Mercedes-Benz 280 SE User manual

IV A I 280 SE Mercedes-Benz

Drive Sensibly — Save Fuel
Fuel consump ion depends o a grea
ex en on driving habi s and opera ing
condi ions.
In order o save fuel you should:
• ensure ha ire pressures are
correc
• no carry unnecessary loads
• remove ski racks or roof-moun ed
luggage racks when no in use
• no warm up your engine a idle
and wi h he vehicle a s ands ill
• avoid frequen accelera ion and
decelera ion
• avoid frequen braking
• avoid unnecessarily high speeds
• have all he main enance jobs
specified by us carried ou a
regular in ervals by a MERCEDES-
BENZ service s a ion.
Driving in low empera ure wea her,
in s op-and-go ci y raffic and on shor
hops, and in hilly coun ry also in
creases fuel consump ion.

Owner’s
Manual 280 SE
450 SEL
Type 116
1980
Mercedes-Benz

You have chosen o drive a MERCEDES-BENZ, a car in whose cons ruc
ion and produc ion we have aken grea pains because we believe ha
quali y is no a ma er of chance.
Perhaps you have already had experience wi h a MERCEDES, maybe
his is your firs car from he DAIMLER-BENZ company. In bo h cases —
for your own benefi — please read his owner’s manual before pu ing i
away. Even hough you have been driving a car for years, some hings in
his car may be new o you, and his manual cer ainly con ains a few
hin s which will help you o make he mos of your new car.
We wish you safe and pleasan mo oring.
DAIMLER-BENZ Ak iengesellschaf
3

Contents
This Owner’s Manual also describes
optional extras as far as this is re
quired for their operation. /As the
scope of delivery is deter ined by the
order, the equip ent of your vehicle
ay deviate fro the descriptions
and illustrations to so e extent.
The las page
Wha you should know a he
gas s a ion
Vehicle Operation
Ins rumen s and Con rols . . . 8
Ins rumen C lu s e r ......................... 10
Keys, D o o r s ..................................... 12
Mas er Key and
Supplemen ary Key .... 12
Fla K e y .......................................... 12
Ob aining Replacemen
Keys .............................................. 12
Opening, Locking and
Unlocking of Doors .... 12
Mas er Lock Sys em .... 13
S e a s .................................................. 14
Adjus men of Driver’s Sea
and Fron Passenger Sea . 14
Safe y Headres ......................... 15
Arm Res (Rear Sea ) . . . 15
Safe y B e l s ................................. 16
Con rols ..........................................18
S eering Lock ............................. 18
Ligh ing Swi ch ......................... 18
Combina ion Swi ch .... 19
Cruise Con rol ......................... 20
Au oma ic Clima e Con rol . . 21
Various Equipmen ..................... 25
In erior Lamps ......................... 25
Rear View Mirrors ..................... 25
Sun V is o r ..................................... 25
Elec ric Window Lif ers . . . 26
Ligh er ......................................... 27
Shelf below Rear Window 27
Hea ed Rear Window . . . 27
Sliding Roof ............................. 27
R a d io ................................................. 28
Driving
Hood ................................................. 34
Parking B r a k e ................................. 34
Regular Inspec ions ..................... 35
Ca aly ic Conver er Cau ions . 36
S ar ing and Turning
off he Engine ................................. 37
S ar ing and Shif ing Gears . . 38
Safe Driving ......................................... 40
Brake Pad Wear Indica or
Lamp ......................................... 42
Brake Fluid ................................. 42
Charge Indica or Lamp . . 42
Oil Pressure Gauge .... 42
Coolan Tempera ure Gauge 42
Emission Con rol ..................... 43
Engine Oil Consump ion . . 43
The Firs 1500 km/1000 Miles 43
Special Opera ing Condi ions 44
Win er D riv in g ............................. 44
Hin s for D r iv in g ......................... 44
Tire Chains ................................. 45
Traveling Abroad ..................... 45
4

Contents
Vehicle Care
MERCEDES-BENZ Main enance
Sys em ............................................. 48
Severe Opera ing Condi ions 48
Engine Oil Change and Fil er
C h a n g e ......................................... 49
Au oma ic Transmission —
Fluid and Fil er Change . . 49
Spare Par s Service ..................... 49
Cleaning and Care of he Vehicle 50
Jobs rela ed o Care .... 51
Practical Hints
Ash rays ......................................... 54
Rear Sea C u s h io n ......................... 54
Firs Aid Ki ..................................... 55
Luggage or Ski Racks .... 55
Spare Wheel, Jack,
Vehicle Tool Ki ............................. 55
Wheels, Tires, Changing Wheels 56
Wheels, Tires ............................. 56
Changing Wheels ..................... 57
Tire Infla ion Pressure . . . 58
Checking Fuels, Coolan s,
Lubrican s, e c ..................................... 59
Engine Oil Level Check . . 59
Replenishing Coolan . . . 60
Au oma ic Transmission
Fluid Level ................................. 61
Elec rical Sys em ......................... 62
Replacing B u lb s ......................... 62
Fuses ..........................................65
Ba ery ..........................................65
Spark Plugs ............................. 65
Sliding Roof-Emergency
O p e ra io n .......................................... 66
Unlocking of he Filler Flap . . 66
Tow-s ar ing and Towing
he Vehicle ..................................... 67
Jump S ar ing ................................. 68
Technical Data, Fuels, Coolants,
Lubricants, etc.
Iden ifica ion Pla es ..................... 70
Vehicle Da a Cards ..................... 71
Technical Da a ............................. 72
280 SE ..........................................72
450 SEL ..................................... 74
Fuels, Coolan s, Lubrican s, e c. 76
Capaci ies ................................. 76
Engine Oils ................................. 79
Brake Fluid ................................. 79
Coolan s ..................................... 80
Service Li era ure ......................... 81
Vehicle Operation
Driving
Vehicle Care
Practical Hints
Technical Data, Fuels,
Coolants, Lubricants, etc.
5

Vehicle Opera ion

Instru ents and Controls
For ore detailed descriptions see quoted pages.
A 1 Speaker grilles
2 Adjus able louvers for side ven ila ion (page 21)
3 Con rol lever for side ven ila ion (page 21)
4 Parking brake release knob (page 34)
5 Handle o disengage hood lock (page 34)
6 Parking brake pedal (page 34)
7 Combina ion swi ch (page 19)
8 Ligh ing swi ch (page 18)
9 Ins ruc ion ag (excep ouris vehicle).
Use only unleaded gasoline
10 Cruise con rol (page 20)
11 Ins rumen clus er (page 10)
12 Horn con rol
13 S eering lock wi h igni ion/s ar er swi ch (page 1
14 Adjus able louvers for cooled air (page 21)
15 Con rol lever for cooled air(page21)
8
16 Swi ch for rear passenger compar men lamp
17 Swi ch for au oma ic an enna (page 30)
18 Swi ch for hea ed rear window (page 27)
19 Swi ch for elec ric sliding roof (page 27)
20 Au oma ic clima e con rol (page 21)
21 Radio (page 28)
22 Ash ray wi h ligh er (page 27, 54)
23 Loudspeaker — fader con rol (page 29)
24 Swi ch group for window lif ers (page 26)
25 Hazard warning flasher swi ch
Push swi ch = hazard warning flasher sys em
swi ched on
Push swi ch once more = hazard warning flasher
sys em swi ched off
26 Glove compar men ( o open, shif handle
sideways). Only illumina ed if s eering lock is
in posi ion “2”.

Instru ents and Controls
«
9

Ins rumen Clus er
1 Coolan empera ure gauge (° C)
Up o red marking: Maximum permissible empera
ure for an an ifreeze-blended fill pro ec ing down
o -30° C /-220 F
2 Fuel gauge wi h reserve warning lamp (yellow)
Fuel reserve for approx. 45— 50 km/30 miles
For capaci y, refer o page 78 and las page.
3 Oil pressure gauge (bar)
4 Main odome er
5 Trip odome er
6 Knob for clock adjus men
(press in for adjus men s)
7 Elec ric clock
8 Tachome er
9 Red marking on achome er:
Excessive engine revolu ions
10 Turn signal indica or lamp, righ (green)
11 0 2-Sensor replacemen indica or lamp (red):
When he indica or lamp comes on, he 0 2-Sensor
mus be replaced
10
12 Sea bel warning lamp (red)
13 Brake pad wear indica or lamp (yellow):
Lamp comes on while braking and driving if he
fron wheel brake pads are worn down, refer
o page 42
14 Dimmer knob for ins rumen lamps,
con inuous adjus men
15 Rese knob for rip odome er
(push bu on)
16 Brake warning lamp (red) comes on if
• he parking brake is engaged
• oo li le brake fluid is in he reservoir
17 High beam indica or lamp (blue)
18 Charge indica or lamp (red):
Comes on when he s eering lock key is
moved o driving posi ion “2” and mus go
ou when he engine is idling
19 Turn signal indica or lamp, lef (green)
Note
A s op is provided on he speedome er a he
138 km /h/85 mph reading. Speeds in excess of
138 km /h/85 mph will no longer be recorded.

Instru ent Cluster

Keys Doors
»
Master Key — square head —
fi s all locks on he car.
Supple entary Key — rounded head
— fi s only he door locks and he
s eering lock. This key is in ended o
be used whenever he car is lef wi h
an a endan . Be sure o lock glove
compar men and runk wi h he mas
er key.
Flat Key
> The fla key fi s all vehicle
locks.
We recommend ha you
1 carry he fla key wi h you
I and keep i in a safe place
J so ha i is always handy,
™ if needed (e. g. in your
walle ). Never leave he fla
key in he vehicle.
Obtaining Replace ent Keys
Replacemen keys can be ob ained
only via MERCEDES-BENZ service
s a ions. If he keys are los , assis 
ance is ra her ime consuming and
expensive.
Opening the Doors
From ou side: pull handle
ou wards (1).
From inside: pull handle in door
rim panel.
Locking and Unlocking of Doors
From he ou side: urn key.
From he inside: ac ua e plunger.
2 Unlocking
3 Locking
When he rear door plunger’s are
pushed down he rear doors canno be
opened from he ou side or he
inside. They can be opened af er pul
ling plungers up.
One canno lock:
• he driver’s door if i is open.
• any door if he door lock has no
engaged fully. In his case open
he door and close i again.
12

Keys Doors
Master Lock Syste
The mas er lock sys em simul ane
ously locks or unlocks oge her wi h
he driver’s door all o her doors, fuel
ank filler flap and runk lid. As he
driver’s door plunger is moved, he
plungers of all o her doors mus move
a he same ime. If his is no he
case, he lock of he corresponding
door has no engaged fully. Open he
door once more and close i
correc ly.
When he mas er lock sys em has
been applied, he lock plungers of he
fron passenger door and he rear
doors can also be opera ed manually
from indside. In addi ion o his, he
fron passenger door can be locked
or unlocked by means of he key.
The mas er lock sys em can only be
applied by depressing he plunger on
he driver’s door. Lock plungers of he
o her doors canno be depressed
individually.
The runk lid can also be unlocked se
para ely by urning mas er key coun
erclockwise o he s op. Push he
runk lock bu on in wi h i and lif he
lid. Re urn he key o i s ini ial posi ion
and wi h draw i . To lock he lid, close i
firmly. I will hen be locked again by
he mas er lock sys em.
A provision has been made o facili
a e permanen locking of he runk
lid for posi ive preven ion of access
o runk by unau horized persons.
Before leaving vehicle wi h an a en
dan , lock runk wi h mas er key
(square head) by urning key clock
wise o s op ( umbler slo ver ical),
hen provide a endan wi h round-
headed supplemen ary key. Thus, he
runk lock has been excluded from
he opera ion of he mas er lock sys
em and canno be opened excep wi h
he square-headed mas er key.
To reverse his, urn runk lock coun
erclockwise back o horizon al posi
ion of he umbler slo wi h mas erkey.
Lock will hen be reengaged in
mas er lock sys em; ha is, i will au o
ma ically be locked or unlocked de
pending on whe her he driver’s door
is locked or unlocked.
The mas er lock sys em opera es on
vacuum genera ed by he engine.
A reservoir allows he mas er lock sys
em o be ac ua ed abou five imes
af er he engine is urned off. If he
sys em can hen no longer be enga
ged idle engine for a shor period.
If no vacuum is available, doors and
runk have o be locked individually in
he normal manner. The fuel ank filler
flap, however, remains unlocked.
No e:
If he filler flap canno be opened
when he mas er lock sys em is un
locked, refer o “Unlocking of he
Filler Flap” (page 66).

Seats
)
should be moved o one of he for-
wardmos posi ions and headres re
moved. For driving, re urn backres o
uprigh posi ion and push sea back.
Replace headres .
No e:
Prior o opera ing he vehicle, he
driver should adjus he sea heigh
for proper vision as well as fore-af
placemen and sea back angle o in
sure adequa e con rol, reach, opera
ion, and comfor . The head res should
also be adjus ed for proper heigh so
ha when he cushion is ipped com
Adjust ent of Driver’s Seat and
Front Passenger Seat
Forward and backward adjus men :
lif handle (1); slide sea o desired po
si ion and allow handle o reengage.
Heigh of sea : raise lever (2); o raise
sea , move sea forward: o lower
sea , move sea backward; allow lever
o reengage.
Sea back posi ion: urn hand
wheel (3) forward or backward.
For full reclining of backres , sea
ple ely f orward, i should form acradle
behind he sea occupan ’s head.
Bo h he inside and ou side rear view
mirrors should hen be adjus ed for
adequa e rearward vision. Fas en
sea bel s. Children under he age of
six or under he weigh of 23 kg/50 lb
should be sea ed in he back sea
wi h an approved res rain sys em
properly secured.
All sea , headres , and rear view mir
ror adjus men s as well asfas ening of
sea bel s should be accomplished
before he vehicle is pu in o mo ion.
14

Seats
8268
Safety Headrest
Adjus headres osuppor hebackof
he head a he level of he upper end
of he ear.
Heigh adjus men :
Press headres sligh ly forward (1)
and rese upward or downward.
De aching headres s:
Pull headres ou o he s op. Release
arres er by depressing locking knob
o be fel under he backres covering
i
ma erial and pull up headres , holding
i by he LH headres pos (viewed in
driving direc ion). Finally pull ou
headres comple ely wi h bo h
hands.
The headres locking knob of he fron
sea is loca ed below he LH headres
pos (2).
The headres locking knob of he rear
sea is loca ed be ween he wo
headres pos s.
Ar Rest (Rear Sea )
A cen er arm res is provided in he
rear sea which can be pulled ou wi h
a loop.
For he removal of he rear sea
cushion see “ Prac ical Hin s".
15

Sea s
)
Safety Belts
Warning sys em:
The indica or is illumina ed for
4— 8 seconds af er urning he s eer
ing lock key o posi ion “2” . If he
safe y bel of he driver’s sea is no
fas ened a warning buzzer sounds
simul aneously.
Fas ening of fron and rear ou er sea
bel s (wi h iner ia reel):
• Pull bel wi h ongue (1) across
shoulder and lap. The bel mus
no be wis ed and mus be igh .
• Press ongue (1) in o buckle (2)
and allow o engage audibly.
Unfas ening, fron and rear:
• Depress red bu on (3) in
buckle (2).
• Re urn ongue (1) o ini ial
posi ion.
Fas ening of rear cen er bel (wi h
ou iner ia reel):
• Pull bel across he lap. I mus no
be wis ed and mus be igh .
• Press ongue in o buckle and allow
o engage audibly.
Adjus men of rear cen er sea bel :
To leng hen, urn bel buckle (on LH
side of bel ) o be a righ angles o he
bel and pull he ongue. To shor en,
pull loose end of bel .
16

Seats
Opera ion of bel s wi h iner ia reel:
The safe y bel iner ia reel s ops he
bel from unwinding fur her in case of
vehicle decelera ion in any direc ion or
if he bel is pulled ou quickly.
Func ional es :
The locking func ion of he iner ia reel
can be es ed by braking, driving
around a bend or by pulling he bel
ou quickly.
No e:
No safe y bel can be used for more
han one person. Bel s are no in
ended for children.
Af er an acciden , inspec he safe y
bel s and replace hem, if required.
The bel anchors in he vehicle should
also be checked.
Bel webbing mus no be rou ed via
sharp edges.
No modifica ions which may affec he
efficiency of he bel s mus be made.
For cleaning and careof bel webbing,
refer o page 51.
17

Controls
9232
Steering Lock
0 Off posi ion: When he key is wi h
drawn he s eering is locked. To un
lock he s eering, he key mus be
urned o posi ion “1”. The lamps can
be swi ched on. The key can be re
moved only in his posi ion.
No e:
Do no remove key from s eering lock
while he vehicle is in mo ion as his
will cause he engagemen of he
s eering lock hus rendering he ve
hicle inoperable.
2 Driving: Thes eering is unlocked.
(When urning he key clockwise o
posi ion “2” , sligh ly move he s eer
ing wheel, if required.) The red
charge indica or lamp comes on.
Power supply o s anding lamps is cu
off.
S ar ing posi ion:
Turn key clockwise o he s op. The
s ar er isengaged as long as he key is
held up o he s op. Due o he s ar er
non-repea uni , he key mus be re
urned o posi ion “0” before making
ano her s ar ing a emp .
Wi h he key in posi ion “ 1", he s eer
ing is unlocked. The radio can be
swi ched on.
A warning buzzer sounds when he
key has been lef in s eering lock posi
ions “ 1” or “0” and he driver’s door
is opened.
Lighting Switch
0 Off-posi ion
1 Parking lamps (includes side
marker lamps, ail lamps, license
pla e lamps, ins rumen panel
lamps)
8154
2 Same as pos. 1 plus headlamps
3 S anding lamps, righ
4 S anding lamps, lef
A Turn o posi ion 2 and pull ou
o firs de en = same as
posi ion 2 plus fog lamps
B Available for an op ion
No e:
Wi h he s eering lock key removed
and he driver's door open a signal
sounds if he vehicle’s ex erior lamps
are no swi ched off (s anding lamps
excep ed).
18