2009 Mercedes SLK-Class Owner's Manual - Page 256

Operation Driving instructions Brakes Downhill grades ! 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. 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. Salt-covered roads G Warning! A layer of salt on the brake discs and the brake linings may cause a delay in the braking effect, resulting in a significantly increased braking distance, which could lead to an accident. To avoid this danger, you should: Roccasionally brake carefully when you are driving on salt-covered roads, so that any layer of salt that may have built up on the brake discs and the brake linings is removed without putting other road users at risk Rmaintain a greater distance to the vehicle ahead and drive with particular care Rcarefully apply the brakes at the end of a trip and immediately after commencing a new trip, so that salt residues are removed from the brake disc Brake service ! The brake fluid level in the reservoir may be too low if the brake warning lamp in the instrument cluster comes on and an acoustic warning sounds although the parking 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. 254