain circumstances,
cause the brake system to fail complete-
ly. This can lead to loss of control of the
vehicle, accidents and also serious or fa-
tal injuries.
·
Never “ride” the brake pedal. Do not
overuse the brake pedal.
WARNING
When driving downhill the brakes are
pla
ced under particular strain and be-
come hot very quickly. Overheated brakes
reduce the braking eect and considera-
bly increase the braking distance. This can
lead to loss of control of the vehicle, acci-
dents and also serious or fatal injuries.
·
Before driving down a long, steep gradi-
ent, reduce your speed by selecting
a lower gear on the manual gearbox or
automatic transmission.
·
Use the braking eect of the engine to
reduce the load on the brakes.
·
Before starting your journey, make sure
that the air supply to the brakes is not
covered, e.g. by non-standard or dam-
aged front spoilers.
142 Driving
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