Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1985, Owner'S Manual

Page: 53 / 97

Safe Driving
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 car­
ried out by a MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning lamp in the in­
strument cluster stays on, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is
too low.
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 an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer 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 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 at an
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ deal­
er 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.”.
The low brake fluid indicator lamp
will come on if insufficient brake
fluid is in the reservoir. (The key
must be in steering lock position
“2” , and the parking brake
released.)
When the minimum mark on the
reservoir is reached, have the
system checked (brake lining thick­
ness, leaks).