Driving Instructions - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE 1989 Owner's Manual

Driving In stru ctio n s
Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering system s are w ith ­
o ut pow er assistance. Under these
circum stances, a much greater effort
is necessary to stop o r steer the
vehicle.
Brakes
Caution!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the brakes by shifting
into " 3 " or " 2 " . This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear. Do not
exceed engine speed limits (see
page 62).
A fte r hard braking it is advisable to
drive on fo r some tim e so the air
stream will cool down the brakes
faster.
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for
some time without applying the
brakes or through water deep
enough to wet brake compo­
nents, the first braking action
may be somewhat reduced and
increased pedal pressure may be
necessary. Be sure to maintain a
safe distance from vehicles in
front.
16
The condition of the parking brake
system is checked each tim e the car
is in the shop fo r maintenance.
Between maintenance checks it is a
good practice to apply the parking
brake once or tw ice while driving at
approxim ately 50 km /h (30 mph) on a
dry straight road. A pply brake lightly
until a slight drag on the w heels is felt.
Keep applying brake fo r about
10 seconds while pulling the release
handle out before releasing the park­
ing brake com pletely. This practice
will keep the parking brake at maxi­
mum efficiency.
Warning!
The stop lamps will not come on
when applying the parking brake
only. Perform the procedure in
the previous paragraph only when
the road is clear of other traffic.
Caution!
Resting your fo o t on the brake pedal
will cause excessive and prem ature
wear of the brake pads.
All checks and maintenance w ork on
the brake system should be carried
out by an authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning lamp in the instru­
ment cluster stays on, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the sys­
tem may be the reason for low brake
fluid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer w ithout delay.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
recom m ended by MERCEDES-BENZ.
If other than recom m ended brake
pads are installed, the braking pro ­
perties of the vehicle can be affected
to an extent that the safety is sub­
stantially impaired.