Mercedes-Benz 300SDL-TURBO 126 D 1986 Owner's Manual page 17

Driving Hints
Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering system s are w ith ­
out power assistance. Under these
circum stances, a much greater effort
is necessary to steer o r stop the vehi­
cle.
Tires
Do not allow your tires to wear down
to o far. With less than appr. 3 mm
(1/8 in) of tread, the antiskid proper­
ties on a w et road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the w eather and/or
road surface (conditions), the traction
varies widely.
Specified tire pressures m ust be
maintained. This applies particularly if
the tires are subjected 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, aquaplaning 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 w et 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 tem peratures fall close
to the freezing point.
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire
traction will be substantially
reduced. Under such weather condi­
tions, drive, steer and brake with
extreme caution.
We recom m end M + S radial-ply tires
fo r the cold season. On packed snow,
they can reduce your stopping dist­
ance as com pared with sum m er tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the
road is w et or dry.
Brakes
Warning!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the brakes by shift­
ing into "3 " or "2 ". This helps prev­
ent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
A fter 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 w ater deep enough to wet
brake components, 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.
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 road. A pply brake lightly until a
slight drag on the wheels is felt. Keep
applying brakes fo r about 10 seconds
while pulling release handle out
before releasing parking brake com ­
pletely. This practice will keep the
parking brake at maximum efficiency.