Starting And Turning Off The Engine - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Operator's Manual

Starting and Turning off the Engine

Before Starting
Engage parking brake and ensure
gearshift lever is in neutral (selector
lever position "P" or "N" on automatic
transmissions).
Turn key in steering lock to position 2.
The charge indicator lamp should come
on.
Cold Engine
Do not depress accelerator.
Turn key in steering lock clock-wise to
the stop. Do not depress accelerator.
Release key only when the engine is
firing regularly.
Hot Engine
Do not depress accelerator. Turn key in
steering lock clock-wise to the stop. If
the engine has not fired after approx. 4
seconds, depress accelerator and
continue cranking until the engine is
firing regularly. Release key and back
off accelerator.
At very high coolant temperatures the
engine starting time can be shortened if
the accelerator is depressed slowly at
the beginning of the starting process.
Turning Off
Turn the key in the steering lock to
position 0 to stop the engine.
Note:
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
the key can only be removed with the
selector lever in position "P".
If the coolant temperature is very high
(e.g. after hard driving on mountain
roads), do not shut off the engine
immediately, but allow it to run for 1-2
minutes at increased idle speed with
selector lever in neutral or position "P".
Important!
Due to the installed starter non-repeat
feature, the key must be turned
completely to the left before attempting
to start the engine again.
Observe the oil pressure gauge
immediately after starting the engine.
In a very cold engine the oil pressure
will rise slowly after the engine has
started. Do not speed up the engine
before pressure is registered on the
pressure gauge. If you do not see the
gauge register oil pressure, stop the
engine and have it checked.
The charge indicator lamp should go
out as soon as the engine has started.
In areas where temperatures frequently
drop below -13°F (-25°C) we
recommend that an engine block heater
be installed. Your authorized
Mercedes-Benz dealer will advise you
on this subject.
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