Mercedes-Benz 560 SL 1986 Owner's Manual page 18

Driving Hints
Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering systems are
without power assistance. Under
these circumstances, a much
greater effort is necessary to steer
or stop the vehicle.
Tires
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than 3 mm
('/a in) of tread, the antiskid proper­
ties on a wet road are sharply re­
duced.
Depending upon the weather and/
or road surface (conditions), the
traction varies widely.
Specified tire pressure must be
maintained. This applies particularly
if the tires are subjected to high
loads (e.g. high speeds, heavy
loads, high ambient temperatures).
Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aquaplan­
ing may occur, even at low speeds.
Avoid track grooves in the road and
apply brakes cautiously in the rain.
Tire friction
The safe speed on a wet or icy
road is always lower than on a dry
road.
You should pay particular attention
to the condition of the road as
soon as the prevailing temperatures
fall close to the freezing point.
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire
traction will be substantially
reduced. Under such weather
conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
We recommend M + S radial-ply
tires for the cold season. On
packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance as compared
with summer tires. Stopping dis­
tance, however, is still considerably
greater than when the road is wet
or dry.
Brakes
Warning!
When driving down long and
steep grades, relieve the brakes
by shifting into "3", "2" or "B".
This helps prevent overheating of
the brakes and reduces brake
pad wear.
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 braking action may be
somewhat reduced and increased
pedal pressure may be neces­
sary. Be sure to maintain a safe
distance from vehicles in front.
The condition of the parking brake
system 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 road. Apply
brake lightly until a slight drag on
the wheels is felt. Keep applying
brakes for about 10 seconds while
pulling release knob out before
releasing parking brake completely.
This practice will keep the parking
brake at maximum efficiency.