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

Page: 75 / 89

Tow-starting and Towing the Vehicle
Please keep in mind that conside­
rably more effort is necessary to
steer and brake the car while the
engine is not running since there is
no servo-assistance.
Emergency Engine Start
(T ow-starting)
The engine must be cold if it is to be
started by towing or pushing the
vehicle.
Never start a hot engine by towing
or pushing the vehicle as the cata­
lysts might otherwise suffer damage.
Move selector lever to position “ N”.
Turn key in steering lock to position
“2” and have vehicle towed.
After reaching a speed of 30 km /h/
18 mph, maintain this speed for
about two minutes in order to
ensure sufficient oil pressure in the
transmission.
To start the engine, move selector
lever to “ L”. Only touch the accele­
rator when the engine is revolving.
As soon as the engine has fired,
return the selector lever to “ N”
immediately.
If the engine fails to fire within a few
seconds, return the selector lever
from “L” to “ N” as otherwise the
transmission may be damaged.
For another starting attempt, tow car
again for a short while with the
selector lever in position “ N” and
then repeat starting procedure.
The same procedure may be used
for starting the engine while rolling
downhill.
Towing a Vehicle
The vehicle may be towed with the
driving wheels on the ground and
the selector lever in position “ N" for
distances up to 120 km/75 miles
and at a speed not to exceed
50 km/h/30 mph.
To positively avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission,
however, we recommend to discon­
nect the drive shaft at the rear axle
drive flange on any towing beyond a
short tow to a nearby garage.
(
73