2008 Mercedes C-Class Owner's Manual - Page 313

Operation Driving instructions Brakes Warning! G 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 braking effect. 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 effectiveness. It may not be possible to stop the vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an accident. ! Vehicles without 4MATIC: Because the ESP® operates automatically, the engine and ignition must be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch position 0 or 1 or KEYLESS-GO (Canada only) start/stop button* in position 0 or 1) when the parking brake is being tested on a brake test dynamometer the vehicle is being towed with the front axle raised Active braking action through the ESP® may otherwise seriously damage the brake system. For information on vehicles with 4MATIC, see "Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP®" ( page 65). brakes by applying above-normal braking pressure at higher speeds. This will also enhance the grip of the brake pads. Warning! G Make sure not to endanger any other road users when carrying out these braking maneuvers. Refer to the description of the Brake Assist System (BAS) ( page 60). Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may be the reason for low brake fluid level in the reservoir. The brake fluid level in the reservoir may be too low if the red brake warning lamp in the instrument cluster comes on while the engine is running and an acoustic warning sounds ( page 376). Observe additional messages in the multifunction display that may appear ( page 387). To 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 subjected to moderate loads, you should occasionally test the effectiveness of the 312