Mercedes-Benz 1985 380SE, Owner'S Manual

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Safe Driving
After hard braking it is advisable to
drive on for some time so the air
stream will cool down the brakes
faster.
When driving in heavy rain for some
time without applying the brakes,
the first braking action may be
somewhat reduced and increased
pedal pressure may be necessary.
For this reason, stay further away
from vehicle in front.
The condition of the parking brake
system is checked each time the
car is in the shop for maintenance.
Between maintenance checks it is a
good practice to apply the parking
brake once or twice while driving at
approximately 50 km/h/30 mph on a
dry road. Apply brake lightly until a
slight drag on the wheels is felt.
Keep applying brakes for about
10
seconds while pulling release
handle out, then release parking
brake completely. This practice will
keep the parking brake at maximum
efficiency.
Warning!
The stop lamps will not come on
when applying the parking brake
only. Apply parking brake only when
road behind vehicle is clear of traffic.
All checks and maintenance work
on the brake system should be
carried out by a MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster stays on, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is
too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the
system may be the reason for low
brake fluid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer without delay.
Install only brake pads recom­
mended by us. If other than recom­
mended brake pads are installed,
the braking properties of the vehicle
can be affected to an extent that the
safety is substantially impaired.
Brake Pad Wear Indicator Lamp
The brake pad wear indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on
when the key in the steering lock is
turned to position “
2
” and it must go
out when the engine is running. If
the indicator lamp lights up during
braking, this shows that the front
wheel brake pads are worn.
Have the brake system checked at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer as soon as possible.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid should be changed once
a year, preferably in spring.
Only use brake fluid recommended
by us. For further information, refer
to “Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.” .
The low brake fluid indicator lamp
will come on if insufficient brake fluid
is in the reservoir. (The key must be
in steering lock position “
2
”, and the
parking brake released.)
When the minimum mark on the
reservoir is reached, have the
system checked (brake lining
thickness, leaks).