Mercedes-Benz 230 1978, Owner'S Manual

Page: 49 / 91

Safe Driving
Driving Economically
The First 1,000 Miles (1,500 km)
Emission Control
Special devices of the engine
and /or adjustm ents serve to keep
the to xic com ponents of the exhaust
gases w ithin perm issible limits
required by law. (Nevertheless, we
urgently advise you not to let the
engine run in a closed garage,
because in such cases the danger
of carbon monoxide poisoning still
exists). These devices, of course,
w ill function properly only when
maintained strictly according to
factory specifications. Any adjust­
ments on the engine should, there­
fore, be carried out only by qualified
MERCEDES-BENZ technicians. The
devices may not be disconnected
o r removed nor the adjustm ents be
altered in any way. Moreover, the
specified service and maintenance
jobs must be carried out regularly
according to MERCEDES-BENZ
servicing requirements. These serv­
ice and m aintenance jobs p artic­
ularly require the checking of the
carbon monoxide content, the
adjustm ent of the engine idling
speed and d istribu to r tim ing. For
detailes refer to the Emission
Systems Manual.
Fuel Consumption
Fuel consum ption depends to a
great extent on driving habits and
operating conditions. For econo­
mical driving you should
• avoid frequent and quick
acceleration
• avoid frequent slowdowns
• avoid high speeds
Driving in low tem perature weather,
in stop-and-go c ity tra ffic and on
short hops, and in h illy country as
w ell increases fuel consumption.
Engine Oil Consumption
Engine oil consum ption can only be
determ ined after a certain mileage
has been covered. During the
break-in period, higher oil con­
sumption may be noticed and is
normal.
Frequent high engine speed opera­
tion w ill also cause increased oil
consumption.
The more cautiously you treat your
engine during the break-in period,
the more satisfied you w ill be with
its perform ance later on. There­
fore, drive your vehicle during the
first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) at mod­
erate vehicle and engine speeds.
During this period, avoid heavy
loads (full throttle driving) and high
RPMs (no more than
2h
of maxi­
mum perm issible speed in each
gear) and do not force the engine
to labor at low engine speed.
Avoid accelerating by kickdown.
It is not recommended to brake
vehicle by means of manually shift­
ing to a lower gear. We recommend
to select positions “ S" o r “ L ”
only at moderate speeds (for hill
driving).
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), speeds
may gradually be increased to the
perm issible maximum.