Safe Driving - Mercedes-Benz 380 SL Owner's Manual

Safe Driving

Power assistance:
Do not attempt to move or roll the
vehicle with the engine not in
operation, as engine-driven
accessories such as the power
steering system or power brakes
are not " powered", therefore,
requiring substantially more effort
for their operation even though
they always remain mechanically
operative.
Tires:
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than appr.
3 mm/'/s in of tread, the antiskid
properties on a wet road fall off
sharply.
Depending upon the weather and/
or road pavement, the grip of the
tires varies widely.
The retention of the specified tire
pressure is essential. This applies
particularly if the tires are subjec­
ted to high loads (e.g. high speeds,
heavy loads, high ambient tem ­
peratures).
Aquaplaning:
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aquaplan­
ing 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 cau­
tious 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 contition 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 con­
ditions, drive, steer and brake parti­
cularly carefully.
We recommend M +S radial-ply
tires for the cold season. On ice or
packed snow, they can reduce
your stopping distance as com ­
pared with summer tires. Stopping
distance, however, is nevertheless
considerably greater than when the
road is wet or dry.
Brakes:
When driving down long and steep
declines, relieve the brakes by
engaging selector lever position " S"
or " L". This prevents overheating 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 w ithout 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.