Driving precautions
118
Driving precautions
Running-in
Please comply with the following instruc-
tions, which are intended to ensure that
your car achieves its optimum operating life
and economy.
Engine and final drive
Up to 2000 km (approx. 1300 miles):
Drive at varying road and engine speeds,
but do not exceed the following maximum
values:
>
4500 rpm or 170 km/h (105 mile/h)
Observe the national speed limits in the
country in which you are travelling.
Avoid full throttle and do not use the auto-
matic transmission kick-down.
From 2000 km (approx. 1200 miles)
onwards, engine and road speeds can be
gradually increased.
Comply with these running-in instructions
again if an exchange engine or final drive is
fitted later in the car's life.
Tyres
New tyres do not achieve their full road grip
immediately, for production reasons. You
should therefore drive in a restrained
manner for the first 300 km (approx.
200 miles).
Brakes
Brake pads and discs do not achieve a
favourable wear and contact pattern until
the car has covered about 500 km (approx.
300 miles).
General driving notes
High temperatures
High temperatures occur on all vehi-
cles equipped with a catalytic
converter. Never remove the heat shields
protecting the exhaust system, nor apply
underseal to them. Make sure that when
the car is driven or parked and when the
engine is idling, no easily flammable mate-
rial such as hay, leaves, grass, etc. comes
into contact with the hot exhaust pipe. It
couldigniteand cause a fire, with the risk of
severe injuries or damage.
<
Parking the car
Moisture condensate forms in the air condi-
tioning and is discharged underneath the
car. Traces of water on the ground are
therefore normal.
Before entering a car wash
1. Fold in the outside mirrors, see page 48,
as they could otherwise be damaged due
to the car's width
2. Leave the remote control in the ignition
lock, as automatic transmission position P
will be engaged automatically if the remote
control is removed. See also page 63.
If your car has convenient access, be sure
to observe the notes on page 57
3. Release the parking brake, particularly if
you have activated Automatic Hold. See
pages 58 and 59.
Aquaplaning
When driving on w et or slushy
surfaces, reduce speed to prevent a
wedge of water from forming between the
tyre and the road. This situation, known as
aquaplaning, means that the tyre can actu-
ally lose contact completely with the road
surface, so that the car can neither be
steered nor can the brake be properly
applied.
<
Water on roads
When there is water on the roads,
drive through it only to a max. depth
of 30 cm (approx. 12 in), and no faster than
walking pace, otherwise the engine, elec-
ba.book Page 118 Thursday, December 19, 2002 8:13 PM
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