Mercedes-Benz 240 D 1980, Owner'S Manual

Page: 46 / 93

S ta rtin g and Sh iftin g Gears
S afe D riving
M aneuvering
To m aneuver in restricted area,
e.g. w hen pulling into a parking
space, control the car speed by
gradually releasing the service
brake. Accelerate gently and do
not pum p the accelerator. To rock
a car o u t o f so ft ground (mud or
snow), alternately sh ift one fo r­
w ard gear range and the reverse
gear at partial th rottle.
Trailer operation
Do not allow the engine speed to
drop to o low at uphill gradients to
prevent the engine from laboring
at low RPMs. Depending on the
degree o f the incline, sh ift selector
lever to positions "S " or "L " early
enough to maintain engine RPMs
w ith in best torque range.
Stopping
For brief halts, e.g. at tra ffic lights,
leave the selector lever in a driving
position and control vehicle w ith
the service brake.
For longer stops w ith the engine
idling, shift selector lever to
position "N ".
W hen stopping the car on a slope,
do not hold it by means o f the
accelerator but use the brake. This
avoids unnecessary heat-up of the
tra nsmission.
A lw ays drive according to the
rule "S afety firs t". The c o m fo rt­
able ride o f the vehicle may easily
te m p t you to underestim ate the
speed you are actually driving at
For this reason you should get
used to keeping an eye on the
speedometer needle because high
speeds demand long stopping
distances.
Do not a tte m p t to move or roll the
vehicle w ith the engine not in oper­
ation, as engine-driven accesso­
ries such as the pow er steering
system or pow er brakes are not
“ p ow ere d", therefore, requiring
substantially more e ffo rt fo r their
operation even th ou gh they always
remain mechanically operative.
Do not allow your tires to wear
dow n to o far. W ith less than
appr. 3
m m / ' / s
in o f tread, the
antiskid properties on a w et road
fall o ff sharply.
Depending upon the w eather
a nd /or road pavement, the grip of
the tires varies w idely.
The retention o f the specified tire
pressure is essential. This applies