Mercedes-Benz 300 TE 124 T 1988 User manual

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What You Should Know
at the Gas Station
See last page
Drive Sensibly - Save Fuel
Fuel consu ption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operat
ing conditions.
To save fuel you should:
• keep tires at the reco ended
inflation pressures
• re ove unnecessary loads
• re ove ski racks or roof- ounted
luggage racks when not in use
• allow engine to war up under low
load use
• avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration
• have all aintenance work per
for ed at regular intervals by an
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
Fuel consu ption is also increased
by driving in cold weather, in stop-
and-go traffic, on short trips and in hilly
country.

Owner's Manual
300 TE
Model 124 T
1988
®

Printed in Germany
We reserve the right to odify the technical details of the vehicle as given in the
data and illustrations of this Owner’s Manual (s. e. e. o.). Reprinting, translation
and copying, even of excerpts, is not per itted without our prior authorization in
writing.
ZKD/8.87.4/PVL

O u r co pany and staff congratulate you on the purchase
of your new MERCEDES-BENZ.
Your selection of our product is a de onstration of your
trust in our co pany na e. Further, it exe plifies your
desire to own an auto obile that will be as easy as possible
to operate and provide years of service.
Your MERCEDES-BENZ represents the efforts of any
skilled engineers and crafts en. To ensure your pleasure
of ownership, we ask you to ake a s all invest ent of
your ti e:
• Please read this anual carefully before putting it aside.
• Please consider the reco endations contained in this
anual. They are designed to acquaint you with the
operation of your MERCEDES-BENZ.
We extend our best wishes for any iles of safe, pleasur
able driving.
Dai ler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
3

Introduction
This Owner’s Manual contains a great deal of useful
infor ation. We urge you to read it carefully and fa iliar
ize yourself with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life of the vehicle,
we urge you to follow the instructions and warnings.
Ignoring the could result in da age to the vehicle or
personal injury.
Your vehicle ay have so e or all of the equip ent
described. Therefore, you ay find explanations of
equip ent not installed in your vehicle. If you have any
questions about the operation of any equip ent, your
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer will be glad to
de onstrate the proper procedures.
Owner’s Service and Warranty Policy
The Owner’s Service and Warranty Policy Booklet con
tains detailed infor ation about the warranties covering
your MERCEDES-BENZ, including:
• New Car Li ited Warranty
• E ission Syste Warranty
• E ission Perfor ance Warranty
• California E ission Control Syste Warranty
(California Only)
4
Maintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the necessary
aintenance work which should be perfor ed at regular
intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with you when you
take the vehicle to your authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer for service. The Service Advisor will record each
service.
Roadside Assistance
Although your Mercedes-Benz is built to be as trouble-
free as possible, a Roadside Assistance Progra is avail
able to provide e ergency roadside service after nor al
dealer hours and on weekends and holidays in the con
tiguous United States.
Roadside Assistance is available Monday through Friday
fro 5:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight and on Saturday, Sunday
and legal holidays fro 8:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight. In the
event of a breakdown during these hours, telephone this
toll-free nu ber: 1-800-222-0100.
For additional infor ation, refer to the Mercedes-Benz
Roadside Assistance Progra Booklet in your glove
co part ent.

Change of Address or Ownershi
If you change your address, be sure to send in the
“ Change of Address Notice” found in the Owner’s Ser
vice and Warranty Policy Booklet. It is in your own
interest that we can contact you should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all owner’s litera
ture with the vehicle to ake it available to the next
owner.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to send in the
“ Notice of Purchase of Used Car” found in the Owner’s
Service and Warranty Policy Booklet.
O erating Your Vehicle Outside the U.S.A. or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in foreign countries,
please be aware that:
• unleaded fuels for vehicles with catalytic converters
ay not be available; the use of leaded fuels will da 
age the catalysts,
• fuel ay have a considerably lower octane rating, and
i proper fuel can cause engine da age,
• service facilities or replace ent parts ay not be
readily available.
Certain Mercedes-Benz odels are available for delivery
in Europe under our European Delivery Progra . For
details, consult your authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer or write to:
Mercedes-Benz of North A erica, Inc.
European Delivery Depart ent
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645
In Canada write to:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Depart ent
849 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario M4G 2L5
5

Optional equipment is also described in this manual, including
operating instructions wherever necessary. Since they 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 des
cribed in this Owner’s Manual, your authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer will be glad to inform you of correct care and
operating procedures.
The Owner’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet are important
documents and should be kept with the vehicle.
6

Instruments and Controls, Starting the Engine
Driving Instructions, Service and Maintenance
O eration
Driving
Practical Hints
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Technical Data
Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.
Consumer Information

Check Regularly and
Before a Long Tri
See page 116
The First 1500 km (1000 Miles)
The ore cautiously you treat your
vehicle during the break-in period, the
ore satisfied you will be with its per
for ance later on. Therefore, drive
your vehicle during the first 1500 k
(1000 iles) at oderate vehicle and
engine speeds.
During this period, avoid heavy loads
(full throttle driving) and high RPM
(no ore than 2/3 of axi u per is
sible speed in each gear).
Avoid accelerating by kickdown. It is
not reco ended to brake the vehi
cle by anually shifting to a lower
gear. We reco end to select posi
tions "3 ” or “ 2” only at oderate
speeds (for hill driving).
After 1500 k (1000 iles) speeds
ay gradually be increased to the
per issible axi u .
8

Instruments and Controls, Starting the Engine
Driving Instructions, Service and Maintenance
Instru ents and Controls 10
Instru ent Cluster 12
Indicator La p Sy bols 13
Catalytic Converter Cautions 14
Starting and Turning off the
Engine 15
Driving Instructions 16
MERCEDES-BENZ
Maintenance Syste 19
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Instru ents and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see specified pages.
1 Adjustable side air outlets (page 22)
2 Exterior la p switch (page 47)
3 Parking brake release (page 64)
4 Hood lock release (page 74)
5 Parking brake pedal (page 64)
6 Co bination switch (page 48)
7 Air volu e control for side air outlets (page 22)
8 Cruise control (page 66)
9 Instru ent cluster (page 12)
10 Horn control, air bag (page 37)
11 Steering lock with ignition/starter switch (page 46)
12 Adjustable center air outlets (page 22)
13 Air volu e control for center air outlets (page 22)
14 Glove co part ent, illu inated (only with key in
steering lock positions 1 or 2)
10
15 Rear window defroster switch (page 52)
16 Switch for rear window washer and wiper syste
(page 47)
17 Switch for rear window wiper (page 47)
18 Air recirculation switch (page 22)
19 Hazard warning flasher syste switch
20 Auto atic antenna switch (page 61)
21 Rear passenger co part ent la p switch (page 50)
22 Auto atic cli ate control (page 22)
23 Radio (page 54)
24 Ashtray with lighter (pages 51,94)
25 Left front seat heater switch (page 35)
26 Right front seat heater switch (page 35)
27 Left power window switch group (page 53)
28 Adjusting switch for exterior irror on front
passenger side (page 49)
29 Loudspeaker front to rear fader control
30 Right power window switch group (page 53)

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I r» e + i-i

Instru ent Cluster
1 Econo ical driving indicator. See page 70
2 Coolant te perature gauge. See page 69
3 Fuel gauge with reserve warning la p (yellow).
See page 69
4 Oil pressure gauge (bar). See page 68
5 Turn signal indicator la p, left (green)
6 Knob for instru ent la ps and trip odo eter
Rotate knob: to vary intensity of instru ent la ps
Depress knob: to reset trip odo eter
7 Speedo eter
8 Main odo eter
9 Trip odo eter
10 Outside te perature indicator. See page 69
11 Turn signal indicator la p, right (green)
12 Knob for clock adjust ent
(press in for adjust ents)
13 Electric clock
14 Tacho eter
15 Red arking on tacho eter:
Excessive engine speed
12

Indicator La p Sy bols
Function Indicator Lam
High bea
Warning Lam s
( ust go out with the engine running)
Battery not being charged.
See page 68
BRAKE
(®)
o
Brake fluid low (except Canada).
Parking brake engaged.
See pages 64,67
Brake fluid low (Canada only).
Parking brake engaged.
See pages 64,67.
Brake pad wear.
See page 67
Engine oil level low.
See page 68
Coolant level low.
See page 69
Fluid level for windshield and
headla p washer syste low.
See page 69
Exterior light failure.
See page 68
ABS alfunction.
See page 67
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SRS
CHECK
ENGINE
SRS alfunction.
See page 39
CHECK ENGINE alfunction.
If the la p co es on when the engine is
running, it indicates a alfunction of the
0 2-sensor on Federal version vehicles,
and injection syste or e ission control
syste on the California version vehicles.
In either case we reco end that you
have the alfunction checked as soon as
possible.
See page 70
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Catalytic Converter Cautions
Your MERCEDES-BENZ is equipped
with onolithic catalytic converters,
an i portant ele ent in conjunction
with the 0 2-sensor to achieve sub
stantial control of the pollutants in the
exhaust e issions. Keep your vehicle
in proper operating condition by fol
lowing our reco ended ainte
nance instructions as outlined in your
aintenance booklet.
Caution!
To prevent da age to the catalytic
converters, use only pre iu
unleaded gasoline in this vehicle.
Should any noticeable irregularities in
the engine operation occur, exces
sive unburned fuel ay reach the
converter causing it to overheat.
Warning!
As with any vehicle, do not idle, ark
or o erate this vehicle in areas
where combustible materials such
as grass, hay or leaves can come
into contact with the hot exhaust
system, as these materials could be
ignited.
14

Starting and Turning off the Engine
Engage parking brake and ove the
gear selector lever in either “ P" or
“ N” position before starting the
engine.
Turn key to steering lock position 2.
The charge indicator la p should
co e on.
Cold Engine
Turn key in steering lock clockwise to
the stop. Do not depress accelerator.
Release key only when the engine is
firing regularly.
At a bient te peratures below
—18° C (0° F), depress accelerator
three ti es prior to starting.
Hot Engine
Turn key in steering lock clockwise to
the stop. Do not depress accelerator.
If the engine has not fired after
approx. 4 seconds, depress accelera
tor and continue cranking until the
engine is firing regularly. Release key
and back off accelerator.
At very high coolant te peratures the
engine starting ti e can be shortened
if the accelerator is depressed slowly
at the beginning of the starting pro
cess.
Turning off
Turn the key to steering lock posi
tion 0 and only re ove the key when
the vehicle is stopped.
If the coolant te perature is very high
(e.g. after hard driving on ountain
roads), do not shut off the engine
i ediately, allow it to run for
1 —2 inutes at increased idle speed.
Im ortant!
Due to the installed starter non
repeat unit, the key ust be returned
to steering lock position 0 before a
new starting atte pt is ade.
Observe the oil pressure gauge
i ediately after starting the engine.
In a very cold engine the oil pressure
will only rise slowly, so e ti e after
the engine has started. Do not speed
up the engine before pressure is
registered on the pressure gauge.
The charge indicator la p should go
out as soon as the engine has started.
In areas where te peratures fre
quently drop below — 25° C
( — 13° F),we reco end that a
block heater be installed. Your
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer
will advise you on this subject.

Driving Instructions
Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering syste s are with
out power assistance. Under these
circu stances, a uch greater effort
is necessary to stop or steer the vehi
cle.
Brakes
Caution!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the brakes by shifting
into “ 3” or “ 2” . This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear. Do not
exceed engine speed li its (see
page 65).
After hard braking it is advisable to
drive on for so e ti e so the air
strea will cool down the brakes
faster.
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for some
time without a lying the brakes or
through water dee enough to wet
brake com onents, the first braking
action may be somewhat reduced
and increased edal ressure may
be necessary. Be sure to maintain a
safe distance from vehicles in front.
The condition of the parking brake
syste is checked each ti e the car
is in the shop for aintenance.
Between aintenance checks it is a
good practice to apply the parking
brake once or twice while driving at
approxi ately 50 k /h (30 ph) on a
dry straight road. Apply brake lightly
until a slight drag on the wheels is felt.
Keep applying brake for about
10 seconds while pulling the release
handle out before releasing the park
ing brake co pletely. This practice
will keep the parking brake at axi
u efficiency.
Warning!
The sto lam s will not come on
when a lying the arking brake
only. Perform the rocedure in the
revious aragra h only when the
road is clear of other traffic.
Caution!
Resting your foot on the brake pedal
will cause excessive and pre ature
wear of the brake pads.
All checks and aintenance work on
the brake syste should be carried
out by an authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning la p in the instru
ent cluster stays on, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the sys
te ay be the reason for low brake
fluid in the reservoir.
Have the brake syste inspected at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer without delay.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
reco ended by MERCEDES-BENZ.
If other than reco ended brake
pads are installed, the braking pro
perties of the vehicle can be affected
to an extent that the safety is sub
stantially i paired.
16

1801
Tires
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are
required by law. These indicators are
located in six places on the tread cir
cu ference and beco e visible at a
depth of approx. 2 (V 16 in), at
which point the tire is considered
worn and should be replaced.
The tread wear indicator appears as a
solid band across the tread.
Warning!
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. With less than 3 mm (Vs in)
of tread, the adhesion ro erties on
a wet road fall off shar ly.
De ending u on the weather and/or
road surface (conditions), the trac
tion varies widely.
Specified tire pressure ust be ain
tained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to high loads (e.g.
high speeds, heavy loads, high
a bient te peratures).
Aqua laning
Depending on the depth of the water
layer on the road, aquaplaning ay
occur, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in
the rain.
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow cov
ered 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 te 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 reco end M + S radial-ply tires
for the winter season for all four
wheels to insure nor al balanced
handling characteristics. On packed
snow, they can reduce your stopping
distance as co pared with su er
tires. Stopping distance, however, is
still considerably greater than when
the road is wet or dry.
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17
Drivino Instrurtinnc

Parking
Warning!
To reduce the risk of ersonal injury
as a result of vehicle movement,
before leaving the vehicle always:
1. Kee foot on brake edal.
2. Firmly de ress arking
brake edal.
3. Slowly release brake edal.
4. Move the selector lever
to osition “P”.
5. Turn front wheels towards the
road curb.
6. Turn the key to steering lock
osition 0 and remove.
Note:
It is advisable to set the parking brake
whenever leaving the vehicle. Also,
when parking on hills, always apply
the parking brake. In addition, ove
selector lever to position “ P” .
Winter Driving Instructions
The ost i portant rule for slippery
or icy roads is to drive sensibly and to
avoid abrupt acceleration, braking
and steering action. Do not use the
cruise control syste under such
conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skid
ding, ove selector lever to position
"N ” . Try to keep the vehicle under
control by eans of corrective steer
ing action.
Road salts and che icals can
adversely affect braking efficiency.
Increased pedal force ay beco e
necessary to produce the nor al
brake effect. We therefore reco 
end depressing the brake pedal
repeatedly when traveling on salt-
strewn roads at length. This can bring
road salt i paired braking efficiency
back to nor al. A prerequisite is,
however, that this is possible without
endangering other drivers on the
road.
If the vehicle is parked after being
driven on salt treated roads, the brak
ing efficiency should be tested as
soon as possible after driving is
resu ed while observing the safety
rules in the previous paragraph.
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