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79-714: Over its 12-year production (1979–1991), 818,063 sedans/saloons and 74,060 coupés were manufactured, totaling 892,123 and making the W126 by far the most successful generation of S-Class to date, and the longest in production. After the debut of the W116 S-Class in 1972, Mercedes-Benz began preparing for the next generation S-Class, in October 1973. The project, code-named "Project W126", aimed to provide an improved ride, better handling, and improved fuel efficiency . The oil crisis of 1973 and increasingly stringent emission and safety regulations in

158-403: A helicopter . The fuel economy of an automobile relates to the distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed . Consumption can be expressed in terms of the volume of fuel to travel a distance, or the distance traveled per unit volume of fuel consumed. Since fuel consumption of vehicles is a significant factor in air pollution, and since the importation of motor fuel can be

237-614: A car and the production, transmission and storage of electricity and hydrogen, the label "zero pollution" applies only to the car's conversion of stored energy into movement. In 2004, a consortium of major auto-makers — BMW , General Motors , Honda , Toyota and Volkswagen / Audi — came up with "Top Tier Detergent Gasoline Standard" to gasoline brands in the US and Canada that meet their minimum standards for detergent content and do not contain metallic additives. Top Tier gasoline contains higher levels of detergent additives in order to prevent

316-437: A catalysator at a later date. In 1990, the power of the 560 SEL was reduced to 200 kW (272 PS; 268 bhp). For the US and Canadian markets, a new 3-litre six-cylinder inline OM603 diesel engine was introduced, replacing the five-cylinder engine with same displacement. It was the first six-cylinder passenger diesel engine by Mercedes-Benz. This new engine was available in the long wheelbase version only, 300 SDL, for

395-399: A change in buying habits with a propensity to heavier vehicles that are less fuel-efficient. Energy efficiency is similar to fuel efficiency but the input is usually in units of energy such as megajoules (MJ), kilowatt-hours (kW·h), kilocalories (kcal) or British thermal units (BTU). The inverse of "energy efficiency" is " energy intensity ", or the amount of input energy required for

474-564: A deeper front bumper with integrated air dam. The W126 generation was replaced by the W140 in 1991. From 1973 to 1975, Mercedes-Benz designers worked on the successor to the W116 . After several design concepts were presented, the final design for the W126 was approved and frozen in 1976. The design work for the coupé began immediately after the approval and was finalised in 1977. Design patents were first filed on 3 March 1977 and later on 6 September 1977 at

553-486: A diesel engine. See Brake-specific fuel consumption for more information. The energy efficiency in transport is the useful travelled distance , of passengers, goods or any type of load; divided by the total energy put into the transport propulsion means. The energy input might be rendered in several different types depending on the type of propulsion, and normally such energy is presented in liquid fuels , electrical energy or food energy . The energy efficiency

632-469: A heat value of a fuel, it would be trivial to convert from fuel units (such as litres of gasoline) to energy units (such as MJ) and conversely. But there are two problems with comparisons made using energy units: The specific energy content of a fuel is the heat energy obtained when a certain quantity is burned (such as a gallon, litre, kilogram). It is sometimes called the heat of combustion . There exists two different values of specific heat energy for

711-414: A heavy load in the rear seat or luggage compartment. This change in attitude affects aerodynamic properties, headlight aim , braking , bumpers, shock absorption from the suspension and the vehicle's performance in a collision. Most of the braking power is on the front wheels of a vehicle, which means you will have more effective braking when more weight is over the front wheels. When the rear end has

790-415: A heavy load, the braking is not as effective. The weight is concentrated on the rear end of the vehicle, and the rear brakes need to do all of the work. When braking quickly in this situation, the front brakes will be easier to lock up because of the lack of weight transfer to the front of the vehicle. Self-levelling suspension lifts the rear end of the vehicle up to spread out the weight more evenly. This puts

869-484: A large horizontal LCD display in the middle. The option was dropped from the W126 a few years later due to the complexity of configuring the trip computer, requiring an accompanying 18-page instruction handbook to understand its operation, and due to the frequent failure of its control panel buttons. First Series (1979–1985) At the introduction in September 1979, the 2.8-litre DOHC six-cylinder inline M110 engine from

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948-467: A large part of a nation's foreign trade , many countries impose requirements for fuel economy. Different methods are used to approximate the actual performance of the vehicle. The energy in fuel is required to overcome various losses ( wind resistance , tire drag , and others) encountered while propelling the vehicle, and in providing power to vehicle systems such as ignition or air conditioning. Various strategies can be employed to reduce losses at each of

1027-424: A much slower rate and more efficiently than even a candle on Earth, and last much longer. Self-levelling suspension Self-levelling refers to an automobile suspension system that maintains a constant ride height of the vehicle above the road, regardless of load. Many vehicle systems on a conventional vehicle are negatively affected by the change in attitude coming from changes in load - specifically

1106-484: A poor customer perception in the United States as being severely underpowered and due to mechanical issues with the single timing chain. The 380 SEL for the US market took 11 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from standstill and had top speed of 117 mph (188 km/h). The severe performance shortcoming of W126 with V8 engine was addressed by introducing more powerful 500SEL/SEC in 1984. The S-Class coupé

1185-403: A series of hydrogen fueling stations has been established. Powered either through chemical reactions in a fuel cell that create electricity to drive very efficient electrical motors or by directly burning hydrogen in a combustion engine (near identically to a natural gas vehicle , and similarly compatible with both natural gas and gasoline); these vehicles promise to have near-zero pollution from

1264-428: A series of pipes that shot flames out of the sides. Fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency (or fuel economy ) is a form of thermal efficiency , meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier ( fuel ) into kinetic energy or work . Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance

1343-501: A single timing chain while the M117 V8 engine had double timing chains. The frequent mechanical failure of the single timing chain in the M116 was addressed in 1982 by switching to double timing chains from the M117 V8 engine. The smaller of the two V8 engines was initially the only one offered in the US market, to help meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements. The 380 SEL received

1422-459: A small combustion engine is combined with electric motors. Kinetic energy which would otherwise be lost to heat during braking is recaptured as electrical power to improve fuel efficiency. The larger batteries in these vehicles power the car's electronics , allowing the engine to shut off and avoid prolonged idling . Fleet efficiency describes the average efficiency of a population of vehicles. Technological advances in efficiency may be offset by

1501-472: A unit of output such as MJ/passenger-km (of passenger transport), BTU/ton-mile or kJ/t-km (of freight transport), GJ/t (for production of steel and other materials), BTU/(kW·h) (for electricity generation), or litres/100 km (of vehicle travel). Litres per 100 km is also a measure of "energy intensity" where the input is measured by the amount of fuel and the output is measured by the distance travelled. For example: Fuel economy in automobiles . Given

1580-690: Is a linear relationship while fuel economy leads to distortions in efficiency improvements. Weight-specific efficiency (efficiency per unit weight) may be stated for freight , and passenger-specific efficiency (vehicle efficiency per passenger) for passenger vehicles. Fuel efficiency is dependent on many parameters of a vehicle, including its engine parameters, aerodynamic drag , weight, AC usage, fuel and rolling resistance . There have been advances in all areas of vehicle design in recent decades. Fuel efficiency of vehicles can also be improved by careful maintenance and driving habits. Hybrid vehicles use two or more power sources for propulsion. In many designs,

1659-517: Is a popular topic in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The main factors representing and influencing driving behavior include velocity, acceleration, gear, road parameters, weather, etc. Simple things such as keeping tires properly inflated, having a vehicle well-maintained and avoiding idling can dramatically improve fuel efficiency. Careful use of acceleration and deceleration and especially limiting use of high speeds helps efficiency. The use of multiple such techniques

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1738-401: Is also occasionally known as energy intensity . The inverse of the energy efficiency in transport is the energy consumption in transport. Energy efficiency in transport is often described in terms of fuel consumption , fuel consumption being the reciprocal of fuel economy. Nonetheless, fuel consumption is linked with a means of propulsion which uses liquid fuels , whilst energy efficiency

1817-530: Is applicable to any sort of propulsion. To avoid said confusion, and to be able to compare the energy efficiency in any type of vehicle, experts tend to measure the energy in the International System of Units , i.e., joules . Therefore, in the International System of Units, the energy efficiency in transport is measured in terms of metre per joule, or m/J, while the energy consumption in transport

1896-485: Is called " hypermiling ". The most efficient machines for converting energy to rotary motion are electric motors, as used in electric vehicles . However, electricity is not a primary energy source so the efficiency of the electricity production has also to be taken into account. Railway trains can be powered using electricity, delivered through an additional running rail, overhead catenary system or by on-board generators used in diesel-electric locomotives as common on

1975-409: Is dependent on several factors including engine efficiency , transmission design, and tire design. In most countries, using the metric system , fuel economy is stated as "fuel consumption" in liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or kilometers per liter (km/L or kmpl). In a number of countries still using other systems, fuel economy is expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), for example in

2054-443: Is measured in terms of joules per metre, or J/m. The more efficient the vehicle, the more metres it covers with one joule (more efficiency), or the fewer joules it uses to travel over one metre (less consumption). The energy efficiency in transport largely varies by means of transport. Different types of transport range from some hundred kilojoules per kilometre (kJ/km) for a bicycle to tens of megajoules per kilometre (MJ/km) for

2133-533: Is not formed and complete combustion occurs., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2005. Experiments by NASA in microgravity reveal that diffusion flames in microgravity allow more soot to be completely oxidised after they are produced than diffusion flames on Earth, because of a series of mechanisms that behaved differently in microgravity when compared to normal gravity conditions. LSP-1 experiment results , National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2005. Premixed flames in microgravity burn at

2212-501: Is often illustrated as a continuous energy profile . Non-transportation applications, such as industry , benefit from increased fuel efficiency, especially fossil fuel power plants or industries dealing with combustion , such as ammonia production during the Haber process . In the context of transport , fuel economy is the energy efficiency of a particular vehicle, given as a ratio of distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. It

2291-417: Is so affected by load, a supplemental, electronic leveling system was added, which uses a level sensor and a single motor to load/unload a pair of auxiliary bars to adjust vehicle attitude, but not overall ride height. This early attempt was an important step on the road to self-leveling, even if a full load would cause the whole car to lower evenly, rather than maintain height. In 1957, Cadillac introduced

2370-434: Is very low. This was reflected in a study by AEA Technology between a Eurostar train and airline journeys between London and Paris, which showed the trains on average emitting 10 times less CO 2 , per passenger, than planes, helped in part by French nuclear generation. In the future, hydrogen cars may be commercially available. Toyota is test-marketing vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells in southern California, where

2449-517: The Eldorado Brougham, a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud competitor, featuring a new Air suspension with a self leveling feature. In 1966, Rolls-Royce licensed Citroën's hydropneumatic system to fit to the rear axle of the Silver Shadow . At first, both the front and rear of the car were controlled by the levelling system; the front levelling was removed in 1969 as it had been determined that

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2528-547: The Energiekonzept ("Energy Concept") programme in reducing the fuel consumption. This programme revised the combustion chambers and piston heads with lower compression ratio in the V8 engines. This revision caused a further drop in engine performance. Second Series (1986–1991) For the second series introduced in September 1985, the engine range was extensively revised with new six-cylinder inline engines and enlarged V8 engines. Only

2607-399: The latent heat of vaporization of water. The difference between the high and low values is significant, about 8 or 9%. This accounts for most of the apparent discrepancy in the heat value of gasoline. In the U.S. (and the table) the high heat values have traditionally been used, but in many other countries, the low heat values are commonly used. Neither the gross heat of combustion nor

2686-462: The 280 S/SE/SEL was carried over from the W116. The revised M116 / M117 V8 engines had a significant innovation: an aluminium block without iron sleeves as found in the competitors’ engines. Mercedes-Benz developed a special silicon coating as to harden the cylinder liners against excessive wear and tear. The V8 engines were offered in two sizes: 3.8 litres (M116) and 5 litres (M117). The M116 V8 engine had

2765-404: The 5-litre M117 V8 was carried over from the first series, expanding the V8 engine range to three. The revised engine range focused more on reducing pollution and fuel consumption even further. For the first time, the customers outside US and Canadian markets could choose the models with or without catalysators. The models without catalysators can be retrofitted with catalysators at later date if

2844-536: The American model range for 1984 model year to counter the grey imports while the 3.8-litre V8 engine remained in 380 SE (standard wheelbase only) and 380 SL. In 1988, an intense lobbying effort by Mercedes-Benz and other foreign manufacturers led U.S. Congress to eliminate this consumer option and revise the rules for registered importers. Two AMG -modified 500 SEC cars raced at the 1989 24 Hours of Spa . Both cars failed to finish, with one suffering gearbox issues, while

2923-610: The M116 was bored out to 4.2 litres from 3.8 litres for the 420 SE/SEL/SEC while the 5-litre V8 for 500 SE/SEL/SEC was carried over. A new 5.5 litre engine was introduced for the 560 SE/SEL/SEC which was accomplished by stroking the 5-litre M117 engine with a new crankshaft. The V8 engines were fitted with new electronic ignition system and Bosch KE-Jetronic electronic-mechanical fuel injection system , first appeared in W201 190E. The revised V8 engines except 5-litre version had slight performance increase. The most powerful engine ever fitted to

3002-462: The Range Rover used all-round long-travel coil springs . If these were kept soft to maintain comfort they would compress too much under a heavy payload, restricting axle travel when off-road and compromising handling. Land Rover developed a self-levelling rear suspension using the "Boge Hydromat" self-energising hydraulic strut. Of similar construction to a hydraulic shock absorber the strut used

3081-503: The S-Class, was introduced with 380 SEC and 500 SEC trims initially offered. It was the first time that a coupé version was derived from an S-Class chassis. However, the styling was different between the two, making it the first time that the coupé had distinct styling, later evolving into CL-Class . At the same time, the "Energiekonzept" (Energy Concept) was introduced to improve the fuel efficiency of S-Class through engine revisions. The W126

3160-465: The S/W to S/E for Economy. The topographical sensor also offers a better driving experience with cruise control by adjusting the throttle smoothly and automatically without sudden lurching or decelerating when maintaining the desired speed. The W126 carried forward the self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension of the W116 450 SEL 6.9 model. Like the W116 and W123, the rear-wheel hydropneumatic suspension system

3239-519: The US and UK rail networks. Pollution produced from centralised generation of electricity is emitted at a distant power station, rather than "on site". Pollution can be reduced by using more railway electrification and low carbon power for electricity. Some railways, such as the French SNCF and Swiss federal railways derive most, if not 100% of their power, from hydroelectric or nuclear power stations, therefore atmospheric pollution from their rail networks

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3318-539: The US and usually also in the UK ( imperial gallon); there is sometimes confusion as the imperial gallon is 20% larger than the US gallon so that mpg values are not directly comparable. Traditionally, litres per mil were used in Norway and Sweden , but both have aligned to the EU standard of L/100 km. Fuel consumption is a more accurate measure of a vehicle's performance because it

3397-635: The United States Patent Office. Compared to its predecessor, the W116, the W126 featured improved aerodynamics with a drag coefficient of Cd 0.36 for the sedan/saloon and 0.34 for the coupés. The pre-facelift model range (1979–1985 for sedan/saloon and 1982–1985 for coupé) included the 280 S/SE/SEL, 300 SD (North American market only), 380 SE/SEL/SEC, and 500 SE/SEL/SEC. The revised second series (1986–1991) with petrol engines included 260 SE, 300 SE/SEL, 420 SE/SEL/SEC, 500 SE/SEL/SEC, and 560 SE/SEL/SEC. The updated version of diesel model, 300 SDL,

3476-413: The United States and modified them to meet US FMVSS and EPA regulations. The 280 S/SE/SEL with smaller six-cylinder inline engines were also imported, offering significant savings over the V8 models. The W126 was a major part of this parallel market, with 22,000 imported in a segment that hit 66,900 cars in 1985, the biggest year for grey imports. Consequently, Mercedes-Benz added the 500 SEL/500 SEC to

3555-420: The United States had an important influence in developing the W126 for reduced emissions and increased fuel efficiency. The W126 design team, led by Mercedes-Benz's chief designer Bruno Sacco , aimed to design a more aerodynamic shape and retain the unmistakable S-Class design elements. The aerodynamic drag was reduced through lengthy wind tunnel testing and reshaping of the front end and bumper along with hiding

3634-577: The W126 S-Class was a 5.5-litre V8, putting out 221 kW (300 PS, 296 bhp). This engine, classified as ECE-Variante (German name), has a higher compression ratio of 10:1 and cannot be retrofitted with a catalysator at a later date. In September 1986, the ECE-Variante was superseded by the RÜF-Variante, which retains the same horsepower figure without catalysator and lower figure if retrofitted with

3713-561: The W126 was introduced at the IAA Frankfurt in September 1979. At the introduction, S-Class was available in two wheelbase lengths (standard and long) and three petrol engine options with one six-cylinder inline engine and two V8 engines. The diesel engine option was introduced in September 1981 exclusively for the North American market. At the 1981 IAA Frankfurt , the C126, a coupé version of

3792-482: The body in high, intermediate, normal or low positions, the extremes used for maintenance such as changing wheels or hydraulic system work. Up until 1995 when they added "antisink" to the range when the engine was turned off, the suspension slowly lost pressure until the car rested on the bump stops. When the engine was restarted it rose back to its pre-selected height. The addition of anti-sink added 2 non-return valves and an extra accumulator so that when hydraulic pressure

3871-422: The build-up of deposits (typically, on fuel injector and intake valve ) known to reduce fuel economy and engine performance. How fuel combusts affects how much energy is produced. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has investigated fuel consumption in microgravity . The common distribution of a flame under normal gravity conditions depends on convection , because soot tends to rise to

3950-449: The car by 35 mm if travelling over coarse-surfaced road (only up to 80 km/h). From 1986 to 1990, the HPF III option was available in 420 SEL, 500 SEL, 560 SE, and 560 SEL. For the final year of production, HPF III was available in longer wheelbase only (420 SEL, 500 SEL, and 560 SEL). Due to its complexity and tendency to fail catastrophically, HPF III was very difficult to service and

4029-495: The conversions between the chemical energy in the fuel and the kinetic energy of the vehicle. Driver behavior can affect fuel economy; maneuvers such as sudden acceleration and heavy braking waste energy. Energy-efficient driving techniques are used by drivers who wish to reduce their fuel consumption, and thus maximize fuel efficiency. Many drivers have the potential to improve their fuel efficiency significantly. The relationship between fuel consumption and driving behavior

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4108-475: The customers choose to: this retrofit method is called RÜF (Rückrüstfahrzeug — loosely translated as retrofit vehicle). The RÜF models had a mechanical switch in the engine bay to be operated by owners for running on lead or lead-free fuels, a necessary feature for driving outside Germany or in areas within Germany where the lead-free fuel wasn't widespread yet. In 1990, all engines were fitted with catalysators only and

4187-402: The engine off. This system allowed the suspension to achieve an unusually soft ride quality . Since then, millions of fairly inexpensive Citroën cars have been equipped with self-levelling as an unobtrusive, but integral design feature. The Citroën's dashboard (later console or fascia mounted controls) includes a position lever which allows the driver to select whether the car would sit with

4266-434: The engines. For 1988, the engine was revised to correct the issues and move the particulate filter further away from the engine. In 1990, the same engine was bored out to 3.5 litres as to compensate for reduced performance due to stricter emission regulations. The bored out 3.5-litre version did not have any of aforementioned issues other than some units experiencing the unexplained erosion of head gasket. The 3.5-litre version

4345-407: The extra cost automatic transmission option wasn't offered for the 260 SE and 300 SE. Customers ordering the 420 SE could choose either the 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. U.S. models had the automatic transmission as the sole transmission choice. When the W126 was introduced in the United States in September 1980, Mercedes-Benz only offered the smaller 3.8-litre V8 engine to avoid

4424-540: The first self-levelling rear suspension on a production car, and then in 1955 pioneered self-levelling of all four wheels, using its hydropneumatic system. These cars maintain an exact height over the road when the engine is on - height control valves attached to the roll bars via linkages would open to add or drain fluid from the suspension, and when the desired height was reached the valve would automatically close due to its design. Later models would use electronic height sensors and motors so adjustment could be achieved with

4503-451: The first time. For California, the diesel engines were fitted with a diesel particulate filter , a world's first for a passenger car. The new engine had an ill-gotten reputation for higher percentage of aluminium cylinder head failure due to poor placement of the diesel particulate filter and due to the erosion of the head gasket, allowing cooling fluid to seep into the cylinders. However, they failed to perform as designed and were removed from

4582-431: The gas guzzler penalty under Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations. However, American consumers found the 380 SEL severely underpowered with slow acceleration (0–60 mph in 11 seconds) and a lower top speed of 117 mph (188 km/h). As the fear of oil crisis waned in 1982, American consumers demanded the more powerful S-Class models, and grey importers brought the S-Class with 5-litre V8 engines to

4661-421: The hydropneumatic suspension was heavily redesigned and named HPF III. The HPF III automatically lowers the chassis by 24 mm when the vehicle is travelled at least 120 km/h for improved aerodynamic flow and better high speed stability. The system adjusts the damping rate from soft to hard based on speed and road condition for extra comfort and better drivability. Additionally, the driver can select to raise

4740-407: The mechanical switch eliminated. The new six-cylinder inline M103 engine had a single overhead camshaft and electronic-mechanical fuel injection and was available in two sizes: 2.6 and 3 litres. The carburetted engine fitted to the 280 S was eliminated, marking the end of carburetted engines for the S-Class, and replaced with fuel-injected engines for the 260 SE and 300 SE/SEL. For the V8 engines,

4819-451: The motion of the suspension travelling over bumps to pump itself back up to a pre-set height. It was sufficiently powerful to regain up to 85% of normal ride height with a full load over the rear axle, and had the advantage of requiring no external power source or a dedicated hydraulic system in the vehicle. The same system was applied to the Land Rover in the 1980s when these vehicles adopted

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4898-484: The net heat of combustion gives the theoretical amount of mechanical energy (work) that can be obtained from the reaction. (This is given by the change in Gibbs free energy , and is around 45.7 MJ/kg for gasoline.) The actual amount of mechanical work obtained from fuel (the inverse of the specific fuel consumption ) depends on the engine. A figure of 17.6 MJ/kg is possible with a gasoline engine, and 19.1 MJ/kg for

4977-485: The other had issues with the rear axle. The W126 series was the highest volume S-Class on record in terms of production. A limited number of W126 continued to be produced in South Africa until 1993(?), two years after the introduction of W140 S-Class. No figures were given for South African production. Nelson Mandela was given a commemorative model, a red 1990 500 SE. Three armoured 560 SEL ordered by Saddam Hussein had

5056-469: The rear levelling did almost all the work. Rolls-Royce achieved a high degree of ride quality with this arrangement. Land Rover developed a different system for the Range Rover in the early 1970s. The Range Rover was intended to be as comfortable on the road as a normal saloon car yet as capable of heavy off-road use as a traditional Land Rover . This highlighted the contradiction in suspension design as

5135-412: The round information panel in the instrument clusters. The control panel features a series of buttons which feature haptic touch to allow the driver to feel his way around the control buttons without taking his eyes off the road. A panel occupies the gauge cluster formerly used by tachometer, which moved to the left gauge cluster, sharing with oil, fuel, and temperature gauges. The information panel contains

5214-426: The same batch of fuel. One is the high (or gross) heat of combustion and the other is the low (or net) heat of combustion. The high value is obtained when, after the combustion, the water in the exhaust is in liquid form. For the low value, the exhaust has all the water in vapor form (steam). Since water vapor gives up heat energy when it changes from vapor to liquid, the liquid water value is larger since it includes

5293-408: The tailpipe (exhaust pipe). Potentially the atmospheric pollution could be minimal, provided the hydrogen is made by electrolysis using electricity from non-polluting sources such as solar, wind or hydroelectricity or nuclear. Commercial hydrogen production uses fossil fuels and produces more carbon dioxide than hydrogen. Because there are pollutants involved in the manufacture and destruction of

5372-435: The top of a flame, such as in a candle, making the flame yellow. In microgravity or zero gravity , such as an environment in outer space , convection no longer occurs, and the flame becomes spherical , with a tendency to become more blue and more efficient. There are several possible explanations for this difference, of which the most likely one given is the hypothesis that the temperature is evenly distributed enough that soot

5451-497: The unintended acceleration when coasting downhill without the frequent braking to maintain the speed. The Second Series has a "hill-hold" feature that prevents the vehicle from rolling back suddenly when disengaging the brake and engaging the throttle pedals at the steep incline. The transmission in European models has a S/W switch to allow the start in either first (Standard) or second (Winter) gear respectively. The "Second Series" changed

5530-518: The weight back onto the front end of the vehicle, which lets the brakes do their job more effectively. There is an inherent conflict in suspension design - if the springs are soft, the car will be comfortable but dramatically affected by load. If the springs are hard, the car will be uncomfortable, but less affected by load. Numerous manufacturers realize this conflict and have pursued different avenues to achieve both comfort and load capacity simultaneously. In France in 1954, Citroën introduced

5609-449: The wipers underneath the hood/bonnet for smoother flow. Reducing the weight was accomplished by extensive use of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) sheet and polyurethane deformable material for bumpers and side claddings. The lighter alloy material was used for the heavily revised M116/M117 V8 engines for reduced weight. Both contributed to the reduction of fuel consumption by 10% as compared to its predecessor. After six years of development,

5688-421: Was available in both standard and long wheelbases (350 SD and 350 SDL) for the first time in the S-Class. First Series (1979–1985) The automatic transmission had four speeds with direct drive in the fourth gear for the entire run from 1979 to 1991. The 280 S/SE/SEL had 4-speed manual transmission as standard with 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions as extra-cost options. The manual transmission

5767-440: Was exclusive to the North American market (the first time the S-Class with diesel engine was offered in long wheelbase) and then the 350 SD/SDL (the first diesel S-Class to be available in both wheelbase lengths). The four-speed automatic transmission had a new topographical sensor that improved the drivability by monitoring the vehicle's position (flat surface, incline, or decline) and the position of throttle pedal. This prevents

5846-451: Was fitted with V8 engines only for the first time. The 3-litre five-cylinder inline OM617 diesel engine was carried over from the W116 with the same performance. The diesel engines were again never offered in the markets outside United States and Canada. This discrepancy was not addressed until 1994 when the W140 S 350 Turbodiesel was introduced in Europe. In 1981, Mercedes-Benz introduced

5925-483: Was lost the valves would close and keep the remaining fluid in the system, and leaving the car resting at a normal height when parked. In the United States , William D. Allison developed Torsion-Level Suspension used on 1955-1956 model Packards . This was an interconnected suspension, with torsion bars that ran along each side of the frame, connecting the front wheel to the rear (on the same side). Because this system

6004-514: Was not fitted to the V8 engines during the first series. U.S. models, including the 300 SD Turbodiesel, had automatic transmission as sole transmission choice. Second Series (1985–1991) From 1986 onward, the automatic transmission was revised to include the option of selecting S (Standard) and E (Economy) shifting points. The models 260 SE and 300 SE/SEL were fitted with the standard 5-speed manual and optional extra-cost 4-speed automatic transmissions. For one year from September 1986 to June 1987,

6083-422: Was offered in W126 as an option. The updated version was called HPF II (short for Hydropneumatische Federung ) was available from 1981 to 1985 (on the 380 SEL and 500 SEL) and very briefly on the 500 SE in 1985. The self-levelling technology responds to changes in weight distribution (passengers, luggage, fuel, etc.) and was therefore less applicable in shorter wheelbase models. For the "Second Series" (1986-1991),

6162-410: Was often, at the owner's request, removed and replaced with coil springs and shock absorbers from models without hydropneumatic suspension system. At the 1983 IAA , Mercedes-Benz introduced Reiserechner ("Trip calculator"), its first trip computer option, in the W126 for the 1984 model year. The trip computer has a rectangular control panel on the centre console between the power window switches and

6241-409: Was revised in 1985 for the 1986 model year. The revised "Second Series" model range was introduced at the 1985 IAA Frankfurt with new six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and the V8 petrol engines enlarged to 4.2 and 5.5 litres. The 5-litre V8 was carried over. Visual changes included smoother bumpers and side claddings, revised "Gullydeckelfelge" (German for manhole-cover wheel rim) alloy wheels, and

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