Driving Hints - Mercedes-Benz 260 E 124 1987 Owner's Manual

Driving Hints

Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering systems are with­
out power assistance. Under these cir­
cumstances, a much greater effort is
necessary to steer or stop the vehicle.
Brakes
Warning!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the brakes by shift­
ing into a lower speed (selector
lever position "3" or "2" in the case
of automatic transmissions). This
helps prevent overheating of the
brakes. Otherwise the brakes will
overheat and this may result in a
brake failure.
After hard braking it is advisable to
drive on for some time 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 components, the first
16
braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pres­
sure may be necessary. Be sure to
maintain a safe distance from ve­
hicles in front.
The condition of the parking brake sy­
stem is checked each time the car is
in the shop for maintenance.
Between maintenance checks it is a
good practice to apply the parking
brake once or twice while driving at
approximately 50 km/h (30 mph) on a
dry straight road. Apply brake lightly
until a slight drag on the wheels is felt.
Keep applying brakes for about 10 se­
conds while pulling release handle out
before releasing parking brake com­
pletely. This practice will keep the
parking brake at maximum 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 foot on the brake pedal
will cause excessive and premature
wear of the brake pads.
All checks and maintenance work 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 without delay.
Install only brake pads recommended
by MERCEDES-BENZ.
If other than recommended brake
pads are installed, the braking proper­
ties of the vehicle can be affected to
an extent that the safety is substan­
tially impaired.