Mercedes-Benz 1985 380SE User manual

Owner's Manual
380 SE
500SEL
500 SEC
Mercedes-Benz
II I I III III) | | | |(l

Drive Sensibly — Save Fuel
Fuel consumption depends to a great
extent on driving habits and operating
conditions
In order to save fuel you should:
• ensure that tire pressures are
correct
• not carry unnecessary loads
• remove ski racks or roof-mounted
luggage racks when not in use
• not warm up your engine at idle
and with the vehicle at standstill
• avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration
• have all the maintenance jobs
specified by us carried out at
regular intervals by an authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer
Driving in low temperature weather, in
stop-and-go city traffic and on short
hops, and in hilly country also
increases fuel consumption

Owner’s Manual
380 SE
500 SEL
500 SEC
Chassis 126
1985
Mercedes-Benz
®

O u r company and staff wish you many hours
of enjoyment with your new vehicle
You have placed a lot of trust in our company name
by purchasing a MERCEDES, from which you may expect
that it will give you long service with a minimum of trouble,
and is easy to operate
We have just one request to make, hoping that it will benefit
you as well:
Please do not put this manual aside without first carefully
reading it
You may notice that it contains many important
recommendations that should make the operation
of your MERCEDES easier and even increase your
pleasure driving it
We wish you many miles of motoring pleasure
Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
3

Contents
Special equipment is also described
in this manual, including operating
instructions wherever necessary.
Since there are special-order items,
the descriptions and illustrations
herein may vary slightly from the
actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details
that are not shown or described in
this Owners Manual, your
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer will be glad
to inform you of correct care and
operating procedures.
The last page
What you should know at the
gas station
Vehicle Operation
Instruments and Controls 10
Instrument Cluster 12
Keys, Doors 14
Master Key and
Supplementary K ey 14
Flat Key 14
Obtaining Replacement
K eys 14
Opening, Locking and
Unlocking of D oors 15
Central Locking System 16
Anti-Theft Alarm System 17
Seats 18
Adjusting Power Seats, Front 18
Safety Head Restraints, Rear 19
Rear Seat Adjustment
500 SEL 20
Electrical Adjustment of the
Individual Rear Seats
500 SEL 20
Orthopedic Seat Backrest 21
Arm Rest (Front Seats) 21
Arm Rest (Rear Seat) 22
Seat Heater 22
Supplemental Restraint
System 23
Seat Belts and Emergency
Tensioning Retractor 23
Driver A irbag 26
Controls 28
Steering L o ck 28
Lighting S w itch 29
Combination S witch 30
Cruise Control 31
Automatic Climate Control 32
Various Equipment 37
Exterior M irrors 37
Inside Rear View Mirror 37
Sun Visors 38
Sliding Roof 38
Interior Lamps 39
Heated Rear Window 39
Lighter 40
Shelf below Rear Window 40
Power Windows 40
R ad io 41
5

Contents
Driving
Hood 48
Parking Brake 48
Regular Inspections 49
Catalytic Converter Cautions 50
Starting and Turning
off the Engine 51
Starting and Shifting Gears 52
Safe Driving 54
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
Lamp 55
Brake Fluid 55
ABS-Brake System
(Anti-Lock Brake System) 56
Charge Indicator Lamp 57
Fuel Reserve Warning Lamp 57
Outside Temperature
Indicator 57
Oil Pressure Gauge 57
Coolant Temperature Gauge 57
Engine Oil Consumption 57
Emission Control 58
The First 1500 km/1000 Miles 58
Driving Economically 58
Economical Driving
Indicator (ECONOMY) 58
Special Operating Conditions 59
Winter Driving 59
Hints for Driving 59
Tire Chains 60
Traveling Abroad 60
6
Vehicle Care Practical Hints
MERCEDES-BENZ Maintenance
System
62
Spare Parts Service
63
Cleaning and Care
of the Vehicle
63
Jobs related to Care 64
Safety Head Restraints 68
Rear Seat Cushion 69
Ash trays 69
First Aid Kit 70
Luggage or Ski R acks 70
Spare Wheel, Jack,
Vehicle Tool Kit 71
Wheels, Tires, Changing Wheels 72
Wheels, Tires 72
Changing W heels 73
Tire Inflation Pressure 74
Checking Fuels, Coolants,
Lubricants, etc 75
Engine Oil Level Check 75
Checking Coolant Level 76
Adding C oolant 76
Automatic Transmission
Fluid Level 77

Contents
Electrical System 78
Headlamp Adjustment 78
Replacing B ulbs 78
Fuses 82
Spark P lu gs 82
Battery 83
Windshield W ipers 84
Emergency Operation of
Sliding Roof 84
Unlocking the Fuel Filler Flap 84
Jump Starting 85
Tow-starting and Towing
the Vehicle
85
Technical Data, Fuels, Coolants,
Lubricants, etc
Identification Plates 88
Vehicle Data C a rd s 89
Warranty Coverage 89
Technical Data 90
380 S E 90
500 SEL, 500 SEC 92
Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc 94
Capacities 94
Engine O ils 96
Fuel Requirements 96
Brake Fluid 96
Coolants 97
Service Literature 98
Consumer Information 99
Vehicle Operation ^
Driving ^
Vehicle Care ^
Practical Hints ^
Technical Data, Fuels, ^
Coolants, Lubricants, etc r
7