2011 Mercedes ML-Class Owner's Manual - Page 164

162 Driving tips 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. You have to depress the brake pedal more firmly. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front. Driving and parking too low. Observe additional warning messages in the multifunction display. The brake fluid level may be too low due to brake pad wear or leaking brake lines. Have the brake system checked immediately. This work should be carried out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. All checks and maintenance work on the brake system must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Only install brake pads and use brake fluid recommended by Mercedes-Benz. After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying attention to the traffic conditions. This will warm up the brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly and protecting them against corrosion. G Warning Limited braking performance on salt treated roads G Warning The layer of salt on the brake discs and the brake pads/linings may cause a delay in the braking effect, resulting in a significantly longer braking distance, which could lead to an accident. To avoid this danger, you should: Roccasionally brake carefully, without putting other road users at risk, when you are driving on salted roads. This helps to remove any salt that may have started to build up on the brake discs and the brake pads/linings. 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 discs. If other than recommended brake pads are installed, or other than recommended brake fluid is used, the braking properties of the vehicle can be degraded to an extent that safe braking is substantially impaired. This could result in an accident. ! Vehicles with 4MATIC: a function or performance test may only be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer. If you are planning to have the vehicle tested on such a dynamometer, contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to obtain further information first. Otherwise, the drive train or the brake system may suffer damage. ! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP® system operates automatically, the engine and the ignition system must be switched off (SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the ignition lock or Start/Stop button in position 0 or 1) when: Rtesting Maintenance of the brakes ! If the brake warning lamp lights up in the instrument cluster and you hear a warning tone, even though the parking brake has been released, the brake fluid level may be the parking brake on a brake dynamometer. Ryou intend to have the vehicle towed with one of the axles raised. Braking maneuvers triggered automatically by ESP® may seriously damage the brake system.