Mercedes-Benz 300SDL-TURBO 126 D 1986 User manual

Drive Sensibly — Save Fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operat
ing conditions.
To save uel you should:
• keep tires at the recommended
in lation pressures
• remove unnecessary loads
• remove ski racks or roo -mounted
luggage racks when not in use
• allow engine to warm up under low
load use
• avoid requent acceleration and
deceleration
• have all maintenance work per
ormed at regular intervals by an
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer.
Driving in cold weather, in stop-and-
go city tra ic, on short trips, and in
hilly country also increase uel con
sumption.

Owner's Manual
300SDL-TURBO
Model 126 D
1986

Printed in Germany
We reserve the right to modi y the technical details o the vehicle as given in the data
and illustrations o this Owner’s Manual (s.e.e.o.). Reprinting, translation and copy
ing, even o excerpts, is not permitted without our prior authorization in writing.
ZKD/2.86.8/PVL

O u r company and sta congratulate you on the purchase
o your new MERCEDES-BENZ.
Your selection o our product is a demonstration o your
trust in our company name. Further, it exempli ies your
desire to own an automobile that will be as such as
possible easy to operate and provide years o service.
Your MERCEDES-BENZ represents the e orts o many
skilled engineers and cra tsmen. To ensure your pleasure in
owning it, we ask you to make a small investment o your
time:
• Please read this manual care ully be ore putting it aside.
• Please consider the recommendations contained in this
manual. They are designed to acquaint you with the
operation o your MERCEDES-BENZ.
We extend our best wishes or many miles o sa e,
pleasurable driving.
Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellscha t
3

Introduction
This Owner’s Manual contains a great deal o use ul
in ormation. We urge you to read it care ully and amiliar
ize yoursel with the vehicle be ore driving.
For your own sa ety and longer service li e o the vehicle,
we urge you to ollow the instructions and warnings.
Ignoring them could result in damage to the vehicle or
personal injury.
Your vehicle may have some or all o the equipment des
cribed. There ore, you may ind explanations o equip
ment not installed in your vehicle. I you have any ques
tions about the operation o any equipment, your
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer will be glad to demonstrate the
proper procedures.
Owner’s Service and Warranty Policy
The Owner’s Service and Warranty Policy Booklet con
tains detailed in ormation about the warranties covering
your MERCEDES-BENZ, including:
• New Car Limited Warranty
• Emissions Systems Warranty
• Emission Per ormance Warranty
• Cali ornia Emission Control System
Warranty (Cali ornia Only)
4
Maintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the necessary
maintenance work which should be per ormend at regu
lar intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with you when you
take the vehicle to a MERCEDES-BENZ dealer or ser
vice. The Service Advisor will record each service.
Roadside Assistance
Although your Mercedes-Benz is built to be as trouble-
ree as possible, a Roadside Assistance Program is avail
able to provide emergency roadside service a ter normal
dealer hours and on weekends and holidays in the con
tiguous United States.
Roadside Assistance is available Monday through Friday
rom 5:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight and on Saturday, Sunday
and legal holidays rom 8:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight. In the
event o a breakdown during these hours, telephone this
toll- ree number: 1-800-222-0100.
For additional in ormation, re er to the Mercedes-Benz
Roadside Assistance Program Booklet in your glove
compartment.

Chan e of Address or Ownership
I you change your address, be sure to send in the
“ Change o Address Notice” ound 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.
I you sell your Mercedes, please leave all owner’s litera
ture with the vehicle to make it available to the next
owner.
I you bought this vehicle used, be sure to send in the
“ Notice o Purchase o Used Car” ound in the Owner’s
Service and Warranty Policy Booklet.
Operatin Your Vehicle Outside the U.S.A. or Canada
I you plan to operate your vehicle in oreign countries,
please be aware that service acilities or replacement
parts may not be readily available.
Certain Mercedes-Benz models are available or delivery
in Europe under our European Delivery Program. For
details, consult your authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer or write to:
Mercedes-Benz o North America, Inc.
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645
5

Instruments and Controls, Starting the Engine
Driving Hints, Service and Maintenance
Operation
Driving
Practical Hints
Technical Data
uels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.
Index

Check Re ularly and
Before a Lon Trip
See page 108
What You Should Know
at the Gas Station
See last page
The First 1500 km (1000 Miles)
The more cautiously you treat your
engine during the break-in period, the
more satis ied you will be with its per
ormance later on. There ore, drive
your vehicle during the irst 1500 km
(1000 miles) at moderate vehicle and
engine speeds.
During this period, avoid heavy loads
( ull throttle driving) and high RPMs
(no more than 2/z o maximum permis
sible speed in each gear).
Avoid accelerating by kickdown. It is
not recommended to brake the vehi
cle by manually shi ting to a lower
gear. We recommend to select posi
tions “ 3” or “ 2” only at moderate
speeds ( or hill driving).
A ter 1500 km (1000 miles) speeds
may gradually be increased to the
permissible maximum.

Instruments and Controls, Starting the Engine
Driving Hints, Service and Maintenance
Instruments and Controls 10
Instrument Cluster 12
Starting and Turning
o the Engine 14
Driving Hints 15
MERCEDES-BENZ
Maintenance System 17

Instruments and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see specified pages.
1 Air volume control or side ventilation outlets
(page 20)
2 Adjustable side ventilation outlets (page 20)
3 Adjustable air outlets (page 20)
4 Parking brake release (page 54)
5 Hood lock release (page 64)
6 Parking brake pedal (page 54)
7 Combination switch (page 42)
8 Exterior lamp switch (page 41)
9 Cruise control (page 57)
10 Instrument cluster (page 12)
11 Horn control, airbag
12 Steering lock with preglow/starter switch (page 40)
13 Slide lever or center ventilation outlets (page 20)
14 Rear window de roster switch (page 46)
15 Air recirculation switch (page 20)
16 Hazard warning lasher system switch
17 Automatic antenna switch (page 52)
18 Rear passenger compartment lamp switch (page 45)
19 Automatic climate control (page 20)
20 Radio (page 48)
21 Ash tray with lighter (pages 45, 86)
22 Le t ront seat heater switch (page 32)
23 Right ront seat heater switch (page 32)
24 Le t power window switch group (page 47)
25 Adjusting lever or exterior mirror on ront
passenger side (page 43)
26 Loudspeaker- ront to rear ader control
27 Right power window switch group (page 47)
28 Glove compartment, illuminated (only with key in
steering lock positions 1 or 2)

Instrument Cluster
1 Coolant temperature gauge
Up to red marking: Maximum permissible
temperature or an anticorrosion/anti reeze-
blended ill protecting down to — 30° C ( — 22° F).
See page 58
2 Fuel gauge with reserve warning lamp (yellow).
See page 59
Fuel reserve and capacity, re er to page 94 and
last page.
3 Oil pressure gauge (bar). See page 58
4 Turn signal indicator lamp, le t (green)
5 Speedometer
6 Main odometer
7 Trip odometer
8 Turn signal indicator lamp, right (green)
9 Tachometer
10 Electric clock
11 Knob or clock adjustment
(press in or adjustments)
12 Preglow indicator lamp (yellow)
13 Supplemental restraint system indicator
lamp (red). See page 37
14 Antilock brake system (ABS) indicator
lamp (yellow). See page 60
15 Exterior light ailure indicator lamp (yellow).
See page 59
16 Low windshield and headlamp washer luid level
indicator lamp (yellow). See page 59
17 Outside temperature indicator. See page 59
18 Low engine coolant level indicator lamp (yellow).
See page 58
19 Low engine oil level indicator lamp (yellow).
See page 58
20 Brake pad wear indicator lamp (yellow).
See page 60
21 Brake warning lamp (red). See pages 54 and 60
22 Charge indicator lamp (red). See page 58
23 High beam indicator lamp (blue)
24 Knob or instrument lamps and trip odometer
Rotate knob: To vary intensity o instrument lamps
Depress knob: To reset trip odometer

Startin and Turnin off the En ine
Engage parking brake and move the
gear selector lever in either “ P” or
“ N” position be ore starting the
engine.
Cold En ine
Turn key to steering lock position 2.
Charge indicator and preglow indica
tor lamp should come on. The pre
glow process starts. When the pre
glow indicator goes out, the engine is
ready or starting.
Ambient Temperature
exceeding 0° C( + 32° F):
Turn key in steering lock clockwise to
the stop. Do not depress accelerator.
Release key only when the engine is
iring regularly.
Ambient Temperature
below 0° C ( + 32° F):
Depress accelerator to the loor. Turn
key in steering lock clockwise to the
stop. Release key only when the
engine is iring regularly and back o
accelerator slowly.
Do not interrupt the starting process.
I the engine is very cold it is possible
that it will ail to start on subsequent
attempts.
Hot En ine
Turn key in steering lock clockwise to
the stop and start engine immediately
without depressing the accelerator.
Turnin off
Turn the key to steering lock posi
tion 0 and remove only when the vehi
cle has stopped.
Should the engine continue to oper
ate with the key in steering lock posi
tion 0, re er to page 68.
I the coolant temperature is very high
(e.g. a ter hard driving on mountain
roads), do not shut o the engine
immediately, allow it to run or
1 —2 minutes at increased idle speed.
Important:
Due to the installed starter non
repeat unit, the key must be returned
to steering lock position 0 be ore a
new starting attempt is made.
Observe the oil pressure gauge
immediately a ter starting the engine.
In a very cold engine the oil pressure
will only rise slowly, some time a ter
the engine has started. Do not speed
up the engine be ore pressure is
registered on the pressure gauge.
The battery charge indicator lamp
should go out as soon as the engine
has started.
I the preglow indicator lamp ails to
light up, the preglow system is de ec
tive and should be repaired at an
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer
at the earliest possible date,
A block heater is installed in your
vehicle to provide reliable starting at
temperatures below —18° C (0° F).
Re er to page 62.

Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering systems are with
out power assistance. Under these
circumstances, a much greater e ort
is necessary to steer or stop the vehi
cle.
Tires
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too ar. With less than appr. 3 mm
(1/8 in) o tread, the antiskid proper
ties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or
road sur ace (conditions), the traction
varies widely.
Speci ied tire pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly i
the tires are subjected to high loads
(e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Aquaplanin
Depending on the depth o 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.
Drivin Hints
The sa e speed on a wet or icy road is
always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to
the condition o the road as soon as
the prevailing temperatures all close
to the reezing point.
Warnin !
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 recommend M + S radial-ply tires
or the cold season. On packed snow,
they can reduce your stopping dist
ance as compared with summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the
road is wet or dry.
Brakes
Warnin !
When drivin down lon and steep
rades, relieve the brakes by shift
in into “3” or “2”. This helps prev
ent overheatin of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
Tire friction A ter hard braking it is advisable to
drive on or some time so the air
stream will cool down the brakes
aster.
Warnin !
After drivin in heavy rain for some
time without applyin the brakes or
throu h water deep enou h to wet
brake components, the first brakin
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 o the parking brake
system is checked each time the car
is in the shop or 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 elt. Keep
applying brakes or about 10 seconds
while pulling release handle out
be ore releasing parking brake com
pletely. This practice will keep the
parking brake at maximum e iciency.

The stop lamps will not come on
when applyin the parkin brake
only. Perform the procedure in the
previous para raph only when the
road is clear of other traffic.
All checks and maintenance work on
the brake system should be carried
out by an authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer.
I the parking brake is released and
the brake warning lamp in the instru
ment cluster stays on, the brake luid
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the sys
tem may be the reason or low brake
luid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer without delay.
Install only brake pads recommended
by us.
I other than recommended brake
pads are installed, the braking prop
erties o the vehicle can be a ected
to an extent that the sa ety is sub
stantially impaired.
Warnin !
Warnin !
To reduce the risk of personal injury
as a result of vehicle movement,
before leavin the vehicle always:
1. Keep foot on brake pedal.
2. Move the selector lever
to position “P”.
3. Turn front wheels towards
the road curb.
4. Firmly depress parkin
brake pedal.
5. Turn the key to steerin
lock position 0 and remove.
Parkin
The most important rule or slippery
or icy roads is to drive sensibly and to
avoid abrupt acceleration, braking
and steering action. Do not use the
cruise control system under such
conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger o skid
ding, move selector lever to position
“ N” . Try to keep the vehicle under
control by corrective steering action.
Road salts and chemicals can
adversely a ect braking e iciency.
Increased pedal orce may become
necessary to produce the normal
brake e ect. We there ore recom
mend depressing the brake pedal
repeatedly when traveling on salt-
strewn roads at length. This can bring
road salt impaired braking e iciency
back to normal. A prerequisite is,
however, that this is possible without
endangering other drivers on the
road.
I the vehicle is parked a ter being
driven on salt treated roads, the brak
ing e iciency should be tested as
soon as possible a ter driving is
resumed while adhering to the sa ety
requirements.
Winter Drivin Hints

MERCEDES-BENZ Maintenance System Special Maintenance Measures
A maintenance booklet is included
with your car listing all the mainte
nance jobs that must be carried out
a ter the ollowing mileages:
Routine Maintenance
Inspection at
1300-1600 km (800-1000 miles)
Lubrication Service every
8000 km (5000 miles)
Maintenance Service every
24 000 km (15 000 miles)
Additional Work every
48 000 km (30 000 miles)
For additional details re er to the
Maintenance Booklet.
In the case o low mileage operation,
the Maintenance Service must be car
ried out at least once every 2 years.
En ine Oil and Filter Chan e
Required every 8000 km (5000 miles),
or at least once a year ( all) when
using year-round multigrade oil; oth
erwise at least twice a year (spring
and all).
Under severe operating conditions or
i diesel uels with high sulphur con
tent (in excess o 0.5 °/o by weight)
are used, the oil and ilter should be
changed every 4000 km (2500 miles).
For engine oil recommendations, see
page 93.
Severe Operatin Conditions
In the case o severe operating condi
tions or heavy use mainly in city tra ic
or over short distances, requent
mountain driving, poor roads, dusty
and muddy conditions, trailer opera
tion, hard and sporty driving etc., it
may be necessary to carry out
maintenance work at shorter than
normal intervals, as ollows:
Engine: Oil change with ilter change
every 4000 km (2500 miles).
Automatic transmission: Fluid change
without ilter change every 24 000 km
(15 000 miles).
Tires: Inspect
Air cleaner: Clean or replace element.
Brake fluid should be replaced annu
ally, pre erably in the spring.
It is recommended to use only brake
luid approved by MERCEDES-BENZ.
Do not mix di erent types o brake
luids.
The coolant should be checked or
su icient protection be ore the start
o and during the hot and cold sea
son.
Have the coolant (water/anticorro
sion/anti reeze mixture) replaced at
least every three years (see “ Fuels,
Coolants, Lubricants, etc.” ).
Maintenance Vouchers
Your authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer will certi y in the maintenance
booklet that all lubrication and
maintenance services have been car
ried out at the correct intervals.