Mercedes-Benz 1985 380SE, Owner'S Manual

Page: 58 / 109

Safe Driving
ABS - Brake System
(Anti-Lock Brake System)
You can tell if your vehicle is
equipped with an ABS by the yellow
indicator lamp with the letters
“ANTILOCK” in the instrument
cluster (see page
12
).
The ABS prevents the wheels from
locking up above a speed of approx.
3 km/h/2 mph independent of road
surface conditions. It is necessary,
however, that a speed of approx.
8
km /h/5 mph has been exceeded
at least once after start-up.
At the instant one of the wheels is
about to lock up, you will notice a
slight vibration in the brake pedal
and the vehicle, indicating that the
ABS is enhancing the driver’s ability
to control the vehicle by preventing
the wheels from locking. This also
indicates that the ABS is in the
regulating mode.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS
will already respond with a slight
brake pedal pressure. The pulsating
brake pedal can be an indication of
hazardous road conditions, and you
may want to take extra care driving.
Warning!
Always keep a safe distance from
the vehicle in front of you. Only a
save, attentive and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The ABS cannot
prevent accidents including those
resulting from excessive speed in
turns or following a vehicle too
closely.
The ABS indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on with
the key in steering lock position “
2
”
and should go out with the engine
running.
If the charging voltage falls below
10
volts, the indicator lamp comes
on and the ABS is switched off.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the indicator lamp should go
out and the ABS will be operational.
If the ABS indicator lamp does not
go out, it indicates that the ABS has
detected a malfunction and has
switched off. In this case, the brake
system functions in the usual
manner, but without anti-lock assis­
tance. We recommend that you visit
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer as soon as possible to have
the system checked.