What is this light on the dash?
 

Just bought a 1982 380 sel and it did not come with a owners manual. Last night this light came on in the lower left side of the dash.It's yellow and has a circle with 3 dots on each side surrounding the circle.

From your description, it appears to be the universal symbol for "brakes", albeit, drum brakes as the symbol is drawn to depict...so it is possibly, the brake wear indicator.

I don't know how early MB put in this feature, but there are wear sensors in the pads that as the pads wear, the sensors contact the disc surface, thus grounding them and completing the circuit that allows the indicator lamp to glow.

If I am correct on my guess, your brake pads are due for a replacement...

Yup, sounds like the brake pad wear indicator lamp.

Time for brake pads and may be the sensors too!
 

:cool:

The OEM kits I buy usually come with both...

Call 1-800-FOR MERC and order an owner's manual; you'll be glad you did. Very helpful info in there!

If it is the wear sensors then you will certainly have to change at least one of the sensor wires as it will have ground out the insulation to earth the lite on. Makes sense to change the lot and as rightly said, usually the pads come with a set anyhow. good luck !

its the wear sensors for sure, i had the same problme a couple of months ago. Whip the front wheels off and take a look at the pads. You will see a curly wire coming out of the back of the pads that plug into the brake calliper. This is the send wire for the indicator on the dash. When you go and buy some new pads, take them out of the box and you will see the wire attached to the pad. Simply install the pad, and plug the wire into the calliper and hey presto....problem sorted.

cheers

My 81 300SD has brake pad sensors, so at least that early.

And you can also buy the sensors on Fastlane, they are quite cheap.