Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL 1988, Owner'S Manual

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Parking Brake
To engage, depress parking brake
pedal. When the key is in steering
lock position 2, the brake warning
lamp in the instrument cluster should
come on (function check for brake
warning lamp).
To release the parking brake, pull
handle on instrument panel. The
brake warning lamp in the instrument
cluster should go out.
Automatic Transmission
The automatic transmission selects
individual gears automatically, deped-
ing upon selector lever position, vehi­
cle speed and accelerator position.
Warning!
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all
times. Objects stored in this area
may impair pedal movement.
Driving:
Shift selector lever to the desired
driving position only when the
engine is idling and the service
brake is applied. Do not release the
brake until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise start creep­
ing when the selector lever is in a
drive position.
Test the brakes briefly after driving
off. Perform this procedure only when
the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been
reached.
When starting off on a slippery sur­
face, do not allow one driving wheel
to spin for an extended period
(420 SEL only).
Accelerator position
Partial throttle = early upshifting =
normal acceleration.
Full throttle = later upshifting =
maximum acceleration.
Depressing the accelerator beyond
full throttle to kickdown position
means downshifting to the next lower
gear and thereby increasing accelera­
tion. If you ease up on the accelerator
after having attained the desired
speed, the transmission will shift up
again.
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