Mercedes-Benz 350 SDL TURBO User manual

Mercedes-Benz
Owner’s Manual

What You Should Know at
the Gas Station
See last page
MERCEDES-BENZ
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
1-800-222-0100
Drive Sensibl - Save Fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operat
ing conditions.
To save fuel ou should:
• keep tires at the recommended
inflation pressures,
• remove unnecessar loads,
• remove ski racks or roof-mounted
luggage racks when not in use,
• allow engine to warm up under low
load use,
• avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration,
• have all maintenance work
performed at regular intervals b
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer.
Fuel consumption is also increased
b driving in cold weather, in
stop-and-go traffic, on short trips
and in hill countr .

Mercedes-Benz
Owner’s Manual
350 SD TURBO
350 SDL TURBO

Kindly observe the following in your own best interests:
We recommend using MERCEDES BENZ original parts as
well as conversion parts and accessories explicitly
approved by us for your vehicle model.
We have subjected these parts to a special test in which
their reliability, safety and their special suitability for
MERCEDES BENZ vehicles have been determined.
We are unable to make an assessment for other products
and therefore cannot be held responsible for them, even if
in individual cases an official approval or authorization by
governmental or approval agencies should exist.
MERCEDES BENZ original parts as well as conversion
parts and accessories approved by us are available at your
MERCEDES BENZ service station where you will receive
comprehensive information, also on permissible technical
modifications, and where expert installation will be per
formed.
Printed in German
We reserve the right to modif 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 cop ing, even of
excerpts, is not permitted without our prior authorization in writing.
VKT/01.09.89 RS/5 PVL

Our company and staff congratulate you on the purchase of
your new MERCEDES BENZ.
Your selection of our product is a demonstration of your
trust in our company name. Further, it exemplified your
desire to own an automobile that will be as easy as possible
to operate and provide years of service.
Your MERCEDES BENZ represents the efforts of many
skilled engineers and craftsmen. To ensure your pleasure
of ownership, we ask you to make a small investment of
your time:
• Please read this manual carefully before putting it aside.
• Please abide by the recommendations contained in this
manual. They are designed to acquaint you with the
operation of your MERCEDES BENZ.
We extend our best wishes for many miles of safe, pleasur
able driving.
Mercedes Benz Aktiengesellschaft
3

Introduction
This Owner’s Manual contains a great deal of useful
information. We urge ou to read it carefull and familiar
ize ourself with the vehicle before driving.
For our own safet and longer service life of the vehicle,
we urge ou to follow the instructions and warnings.
Ignoring them could result in damage to the vehicle or
personal injur .
Your vehicle ma have some or all of the equipment
described. Therefore, ou ma find explanations of
equipment not installed in our vehicle. If ou have an
questions about the operation of an equipment, our
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer will be glad to
demonstrate the proper procedures.
Owner’s Ser ice and Warranty Policy
The Owner’s Service and Warrant Polic Booklet
contains detailed information about the warranties
covering our MERCEDES-BENZ, including:
• New Car Limited Warrant
• Emission S stem Warrant
• Emission Performance Warrant
• California Emission Control S stem Warrant
(California Onl )
4
Maintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the necessar
maintenance work which should be performed at regular
intervals.
Alwa s have the Maintenance Booklet with ou when ou
take the vehicle to our authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer for service. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for ou.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Program pro
vides factor trained technical help in the event of a break
down. Calls to the toll-free Roadside Assistance number:
1-800-222-0100
will be answered b Mercedes-Benz Customer Assist
ance Representatives 24 hours a da , 365 da s a ear.
On-site service calls b a local Mercedes-Benz Road
side Assistance technician are available weekda s from
5:00 PM till midnight, weekends and legal holida s from
8:00 AM till midnight.
For additional information refer to the Mercedes-Benz
Roadside Assistance Program brochure in our glove box
or console storage compartment.

Change of Address or Ownership
If ou change our address, be sure to send in the
“Change of Address Notice” found in the Owner’s Service
and Warrant Polic Booklet. It is in our own interest
that we can contact ou should the need arise.
If ou sell our Mercedes, please leave all owner’s litera
ture with the vehicle to make it available to the next
owner.
If ou bought this vehicle used, be sure to send in the
“Notice of Purchase of Used Car” found in the Owner’s
Service and Warrant Polic Booklet.
Operating Your Vehicle Outside the U.S.A. or Canada
If ou plan to operate our vehicle in foreign countries,
please be aware that service facilities or replacement
parts ma not be readil available:
Certain Mercedes-Benz models are available for deliver
in Europe under our European Deliver Program. For
details, consult our authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer or write to:
Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc.
European Deliver Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645
In Canada write to:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Deliver Department
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 de
scribed 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
Dri ing Instructions, Ser ice and Maintenance
Operation
Dri ing
Practical Hints
Technical Data
Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.
Consumer Information
Index
I
I
I

Check Regularly and
Before a Long Trip
See page 112
The First 1500 km (1000 Miles)
The more cautiousl ou treat our
vehicle during the break-in period, the
more satisfied ou will be with its per
formance later on. Therefore, drive
our vehicle during the first 1500 km
(1000 miles) at moderate vehicle and
engine speeds.
During this period, avoid heav loads
(full throttle driving) and high RPM
(no more than 2/s of maximum permis
sible speed in each gear as indicated
on the speedometer).
Avoid accelerating b kickdown. It is
not recommended to brake the vehi
cle b manuall shifting to a lower
gear. We recommend to select posi
tions “3” or “2” onl at moderate
speeds (for hill driving).
After 1500 km (1000 miles) speeds
ma graduall be increased to the
permissible maximum.
8

Instruments and Controls, Starting the Engine
Dri ing Instructions, Ser ice and Maintenance
Instruments and Controls 10
Instrument Cluster 12
Indicator Lamp S mbols 13
Starting and Turning Off the
Engine 14
Driving Instructions 15
MERCEDES-BENZ
Maintenance S stem 18
9

Instruments and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see specified pages.
1 Air volume control for side air outlets (page 20)
2 Side air outlets (page 20)
3 Adjustable air outlets (page 20)
4 Parking brake release (page 54)
5 Hood lock release (page 68)
6 Parking brake pedal (page 54)
7 Combination switch (page 46)
8 Exterior lamp switch (page 45)
9 Cruise control (page 58)
10 Instrument cluster (page 12)
11 Horn
Airbag (page 39)
12 Steering lock with preglow/starter switch (page 44)
13 Air volume control lever for center and side air
outlets (page 20)
14 Rear window defroster switch (page 50)
10
15 Air recirculation switch (page 20)
16 Hazard warning flasher switch
17 Automatic antenna switch (page 52)
18 Rear passenger compartment lamp switch
(page 49)
19 Automatic climate control (page 20)
20 Radio
21 Ashtra with lighter (pages 49, 91)
22 Left front seat heater switch (page 32)
23 Switch for rear window sun shade
24 Right front seat heater switch (page 32)
25 Lett power window switch group (page 51)
26 Adjusting switch for exterior mirror on front
passenger side (page 47)
27 Loudspeaker front to rear fader control
28 Right power window switch group (page 51)
29 Glove box (illuminated in steering lock posi
tions 1 or 2) is not installed in vehicles equip
ped with a front passenger airbag.

11
Instruments and Controls

Instrument Cluster
1 Knob for instrument lamps and trip odometer.
Rotate knob: To var intensit of instrument lamps.
Depress knob: To reset trip odometer.
2 Coolant temperature gauge. See page 61
3 Fuel gauge with reserve warning lamp ( ellow).
See page 61
4 Oil pressure gauge (bar). See page 60
5 Turn signal indicator lamp, left (green)
6 Speedometer
7 Main odometer
8 Trip odometer
9 Outside temperature indicator. See page 62
10 Turn signal indicator lamp, right (green)
11 Electric clock
12 Tachometer
13 Knob for clock adjustment
(press in and rotate for adjustments)

indicator Lamp Symbols
Function Indicator Lamp
High beam
Preglow. See page 14
Warning Lamps
(should go out with the engine running unless)
Batter not being charged.
See page 60
Brake fluid low (except Canada).
Parking brake engaged.
See pages 54, 63
Brake fluid low (Canada onl ).
Parking brake engaged.
See pages 54, 63
Front brake pads worn down.
See page 63
((D)
ID
Engine oil level low.
See page 60
Coolant level low.
See page 62
Fluid level for windshield and
headlamp washer s stem low.
See page 62
Exterior lamp failure.
See page 61
ABS malfunction.
See page 64
SRS malfunction.
See page 39
13
Instrument Cluster
Indicator Lamp S mbols

Starting and Turning Off the Engine
Before Starting
Engage parking brake and move the
selector lever to position “P”.
Cold Engine
Turn ke to steering lock position 2.
Charge indicator and preglow indica
tor lamp should come on. The preglow
process starts. When the preglow
indicator lamp goes out, the engine is
read for starting.
Ambient temperatures
above 0°C (+32°F):
Turn ke in steering lock clockwise to
the stop. Do not depress accelerator.
Release ke onl when the engine is
firing regularl .
Ambient temperatures
below 0°C (+32°F):
Depress accelerator to the floor. Turn
ke in steering lock clockwise to the
stop. Release ke onl when the
engine is firing regularl and back off
accelerator slowl .
Do not interrupt the starting process. If
the engine is ver cold, it is possible
that it will fail to start on subsequent
attempts.
At ambient temperatures below
-18°C (0°F), depress accelerator
three times prior to starting.
Hot Engine
Turn ke in steering lock clockwise to
the stop and start engine immediatel
without depressing the accelerator.
Turning off
Turn the ke in the steering lock to
position 0 onl when the vehicle has
stopped moving.
The ke can onl be removed with the
selector lever in position “P”.
Should the engine continue to operate
with the ke in steering lock position 0,
refer to page 72.
If the coolant temperature is ver high
(e.g. after hard driving on mountain
roads), do not shut off the engine
immediatel , but allow it to run for
1-2 minutes at increased idle speed
with selector lever in position “P”.
Important!
Due to the installed starter non-repeat
feature, the ke must be turned
completel to the left before attempt
ing to start the engine again.
Observe the oil pressure gauge
immediatel after starting the engine.
In a ver cold engine the oil pressure
will rise slowl . Do not speed up the
engine before pressure is registered
on the pressure gauge.
The batter charge indicator lamp
should go out as soon as the engine
has started.
If the preglow indicator lamp fails to
light up, or lights up while driving, the
preglow s stem is defective and
should be repaired at our authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer at the
earliest possible date.
The engine is equipped with a block
heater to provide reliable starting at
temperatures below -18°C (CPF).
Refer to page 66.
14

Dri ing Instructions
Power assistance
When the engine is not running, the
brake and steering s stems are
without power assistance. Under
these circumstances, a much greater
effort is necessar to stop or steer the
vehicle.
Brakes
Caution!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the brakes b shifting
into “3” or “2”. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces
brake pad wear. Do not exceed engine
speed limits (see page 57).
After hard braking it is advisable to
drive on for some time so the air
stream will cool down the brakes
faster.
Warning!
After dri ing in hea y rain for
some time without applying the
brakes or through water deep
enough to wet brake compo
nents, the first braking action
may be somewhat reduced and
increased pedal pressure may be
necessary. Be sure to maintain a
safe distance from ehicles in
front.
The condition of the parking brake
s stem is checked each time the car
is in the shop for the required mainte
nance.
Between maintenance checks, it is a
good practice to appl the parking
brake once or twice while driving at
approximatel 50 km/h (30 mph) on a
dr straight road. Appl brake lightl
until a slight drag on the wheels is felt.
Keep appl ing brake for about
10 seconds while pulling the release
handle out before releasing the park
ing brake completel . This practice
will keep the parking brake at maxi
mum efficienc .
Warning!
The stop lamps will not come on
when applying the parking brake
only. Perform the procedure in
the pre ious paragraph only
when the road is clear of other
traffic.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal will cause excessi e and
premature wear of the brake
pads.
It can also result in the brakes
o erheating thereby significantly
reducing their effecti eness. It
may not be possible to stop the
car in sufficient time to a oid an
accident.
All checks and maintenance work on
the brake s stem should be carried
out b an authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer.
If the parking brake is released and
the brake warning lamp in the instru
ment cluster sta s on, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the
s stem ma be the reason for low
brake fluid in the reservoir.
Have the brake s stem inspected at
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer immediatel .
Install onl brake pads and brake fluid
recommended b MERCEDES-BENZ.
Warning!
If other than recommended brake
pads are installed, the braking
properties of the ehicle can be
affected to an extent that the
safety is substantially impaired.
15
Starting and Turning Off the Engine
Driving Instructions

1801
Tires
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are
required b law. These indicators are
located in six places on the tread cir
cumference and become visible at a
depth of approx. 2 mm (Vie 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
(1/s in) of tread, the adhesion
properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather
and/or road surface (conditions),
the traction aries widely.
Specified tire pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularl if
the tires are subjected to high loads
(e.g. high speeds, heav loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow
covered or ic road is alwa s lower
than on a dr road.
You should pa particular attention to
the condition of the road as soon as
the prevailing temperatures fall close
to the freezing point.
Warning!
Do not dri e with a flat tire. A flat
tire affects the ability to steer or
brake the ehicle. You may lose
control of the car. Continued
dri ing with a flat tire or dri ing
at high speed with a flat tire will
cause excessi e heat build-up
and possible a fire, or tire blow
out.
Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the water
la er on the road, aquaplaning ma
occur, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Avoid track grooves in the
road and appl brakes cautiousl in
the rain.
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire
traction will be substantially
reduced. Under such weather
conditions, dri e, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
We recommend M + S radial-pl tires
for the winter season for all four
wheels to insure normal balanced
handling characteristics. On packed
snow, the can reduce our stopping
distance as compared with summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is
still considerabl greater than when
the road is wet or dr .
16

Parking
Warning!
To reduce the risk of personal
injury as a result of ehicle mo e
ment, before turning off the
engine and lea ing the ehicle
always:
1. Keep foot on brake pedal.
2. Firmly depress parking brake
pedal.
3. Mo e the selector le er to
position “P”.
4. Slowly release brake pedal.
5. Turn front wheels towards the
road curb.
6. Turn the key to steering lock
position 0 and remo e.
Important!
It is advisable to set the parking brake
whenever parking or leaving the
vehicle. In addition, move selector
lever to position “P”. When parking on
hills, alwa s appl the parking brake.
Winter Dri ing Instructions
The most important rule for slipper or
ic roads is to drive sensibl and to
avoid abrupt acceleration, braking and
steering action. Do not use the cruise
control s stem under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, move selector lever to
position “N”. Tr to keep the vehicle
under control b means of corrective
steering action.
Road salts and chemicals can adver
sel affect braking efficienc . Increa
sed pedal force ma become neces
sar to produce the normal brake
effect. We therefore recommend
depressing the brake pedal repeatedl
when traveling on saltstrewn roads at
length. This can bring road salt
impaired braking efficienc back to
normal. A prerequisite is, however,
that this is possible without endange
ring other drivers on the road.
If the vehicle is parked after being
driven on salt treated roads, the
braking efficienc should be tested as
soon as possible after driving is
resumed while observing the safet
rules in the previous paragraph.
Warning!
If the ehicle becomes stuck in
snow, make sure that snow is
kept clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around the ehicle. Otherwi
se, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter ehicle interior
resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air en
tilation, open a window slightly
on the side of the car that is out
of the wind.

MERCEDES-BENZ
Maintenance System
A maintenance booklet is included
with our car, listing all the mainte
nance jobs that must be carried out
after the following mileages:
Routine Maintenance
Inspection at 1300 - 1600 km
(800-1000 miles)
Lubrication Service ever
8000 km (5000 miles)
Maintenance Service ever
24 000 km (15 000 miles)
Additional Work ever
48 000 km (30 000 miles)
For additional details refer to the
Maintenance Booklet.
In the case of low mileage operation,
the Maintenance Service must be
carried out at least once ever
2 ears.
Engine Oil and Filter Change
Required ever 8000 km (5000 miles),
or at least once a ear.
Under severe operating conditions or
if diesel fuels with high sulphur
content (in excess of 0.5 % b weight)
are used, the oil and filter should be
changed ever 4000 km (2500 miles).
For engine oil recommendations, see
page 100.
Se ere Operating Conditions
Under severe operating conditions or
heav use, it ma be necessar to
carr out prescribed maintenance jobs
at shorter intervals, for example:
Engine: Oil change with filter change
ever 4000 km (2500 miles).
Automatic transmission: Fluid change
without filter change ever 24 000 km
(15 000 miles).
Tires: Inspect ever
12 000 km (7 500 miles).
Air filter: Clean or replace element
ever 24 000 km (15 000 miles).
Note:
Severe operating conditions or heav
use include: predominant cit or short
distance driving, frequent mountain
driving, poor roads, dust or mudd
conditions,etc..
Special Maintenance Measures
Brake fluid should be replaced
annuall , preferabl in the spring.
It is recommended to use onl brake
fluid approved b MERCEDES-BENZ.
Do not mix different t pes of brake
fluids.
Flave the engine coolant (water/
anticorrosion/antifreeze mixture)
replaced ever three ears (see
“Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants, etc.”).
Maintenance Vouchers
Your authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer will certif in the maintenance
booklet that all lubrication and mainte
nance services have been carried out
at the correct intervals.
18