Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1985 User manual

M erce de s-B enz
Owner's Manual

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 autho
rized 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 SL
Chassis 107
1985
M ercedes-B enz
®

O u r company and staff wish you many hours of enjoy
ment 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 recommen
dations 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 8
Instrument Cluster 10
Keys, Doors 12
Flat Key, Master Key
and Supplementary Key 12
Obtaining Replacement Keys 12
Opening, Locking and
Unlocking of Doors 12
Central Locking System 13
Seats 14
Adjustment of Driver’s Seat
and Front Passenger’s Seat 14
Safety Head Restraints 15
Seat Heater 15
Supplemental Restraint System 16
Seat Belts and Emergency
Tensioning Retractor 16
Driver Airbag 18
Controls 20
Steering Lock 20
Lighting Switch 21
Combination Switch 22
Cruise Control 23
Automatic Climate Control 24
Various Equipment 29
Exterior Mirrors 29
Inside Rear View Mirror 29
Sun Visors 30
Heated Rear Window 30
Shelf below Rear Window ___ 30
Lighter 31
Interior Lamps 31
Power Windows 31
Soft Top 32
Hardtop 34
Radio 36
Driving
Hood 44
Parking Brake 44
Regular Inspections 45
Catalytic Converter Cautions 46
Starting and Turning off
the Engine 47
Starting and Shifting Gears __ 48
Safe Driving 50
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
Lamp 51
Brake Fluid 51
ABS-Brake System
(Anti-Lock Brake System) ___ 52
Charge Indicator Lamp 53
Fuel Reserve Warning Lamp 53
Outside Temperature
Indicator 53
Oil Pressure Gauge 53
Coolant Temperature Gauge 53
Engine Oil Consumption 53
Emission Control 54
The First 1500 km/1000 Miles 54
Driving Economically 54
Economical Driving Indicator
(ECONOMY) 54
Special Operating Conditions 55
Winter Driving 55
Hints for Driving 55
Tire Chains 56
Traveling Abroad
56
4

Vehicle Care
MERCEDES-BENZ Maintenance
System 58
Spare Parts Service 59
Cleaning and Care
of the Vehicle
59
Jobs related to Care 60
Practical Hints
Ash tray 64
Luggage or Ski Racks 64
Spare Wheel, Jack,
Vehicle Tool Kit 64
Wheels, Tires,
Changing Wheels 65
Wheels, Tires 65
Changing Wheels 66
Tire Inflation Pressure 67
Checking Fuels, Coolants,
Lubricants, etc 67
Engine Oil Level Check
67
Checking Coolant Level 68
Automatic Transmission
Fluid Level 69
Electrical System
Headlamp Adjustment
Replacing Bulbs
Fuses
Battery
Spark Plugs
Tow-starting and Towing
the Vehicle
Jump Starting
Unlocking of the Filler Flap
Technical Data - Fuels,
Coolants, ubricants, etc.
Identification Plates
Vehicle Data Cards
Warranty Coverage
Technical Data
Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants,
Capacities
Engine Oils
Fuel Requirements
Brake Fluid
Coolants
Service Literature
Consumer Information __
Contents
70
70
70
73 Vehicle Operation
74
74
75
76
76 Driving
78
79 Vehicle Care
79
80
82
82
84
84 Practical Hints
84
85
86
87 Technical Data - Fuels,
Coolants, ubricants, etc.
5

Vehicle Operation

Instruments and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see quoted pages.
1 Swivelling side ventilation outlets (page 24)
2 Control lever for side ventilation (page 24)
3 Parking brake release button (page 44)
4 Hood release lever (page 44)
5 Parking brake pedal (page 44)
6 Combination switch (page 22)
7 Lighting switch (page 21)
8 Instruction tag (except tourist vehicle)
Use only unleaded gasoline
9 Cruise control (page 23)
10 Instrument cluster (page 10)
11 Horn control
12 Steering lock with ignition/starter switch
(page 20)
13 Swivelling outlets for nonheated fresh air
(page 24)
14 Outside temperature indicator (page 53)
15 Switch for heated rear window (page 30)
16 Switch for automatic antenna (page 41)
17 Switch for front dome lamps (page 31)
18 Radio (page 36)
19 Automatic climate control (page 24)
20 Ash tray with lighter (page 31, 64)
21 Switch for left power window (page 31)
22 Switch for left seat heater (page 15)
23 Switch for hazard warning flasher system
24 Switch for right seat heater (page 15)
25 Switch for right power window (page 31)
26 Adjusting lever for exterior mirror on front
passenger side (page 29)
27 Glove compartment (to open, shift handle
sideways) Only illuminated if steering lock is
position “1” or “2”
28 Loudspeaker cover, right and left

Instruments and Controls
9

Instrument Cluster
1 Economical driving indicator (ECONOMY)
See page 54
2 Coolant temperature gauge
Up to red marking: Maximum permissible
temperature for an anticorrosion/antifreeze-
blended fill protecting down to —30° Cl— 22° F
See page 53
3 Fuel gauge with reserve warning lamp (yellow):
Comes on when the steering lock key is moved
to driving position “2” and must go out when
the engine is idling See page 53
Fuel reserve and capacity, refer to page 83
and last page
4 Oil pressure gauge (bar) See page 53
5 Main odometer
6 Trip odometer
7 Knob for clock adjustment
(press in for adjustments)
8 Electric clock
9 Tachometer
10 Red marking on tachometer:
Excessive engine revolutions
11 Turn signal indicator lamp, right (green)
12 0 2-Sensor replacement indicator lamp (red):
When the indicator lamp comes on,
the 0 2-Sensor must be replaced
13 Seat belt warning lamp (red)
14 Brake pad wear indicator lamp (yellow):
Lights up during braking if the front wheel brake
pads are worn down See page 51
15 Dimmer knob for instrument lamps,
continuous adjustment
16 Supplemental restraint system indicator lamp
(red) See page 18
17 ABS indicator lamp (yellow) See page 52
18 Resetting knob for trip odometer
(push button)
19 Brake warning lamp (red) comes on if
• the parking brake is engaged
• too little brake fluid is in the reservoir
20 High beam indicator lamp (blue)
21 Charge indicator lamp (red):
Comes on when the steering lock key is moved
to driving position “2” and must go out when the
engine is idling See page 53
22 Turn signal indicator lamp, left (green)

Instrument Cluster

Keys Doors
tended to be used whenever the
car is left with an attendant Be
sure to lock glove compartment
and trunk with the master key
Obtaining Replacement Keys
You are given 4 keys with your
vehicle Replacement keys can be
obtained only via an authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer For
security reasons, obtaining replace
ment keys requires considerable
time
Opening the Doors
From outside: pull handle
outwards (1)
From inside: pull handle in door
panel (4)
ocking and Unlocking of Doors
From the outside: turn key
From the inside: actuate safety
catch
2 Unlocking
3 Locking
The driver’s door can be locked
only if it is closed and the door
latch has properly engaged
T
Flat Key
The flat key fits all vehicle
locks We recommend that
you carry the flat key with
you and keep it in a safe
place so that it is always
handy, if needed (e g in your wal
let) Never leave the flat key in the
vehicle
Master Key - square head - fits all
locks on the car
Supplementary Key - rounded
head - fits only the door locks and
the steering lock This key is in-
12

Keys Doors
Central ocking System
The central locking system enables
the front passenger door, the fuel
tank filler flap and the trunk lid to
be locked or unlocked together
with the driver’s door When locking
or unlocking, the locking levers on
both doors must move simul
taneously If one locking lever fails
to do so, the lock of that particular
door is not properly engaged The
door must then be opened and
closed correctly
With the central locking system in
the locked position, the front pas
senger door can be locked and
unlocked either with the locking
lever or with the key
Actuation of the locking lever on
the front passenger door, however,
is not possible when the central
locking system is in the unlocked
position
The trunk lid can also be unlocked
separately by turning the master
key counterclockwise to the stop
Push the trunk lock button in with it
and lift the lid Return the key to its
initial position and withdraw it To
lock the lid, close it firmly It will
then be locked again by the central
locking system
A provision has been made to faci
litate permanent locking of the
trunk lid for positive prevention of
access to trunk by unauthorized
persons
Before leaving vehicle with an
attendant, lock trunk with master
key (square head) by turning key
clockwise to stop (tumbler slot ver
tical), then provide attendant with
round-headed supplementary key
Thus, the trunk lock has been ex
cluded from the operation of the
central locking system and cannot
be opened except with the square
headed master key, that you keep
in your possession
To reverse this, turn trunk lock
counterclockwise back to horizontal
position of the tumbler slot with
master key Lock will then be re
engaged in central locking system;
that is, it will automatically be
locked or unlocked depending on
whether the driver’s door is locked
or unlocked
The central locking system ope
rates on vacuum generated by the
engine A reservoir allows the cen
tral locking system to be actuated
about five times after the engine is
turned off If the system can then
no longer be engaged, idle engine
for a short period
If no vacuum is available, doors and
trunk have to be locked individually
with the key The fuel tank filler flap,
however, remains unlocked
Note:
If the filler flap cannot be opened
when the central locking system is
unlocked, refer to “Unlocking of the
Filler Rap” (page 76)

Seats
Adjustment of Driver’s Seat
and Front Passenger’s Seat
Fore/aft adjustment: lift handle (1),
push seat backward or forward and
allow handle to re-engage
14
Seat elevation (6 positions): Each
time handle (2) is pulled up, the
seat is raised by one notch If the
handle is pushed down completely,
the seat will return to its lowest
position Afterwards, handle can be
pulled up to engage the seat in its
first position to avoid clicking noise
Back rest tilt: turn handwheel (3)
For full reclining of backrest, seat
should be moved to one of the for-
wardmost positions and head res
traint removed For driving, return
backrest to upright position, push
seat back, and replace head res
traint
After disengaging the stop by lifting
lever (4), the back rest can be
folded forward
Note:
Prior to operating the vehicle, the
driver should adjust the seat height
for proper vision as well as fore/aft
placement and seat back angle to
insure adequate control, reach,
operation, and comfort Be certain
seat is “locked in” by sliding front/
rear until full engagement is
assured The head restraint should
also be adjusted for proper height
so that when the cushion is tipped
completely forward, it should form a
cradle behind the seat occupant’s
head (see page 15)
Both the inside and outside rear
view mirrors should then be adjust
ed for adequate rearward vision
Fasten seat belts
All seat, head restraint, and rear
view mirror adjustments as well as
fastening of seat belts should be
accomplished before the vehicle is
put into motion

Seats
Safety Head Restraints
Adjust head restraint to support the
back of the head approximately at
ear level Do not extend the head
restraint past the stop
Height adjustment:
Pull head restraint slightly forward
(1) and slide up or down
Removing head restraints:
Pull head restraint up to the stop
Depress release button (2) to be
felt under the covering material in
rear of back rest and pull up head
restraint quickly, holding it by the
LH head restraint post (viewed in
driving direction) Finally pull out
head restraint completely with both
hands
Warning!
For your protection, drive only with
properly positioned head restraints
Seat Heater
The seat heater can be switched
on when the steering lock is in
position “1" or “2”
Heater operation:
Push in upper switch portion;
position 1 = normal heater opera
tion, one indicator lamp lights up
Push in lower switch portion;
position 2 = rapid heating, both
indicator lamps light up
After approximately 5 minutes in
the rapid heating mode, the heater
automatically switches to normal
operation and only one indicator
lamp will stay on
Turning off heater:
If one indicator lamp is on, press in
upper part of switch, position 1
If both control lamps are on, press
in lower part of switch, position 2
The heater automatically turns off
after approximately 30 minutes of
operation
Note:
When in operation, the seat heater
consumes a large amount of elec
trical energy It is advisable not to
use the seat heater longer than
necessary
15

Supplemental Restraint System
Seat Belts and Emergency
Tensioning Retractor
Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts and emergency tensioning
retractors for all seats The tension
ing retractors are located in each
belt’s inertia reel and become ope
rationally ready with the key in
steering lock position “1” or “2”
Warning System:
The indicator is illuminated for 4 - 8
seconds after turning the steering
lock key to position “2” If the seat
belt of the driver’s seat is not
fastened a warning buzzer sounds
simultaneously
Fastening:
• Pull belt with latch plate (1) over
shoulder and lap Do not twist
the belt doing this
• Push latch plate (1) into buckle
(2) until it clicks
• The belt must be pulled snug
and checked for snugness
immediately after engaging it
and during driving If necessary,
tighten the lap portion to a snug
fit by pulling shoulder portion
up
Unfastening:
• Push in the red button (3) in the
belt buckle
• The retractor should completely
rewind the belt and latch plate
(1)-
Operation:
The inertia reel stops the belt from
unwinding during sudden vehicle
stops or when quickly pulling on
the belt
The locking function of the reel
may be checked by quickly pulling
out the belt
16

Supplemental Restraint System
The emergency tensioning retrac
tors are designed to activate only
during severe frontal impacts They
tighten the belts in such a way that
they fit more snugly against the
body restricting as much as pos
sible its forward movement
In cases of less severe frontal
impacts, such as roll-overs, side or
rear collisions, or other accidents
without severe frontal forces, the
emergency tensioning retractors
will not be activated The driver and
passenger will then be protected
by the fastened seat belts and iner
tia reel in the usual manner
Notes:
No seat belt can be used for more
than one person Belts are not
intended for children under the age
of six or under the weight of
23 kg/50 lb
For cleaning and care of the seat
belts, see page 61
For seat belt and emergency ten
sioning retractor safety rules,
see page 19

Supplemental Restraint System
>
Driver Airbag
If your vehicle is additionally
equipped with a driver airbag, this
can be recognized by the letters
“SRS” stamped into the steering
wheel hub pad and by the indicator
lamp “SRS” (Supplemental Res
traint System) in the instrument
cluster
The airbag (1) is located in the
steering wheel hub and, in conjunc
tion with wearing the seat belts
with tensioning retractors (2), pro
vides increased protection for the
driver
The operational readiness of the
supplemental restraint system (air
bag and emergency tensioning
retractor) is verified by the indicator
lamp “SRS” (3) in the instrument
cluster With the key in steering
lock position “1” or “2”, the indica
tor lamp comes on for about 10
seconds then goes out If it doesn’t
come on, doesn’t go out, flickers on
and off, or comes on while driving,
the system is malfunctioning
This will not cause the supplemen
tal restraint system to be activated
However, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer immedia
tely to have the system checked;
otherwise the “SRS” may not be
activated in a severe frontal acci
dent
The airbag is designed to activate
only in severe frontal impacts (see
illustration on page 17) Only during
these types of impacts will it pro
vide its supplemental protection
The driver should always wear the
seat belt, otherwise it is not pos
sible for the airbag to provide its
intended protection
9949
18