Mercedes-Benz 280 E 1979 Owner's Manual page 43

Safe Driving
heavy loads, high ambient tempera­
tures).
Aquaplaning:
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aqua­
planing may occur even with tires
still showing the full tread depth,
and even at low speeds. Avoid
track grooves in the road and
apply brakes cautiously in the rain.
Tire friction:
Dry road = 100%
Wet road = from approx. 50% to
approx. 80% (be particularly
cautious on wet and dirty roads)
Icy road = approx. 15%
A given speed at which a vehicle
driven on dry roads can still be fully
controlled must be reduced when
the same vehicle is to be driven
safely on a wet or icy road.
You should pay particular attention
to, the condition of the road as soon
as the prevailing temperatures fall
close to the freezing point. If ice
has formed on the road (e. g. due to
fog), a thin film of water is then
quickly produced on the ice which
substantially reduces the grip of
the tires. Under such weather
conditions, drive, steer and brake
particularly carefully.
We recommend M + S radial-ply
tires for the cold season. On ice
or packed snow, they can reduce
your stopping distance as compared
with summer tires. Stopping dis­
tance, however, is nevertheless
considerably greater than when the
road is wet or dry.
When driving down long and steep
declines, relieve the brakes by
engaging selector lever position
" S" or " L" . This prevents over­
heating of the brakes and reduces
brake pad wear.
After hard braking it is advisable
not to switch off the engine right
away but to drive on for some time
so, the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
When driving in heavy rain for
some time without applying the
brakes, the first braking action
may be somewhat retarded and
increased pedal pressure may be
necessary. For this reason, stay
further away from vehicle in front.
The condition of the parking brake
will be checked during every main­
tenance service. Furthermore it is
recommended to exert once ortwice
between the regular maintenance
services, a maximum pressure of
22 lbs. (10 kp) on the parking brake
pedal for 10secondswhile travelling
at a speed around 30 mph (50 km/h)
on dry road. Pull release knob
during this process! Repeat pro­
cedure once or twice. Exercise
care, the stoplights do not work.
Have all inspections of and work on
the brake system carried out by a
MERCEDES-BENZ service station.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning light in the in­
strument cluster comes on, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
is too low.