Mercedes-Benz 1982 380 SL, Owner'S Manual

Page: 52 / 89

Special Operating Conditions
• Test battery: Battery capacity
drops with decreasing ambient
temperature. A well charged
battery ensures that the engine
can always be started, even at
low ambient temperatures.
• Tires: We recommend M +S
radial tires on all wheels for the
winter season. Observe permis­
sible maximum speed for M +S
radial tires and the legal speed
limit.
Hints for Driving
The most important rule for slippery
or icy roads is to drive sensibly and
to avoid abrupt acceleration, brak­
ing and steering action. Do not use
the cruise control system under
such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, move selector lever to
position “ N”. Try to keep the
vehicle under control by means of
corrective steering action.
Provided the traffic conditions will
allow, only brake in a way that the
wheels are locked for no more than
fractions of a second as otherwise
the steerability of the vehicle is lost.
Road salts can adversely affect
braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to
produce the normal brake effect.
We therefore recommend depress­
ing the brake pedal repeatedly
when travelling on salt-strewn
roads at length. This can bring road
salt impaired braking efficiency
back to normal. A prerequisite is,
however, that this is possible
w ithout endangering other drivers
on the road.
If the vehicle is parked after being
driven on salt treated roads, the
braking efficiency should be tested
as soon as possible after driving is
resumed while adhering to the
safety requirements. Should the
braking efficiency have deteriorated
considerably it can be improved
again by braking several times.
Tire Chains
Tire chains can only be used on
the driving wheels. Use only chains
tested and recommended by us.
Any MERCEDES-BENZ service
station will readily advise you.
Retighten newly mounted tire
chains after a few miles of driving.
Do not exceed permissible
maximum speed of 50 k m /h /
30 mph. On clear roads, remove
the chains as soon as practicable.
Adhere to the m anufacturer’s
mounting instructions.
Traveling Abroad
Abroad, too, there is a widely-spread
MERCEDES-BENZ service network
at your disposal. If you travel into
areas which are not listed in the
index of your service station
booklet, you should request per­
tinent information from your dealer.