Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL 126 1981, Owner'S Manual

Page: 50 / 89

Special Operating Conditions
Winter Driving
Have your car winterized in a
MERCEDES-BENZ service station
before the onset of winter.
• Engine oil change: If no “all-year-
round” engine oil is used, fill with
recommended winter oil. For
viscosity and capacity, refer to
“ Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.
and last page”.
• Antifreeze in the coolant: Check
antifreeze protection periodically.
For capacity refer to “ Fuels,
Coolants, Lubricants, etc.” .
• Additive in the windshield
washer system: Add windshield
washer solvent to the water in
the windshield washer system.
• 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, braking
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 correc­
tive 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.
Thawing salts and water can adver­
sely affect the braking efficiency.
Increased pressure on the pedal
may be required to achieve the
usual braking effect. We therefore
recommend to actuate the brakes
repeatedly in order to test their effi­
ciency after driving on salt treated
roads for some time. In doing this it
must, of course, be made sure that
no danger is created for other road
users.
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 safe­
ty requirements. Should the braking
efficiency have deteriorated consi­
derably it can be improved again by
braking several times.