Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1984, Owner'S Manual

Page: 49 / 89

The condition of the parking brake
system is checked each time the
car is in the shop for maintenance.
Between maintenance checks it is
a good practice to apply the park­
ing brake once or twice while
driving at approximately 50 km /h/
30 mph on a dry road. Apply brake
lightly until a slight drag on the
wheels is felt. Keep applying brakes
for about
10
seconds while pulling
release knob out, then release
parking brake completely. This
practice will keep the parking brake
at maximum efficiency.
Warning:
The stop lamps will not come on
when applying the parking brake
only. Apply parking brake only
when road behind vehicle is clear
of traffic.
All checks and maintenance work
on the brake system should be
carried out by a MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer. If the parking brake is
released and the brake warning
lamp in the instrument cluster stays
on, the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is too low.
Safe Driving
Brake pad wear or a leak in the
system may be the reason for low
brake fluid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected
at a MERCEDES-BENZ service
station without delay.
Install only brake pads recommen­
ded by us. If other than recommen­
ded brake pads are installed, the
braking properties of the vehicle
can be affected to an extent that
the safety is substantially impaired.
Brake Pad Wear Indicator Lamp
The brake pad wear indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on
when the key in the steering lock is
turned to driving position “
2
” and it
must go out when the engine is
running. If the indicator lamp lights
up during braking, this shows that
the front wheel brake pads are
worn.
Have brake system checked in a
MERCEDES-BENZ service station
as soon as possible.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid should be changed
once a year, preferably in spring.
Only use brake fluid recommended
by us. For further information, refer
to “Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants,
etc.” .
Charge Indicator Lamp
Should the charge indicator lamp
fail to come on prior to starting
when the ignition key is in position
“
2
” or should it fail to go out after
starting or during operation, this
indicates a fault which must be re­
paired at a MERCEDES-BENZ
service station as soon as possible.
Fuel Reserve Warning Lamp
The fuel reserve warning lamp will
come on when the key in the
steering lock is turned to position
“
2
”, and will go out after the engine
is running.
If the warning lamp stays on after
the engine starts, or comes on
while driving, it indicates that the
fuel level is down to the reserve
quantity.
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