Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL 1993 User manual

Mercedes Benz
Owner’s Manual
4 ^ r%
fj f ^ ■■> ' & , ' i
■ ' ■ " #
*W 8r -rg sm m ? ' '•
" ' '- < * ^ M ?
" W
A
'pr
I - •

What You Should Know
at th Gas Station
S last pag
MERCEDES-BENZ
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
1-800-222-0100
(U.S.A. only) P98-0002-B12
Driv S nsibly - Sav Fu l
Fu l consumption, to a gr at xt nt,
d p nds on driving habits and op rat
ing conditions.
To sav fu l you should:
• k p tir s at th r comm nd d
inflation pr ssur s,
• r mov unn c ssary loads,
• r mov ski racks or roof-mount d
luggag racks wh n not in us ,
• allow ngin to warm up und r low
load us ,
• avoid fr qu nt acc l ration and
d c l ration,
• hav all maint nanc work p r
form d at r gular int rvals by an
authoriz d M rc d s-B nz
d al r.
Fu l consumption is also incr as d
by driving in cold w ath r, in
stop-and-go traffic, on short trips
and in hilly country.

J Mercedes-Benz
Owner’s Manual
1993
600 SEL

Kindly observe the following in your own best interests:
We recommend using Mercedes-Ben 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-Ben 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 authori ation by
governmental or approval agencies should exist.
Mercedes-Ben original parts as well as conversion parts
and accessories approved by us are available at your
Mercedes-Ben service station where you will receive
comprehensive information, also on permissible technical
modifications, and where proper installation will be
performed.
Printed in Germany
W r s rv th right to modify th t chnical d tails of th v hicl as giv n in th data
and illustrations of this Own r’s Manual. R printing, translation and copying, v n
of xc rpts, is not p rmitt d without our prior authorization in writing.
VP/P 28.04.92RS 3PVL

Our company and staff congratulate you on the
purchase of your new Mercedes-Ben .
Your selection of our product is a demonstration of your
trust in our company name. Further, it exemplifies your
desire to own an automobile that will be as easy as
possible to operate and provide years of service.
Your Mercedes-Ben 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-Ben .
We extend our best wishes for many miles of safe,
pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Ben Aktiengesellschaft
3

ntroduction
This Own r’s Manual contains a gr at d al of us ful
information. W urg you to r ad it car fully and
familiariz yours lf with th v hicl b for driving.
For your own saf ty and long r s rvic lif of th
v hicl , w urg you to follow th instructions and
warnings contain d in this manual. Ignoring th m
could r sult in damag to th v hicl or p rsonal
injury to you or oth rs.
Your v hicl may hav som or all of th quip
m nt d scrib d in this manual. Th r for , you may
find xplanations of quipm nt not install d in your
v hicl . If you hav any qu stions about th op ra
tion of any quipm nt, your authoriz d M rc d s-
B nz d al r will b glad to d monstrat th prop r
proc dur s.
Owner’s Service and Warranty Policy
Th Own r’s S rvic and Warranty Policy Bookl t
contains d tail d information about th warranti s
cov ring your M rc d s-B nz, including:
• N w Car Limit d Warranty,
• Emission Syst m Warranty,
• Emission P rformanc Warranty,
• California Emission Control Syst m Warranty
(California only),
• Stat Warranty Enforc m nt Laws
(L mon Laws).
4
mportant Notice for California Retail Buyers of
Mercedes-Benz Automobiles
Und r California law you may b ntitl d to a
r plac m nt of your v hicl or a r fund of th
purchas pric , if M rc d s-B nz of North Am rica,
Inc. or its authoriz d d al r fails to conform th
v hicl to its xpr ss warranti s aft r a r asonabl
numb r of r pair att mpts during th p riod of on
y ar or 12 000 mil s from original d liv ry of th
v hicl . A r asonabl numb r of r pair att mpts is
pr sum d for a r tail buy r (1) if th v hicl is out
of s rvic by r ason of r pair of substantial non
conformiti s for a cumulativ total of mor than
30 cal ndar days or (2) th sam substantial non
conformity has b n subj ct to r pair four or mor
tim s and you have at least once directly notified
us in writing of the need to repair the non-con
formity and have given us an opportunity to per
form the repair ourselves. Notifications should
be sent to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Regional
Office listed in the Owner’s Service and Warran
ty nformation Booklet.
Maintenance
Th Maint nanc Bookl t d scrib s all th
n c ssary maint nanc work which should b
p rform d at r gular int rvals.
Always hav th Maint nanc Bookl t with you
wh n you tak th v hicl to your authoriz d
M rc d s-B nz d al r for s rvic . Th s rvic
advisor will r cord ach s rvic in th bookl t for
you.

Roadside Assistance
Th M rc d s-B nz Roadsid Assistanc Program
provid s factory train d t chnical h lp in th v nt
of a br akdown. Calls to th toll-fr Roadsid
Assistanc numb r:
1-800-222-0100 (in the U.S.A. only)
will b answ r d by M rc d s-B nz Custom r
Assistanc R pr s ntativ s 24 hours a day,
365 days a y ar.
For additional information r f r to th M rc d s-
B nz Roadsid Assistanc Program brochur in
your glov box.
Change of Address or Ownership
If you chang your addr ss, b sur to s nd in th
’’Chang of Addr ss Notic ” found in th Own r’s
S rvic and Warranty Policy Bookl t. It is in your
own int r st that w can contact you should th
n d aris .
If you s ll your M rc d s, pl as l av all own r’s
lit ratur with th v hicl to mak it availabl to th
n xt own r.
If you bought this v hicl us d, b sur to s nd in
th ’’Notic of Purchas of Us d Car” found in th
Own r’s S rvic and Warranty Policy Bookl t.
Operating Your Vehicle Outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
If you plan to op rat your v hicl in for ign
countri s, pl as b awar that:
• unl ad d fu ls for v hicl s with catalytic
conv rt rs may not b availabl ; th us of
l ad d fu ls will damag th catalysts,
• fu l may hav a consid rably low r octan
rating, and improp r fu l can caus ngin
damag ,
• s rvic faciliti s or r plac m nt parts may not b
r adily availabl .
C rtain M rc d s-B nz mod ls ar availabl for
d liv ry in Europ und r our Europ an D liv ry
Program. For d tails, consult your authoriz d
M rc d s-B nz d al r or writ to:
M rc d s-B nz of North Am rica, Inc.
Europ an D liv ry D partm nt
On M rc d s Driv
Montval , NJ 07645
In Canada writ to:
M rc d s-B nz Canada, Inc.
Europ an D liv ry D partm nt
849 Eglinton Av nu East
Toronto, Ontario M4G 2L5
5

We continuously strive to improve our product, and ask
for your understanding that we reserve the right to make
changes in design and equipment. Therefore, information,
illustrations and descriptions in this Owner’s Manual might
differ from your vehicle.
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
described in this Owner’s Manual, your authori ed
Mercedes-Ben 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

nstruments and Controls
Starting the Engine, Driving nstructions
Operation
Driving
Practical Hints
Technical Data
Fuels, Coolants, Lubricants etc.
Consumer nformation
ndex

The First 1000 Miles
(1500 km)
Th mor cautiously you tr at your
v hicl during th br ak-in p riod,
th mor satisfi d you will b with
its p rformanc lat r on. Th r 
for , driv your v hicl during th
first 1000 mil s (1500 km) at
mod rat v hicl and ngin
sp ds.
During this p riod, avoid h avy
loads (full throttl driving) and high
RPM (no mor than 2/3 of maxi
mum p rmissibl sp d in ach
g ar as indicat d on th
sp dom t r).
Avoid acc l rating by kickdown. It
is not r comm nd d to brak th
v hicl by manually shifting to a
low r g ar. W r comm nd to
s l ct positions ”3” , ”2” or ”B”
only at mod rat sp ds (for hill
driving).
Aft r 1000 mil s (1500 km)
sp ds may b gradually in
cr as d to th p rmissibl
maximum.
Check Regularly and
Before a Long Trip
S Ind x
Maintenance
W strongly r comm nd that you
hav your v hicl s rvic d by your
authoriz d M rc d s-B nz d al r,
in accordanc with th Maint 
nanc Bookl t.
8

nstruments and Controls
Starting the Engine, Driving nstructions
Instrum nts and Controls 10
Instrum nt Clust r 12
Indicator Lamp Symbols 13
Catalytic Conv rt r 14
Starting and Turning Off
th Engin 15
Driving Instructions 16

nstruments and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see Index.
1Adjustabl air outl t
2Ext rior lamp switch
3Parking brak r l as
4Hood lock r l as
5Parking brak p dal
6St ring wh l adjustm nt switch
7Combination switch
8Cruis control switch
9Horn, airbag
10 Instrum nt clust r
11 St ring lock with ignition/start r switch
12 Adjustabl air outl t
13 H at d air supply button - c nt r air outl t
14 Non-h at d/cool d air supply button - c nt r
air outl t
15 Air volum control for l ft air outl t
16 Air volum control for l ft c nt r air outl t
17 Air volum control for right c nt r air outl t
10
18 Air volum control for right air outl t
19 T l phon control unit compartm nt
20 Lock for t l phon control unit compartm nt
and glov box
21 Glov box (illuminat d with k y in st ring
lock position 2)
22 R ar window d frost r switch
23 Switch for r ar s at h ad r straints
24 Activat d charcoal filt r switch
25 C ntral locking switch
26 Hazard warning flash r switch
27 Automatic climat control
28 Radio
29 Snow chain switch
30 Ashtray with light r
31 Adaptiv damping syst m adjustm nt switch
32 S at h at r switch
33 Mirror adjustm nt switch
34 Switch for r ar window sunshad
35 Pow r window switch
36 Loudsp ak r front to r ar fad r control

11
Instrum nts and Controls

P54-0066-B34
nstrument Cluster 8 ASR function indicator lamp (y llow). S Ind x
1Fu l gaug with r s rv warning 9Trip odom t r
lamps (y llow). S Ind x 10 Main odom t r
2 Coolant t mp ratur gaug . S Ind x 11 Outsid t mp ratur indicator. S Ind x
3 Fu l consumption gaug . S Ind x 12 Right turn signal indicator lamp (gr n)
4Engin oil pr ssur gaug (bar) with warning 13 Knob for s tting clock (to adjust pull knob out).
lamp (r d). S Ind x S Ind x
5L ft turn signal indicator lamp (gr n) 14 Tachom t r
6 Knob for instrum nt lamps and trip odom t r 15 R d marking on tachom t r: Exc ssiv ngin
Rotat knob: To vary int nsity of instrum nt sp d
lamps. 16 El ctric clock. S Ind x
D pr ss knob: To r s t trip odom t r.
7Sp dom t r
12

ndicator Lamp Symbols
Function ndicator Lamp
High b am
Warning Lamps
(should go out with th ngin running unl ss)
Batt ry not b ing charg d prop rly.
S Ind x
Fluid l v l for windshi ld and h adlamp
wash r syst m low.
S Ind x
Coolant l v l low. S Ind x
Engin oil l v l low. S Ind x
Ext rior lamp failur . S Ind x
ADS malfunction. S Ind x
£ 3
ASR malfunction. S Ind x
BRAKE
(®)
SRS
A-
'O'
CHECK
ENGINE
ABS malfunction. S Ind x
Brak pads worn down.
S Ind x
Brak fluid low ( xc pt Canada).
Parking brak ngag d.
S Ind x
Brak fluid low (Canada only).
Parking brak ngag d.
S Ind x
SRS malfunction.
S Ind x
Fast n s at b lts.
S Ind x
Engin malfunction indicator lamp.
If th lamp com s on wh n th ngin is
running, it indicat s a malfunction of th
fu l inj ction syst m or mission control
syst m. In ith r cas , w r comm nd
that you hav th malfunction ch ck d as
soon as possibl . S Ind x.
13
Instrum nt Clust r
Indicator Lamp Symbols

Catalytic Converter
Your M rc d s-B nz is quipp d
with monolithic typ catalytic
conv rt rs, an important l m nt
in conjunction with th oxyg n
s nsor to achi v substantial
control of th pollutants in th
xhaust missions. K p your
v hicl in prop r op rating
condition by following our
r comm nd d maint nanc
instructions as outlin d in your
Maint nanc Bookl t.
Caution!
To pr v nt damag to th cata
lytic conv rt rs, us only pr mium
unl ad d gasolin in this v hicl .
Any notic abl irr gulariti s in
ngin op ration should b r 
pair d promptly. Oth rwis ,
xc ssiv unburn d fu l may
r ach th catalytic conv rt r
causing it to ov rh at.
Warning!
As with any vehicle, do not
idle, park or operate this ve
hicle in areas where combus
tible 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 th
Engin
Before Starting
Engag parking brak and mov
th s l ctor l v r to position ”P”
or ”N”. Turn k y in st ring lock
to position 2. Th charg indicator
lamp should com on.
Cold Engine
Turn k y in st ring lock clock
wis to th stop. Do not d pr ss
acc l rator. R l as k y only
wh n th ngin is firing r gularly.
Hot Engine
Turn k y in st ring lock clock
wis to th stop. Do not d pr ss
acc l rator. If th ngin has not
fir d aft r approx. 4 s conds,
d pr ss acc l rator and continu
cranking until th ngin is firing
r gularly. R l as k y and back
off acc l rator.
At v ry high coolant t mp ratur s
th ngin starting tim can b
short n d if th acc l rator is d 
pr ss d slowly at th b ginning of
th starting proc ss.
mportant!
Du to th install d start r non
r p at f atur , th k y must b
turn d compl t ly to th l ft b for
att mpting to start th ngin
again.
Obs rv th oil pr ssur gaug
imm diat ly aft r starting th
ngin . In a v ry cold ngin th
oil pr ssur will ris slowly aft r
th ngin has start d. Do not
sp d up th ngin b for pr s
sur is r gist r d on th pr ssur
gaug . If you do not s th
gaug r gist r oil pr ssur , stop
th ngin and hav it ch ck d.
Th charg indicator lamp should
go out as soon as th ngin has
start d.
In ar as wh r t mp ratur s fr 
qu ntly drop b low -4°F (-20°C)
w r comm nd that an ngin
block h at r b install d. Your
authoriz d M rc d s-B nz d al r
will advis you on this subj ct.
Turning Off
Turn th k y in th st ring lock to
position 0 to stop th ngin .
Th k y can only b r mov d with
th s l ctor l v r in position ”P”.
If th coolant t mp ratur is v ry
high ( .g. aft r hard driving on
mountain roads), do not shut off
th ngin imm diat ly, but allow
it to run for 1 - 2 minut s at in
cr as d idl sp d with s l ctor
l v r in position “P” or “N” .
15
Catalytic Conv rt r
Starting

Driving nstructions
Power Assistance
Wh n th ngin is not running,
th brak and st ring syst ms
ar without pow r assistanc .
Und r th s circumstanc s, a
much gr at r ffort is n c ssary to
stop or st r th v hicl .
Brakes
Caution!
Wh n driving down long and st p
grad s, r li v th load on th
brak s by shifting into ”3”, "2" or
”B” . This h lps pr v nt ov rh at
ing of th brak s and r duc s
brak pad w ar. Do not xc d
ngin sp d limits (s Ind x).
Aft r hard braking, it is advisabl
to driv on for som tim , rath r
than imm diat ly parking, so th
air str am will cool down th
brak s fast r.
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for
some time without applying
the brakes or through water
deep enough to wet brake
components, the first braking
action may be somewhat re
duced and increased pedal
pressure may be necessary.
Be sure to maintain a safe
distance from vehicles in
front.
Th condition of th parking
brak syst m is ch ck d ach
tim th car is in th shop for th
r quir d maint nanc .
B tw n maint nanc ch cks, it
is a good practic to apply th
parking brak onc or twic whil
driving at approximat ly 30 mph
(50 km/h) on a dry straight road.
Apply parking brak lightly whil
pulling th r l as handl out
until a slight drag on th wh ls
is f lt. K p applying th brak
for about 10 s conds whil pull
ing th r l as handl out b for
r l asing th parking brak com
pl t ly. This practic will k p th
parking brak at maximum
ffici ncy.
Warning!
The stop lamps will not come
on when applying the parking
brake only. Perform the pro
cedure in the previous para
graph only when the road is
clear of other traffic.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal will cause excessive
and premature wear of the
brake pads.
t can also result in the brakes
overheating thereby signifi
cantly reducing their effective
ness. t may not be possible
to stop the car in sufficient
time to avoid an accident.
All ch cks and maint nanc work
on th brak syst m should b
carri d out by an authoriz d
M rc d s-B nz d al r.
16

If th parking brak is r l as d
and th brak warning lamp in th
instrum nt clust r stays on, th
brak fluid l v l in th r s rvoir is
too low.
Brak pad w ar or a l ak in th
syst m may b th r ason for low
brak fluid in th r s rvoir.
Hav th brak syst m insp ct d
at an authoriz d M rc d s-B nz
d al r imm diat ly.
Install only brak pads and brak
fluid r comm nd d by M rc d s-
B nz.
Warning!
f other than recommended
brake pads are installed, the
braking properties of the ve
hicle can be degraded to an
extent that safe braking is
substantially impaired.
Warning!
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than
1/8 in (3 mm) of tread, the
adhesion properties on a wet
road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather
and/or road surface (condi
tions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Sp cifi d tir pr ssur s must b
maintain d. This appli s parti
cularly if th tir s ar subj ct d to
j j r s high loads ( .g. high sp ds,
h avy loads, high ambi nt
Tr ad w ar indicators (TWI) ar t mp ratur s),
r quir d by law. Th s indicators
ar locat d in six plac s on th
tr ad circumf r nc and b com
visibl at a d pth of approximat ly
1/16 in (2 mm), at which point th
tir is consid r d worn and should
b r plac d.
Th tr ad w ar indicator app ars
as a solid band across th tr ad.
Warning!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A
flat tire affects the ability to
steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the car.
Continued driving with a flat
tire or driving at high speed
with a flat tire will cause
excessive heat build-up and
possibly a fire.

Aquaplaning
D p nding on th d pth of th
wat r lay r on th road, aqua
planing may occur, v n at low
sp ds and with n w tir s.
R duc v hicl sp d, avoid track
groov s in th road and apply
brak s cautiously in th rain.
Tire Traction
Th saf sp d on a w t, snow
cov r d or icy road is always
low r than on a dry road.
You should pay particular att ntion
to th condition of th road wh n
v r as th outsid t mp ratur s
ar clos to th fr zing point.
W r comm nd M + S radial-ply
tir s for th wint r s ason for all
four wh ls to insur normal bal
anc d handling charact ristics.
On pack d snow, th y can r duc
your stopping distanc as com
par d with summ r tir s. Stop
ping distanc , how v r, is still
consid rably gr at r than wh n
th road is w t or dry.
Warning!
f ice has formed on the road,
tire traction will be substan
tially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive,
steer and brake with extreme
caution.
Parking
Warning!
To reduce the risk of personal
injury as a result of vehicle
movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the
vehicle always:
1. Keep right foot on brake
pedal.
2. Firmly depress parking
brake pedal.
3. Move the selector lever 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 remove.
mportant!
It is advisabl to s t th parking
brak wh n v r parking or l aving
th v hicl . In addition, mov
s l ctor l v r to position ”P”.
Wh n parking on hills, always s t
th parking brak .
18