Page 282 of 399

282 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment, 
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with 
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax should be applied to the engine 
compartment after every engine cleaning. 
Before applying, all control linkage bush-
ings and joints should be lubricated. The 
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be pro-
tected from any wax. 
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle 
in direct sunlight. Use only a mild car wash 
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak 
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use 
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and 
chamois frequently. Rinse with clear water and thoroughly wipe 
dry with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning 
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in out-
side mirrors prior to running the vehicle 
through an automatic car wash to prevent 
damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces 
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the undercarriage, do not 
forget to clean the inner sides of the 
wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty 
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal 
lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as 
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo, 
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong 
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy 
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth 
or sponge.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of 
water, and a SmartKey with KEY-
LESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e. 
within approx. 3 ft. (approx. 1 m), the 
vehicle could be inadvertently locked 
or unlocked.  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 283 of 399

283 Operation
Vehicle care
Wiper blades
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a clean 
cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning
Use a window cleaning solution on all glass 
surfaces. An automotive glass cleaner is 
recommended.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor 
cover
1Distronic system sensor cover
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as 
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo, 
with plenty of water to clean sensor 
cover1.
iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers 
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the wiper blades. Other-
wise the wiper motor can suddenly turn 
on and cause injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms away 
from the windshield in a vertical posi-
tion only. They could otherwise dam-
age the hood (
page 337).
Fold the windshield wiper arms back 
onto the windshield before turning the 
key in the starter switch.
iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers 
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the windshield. Other-
wise the wiper motor can suddenly turn 
on and cause injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms away 
from the windshield in a vertical posi-
tion only. They could otherwise dam-
age the hood (
page 337).
Fold the windshield wiper arms back 
onto the windshield before turning the 
key in the starter switch. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 313 of 399
313 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
A 
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the 
reserve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station (
page 259).
Y
Hood open!
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 261).
I 
Remove key
!
You have forgotten to remove the 
key.
Remove the key from the starter switch.
Replace key
There is no additional code available 
for SmartKey or SmartKey with 
KEYLESS-GO*.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center 
as soon as possible.
.
Lamp sensor
Visit workshop!
The lamp sensor is malfunctioning. 
The headlamps switch on automati-
cally.
In the control system, set lamp operation to 
manual mode (
page 130).
Switch on headlamps using the exterior 
lamp switch.
Low beam, left
The left low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center 
as soon as possible.
Low beam, right
The right low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center 
as soon as possible. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 323 of 399

323 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
I
Remove key!
You have forgotten to remove the key.
Remove the key from the starter switch.
Replace key 
The batteries in the key are dead.
Change the batteries (
page 328).
Automat. light on 
Remove key! 
Remove the key from the starter switch.
A
 
Reserve fuel 
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next filling station 
(page 259).
J
 
Door open 
You are attempting to drive with one or 
more doors open.
Close the doors.
?
Visit workshop!
There may be a malfunction in the:
fuel injection system
ignition system
exhaust system
fuel system
Have the measuring system checked by 
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
±
Display defective
Visit workshop!
Certain electronic systems are unable to 
relay information to the control system. 
The following systems may have failed:
Coolant temperature display
Tachometer
Cruise control display
Have the electronic systems checked by 
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 324 of 399
324 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?
Where will I find ...?First aid kit
The first aid kit is in the storage compart-
ment at the front edge of the front passen-
ger seat.
Pull tab1 upward.
Fold the covering forward.
Remove the first aid kit.
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is located under the trunk 
floor.
Lift the trunk floor and engage the han-
dle in the upper edge of trunk.
Remove the luggage box (
page 325).
1Toolkit
Wheel bolt wrench
Jack
2Spare wheelRemoving the spare wheel
Turn luggage bowl counterclockwise.
Remove spare wheel2.
Storing the spare wheel
Place spare wheel2 in wheel well.
Turn luggage bowl clockwise to its stop 
to secure the spare wheel.
iCheck expiration dates and contents 
for completeness at least once a year 
and replace missing/expired items.
!Always lower trunk floor before closing 
trunk lid. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 325 of 399

325 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Minispare wheel
In the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the Minispare* wheel when ob-
serving the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of 
50 mph (80km/h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility 
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than 
one spare wheel mounted.More information can be found in the 
"Technical data" section (
page 362).
Luggage box
Remove luggage box
1Fastening clip
2Luggage box
Turn fastening clips1 to the left up-
wards from fastening bolts.
Lift luggage box in the area of the fas-
tening bolts and remove it from trunk.Install luggage box
Insert luggage box into trunk so that 
fastening clips are in line with fastening 
bolts. 
Push front edge of luggage box in direc-
tion of arrow under cover of trunk sill.
Press fastening clips onto fastening 
bolts until they lock into place.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare* wheel are 
different from those of the road wheels. As 
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics 
change when driving with a Minispare* 
wheel mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road 
wheel as quick as possible. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 329 of 399
329 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
SmartKey/SmartKey with KEY-
LESS-GO*
1Mechanical key
2Battery compartment
Replacement batteries: Lithium, type 
CR 2025 or equivalent.
Remove mechanical key1 
(page 327).
Insert the mechanical key in the side 
opening and push the gray slide.
Battery compartment2 is unlatched.
Pull battery compartment2 out of the 
key housing in direction of arrow.
3Battery
4Contact spring
Remove the batteries.
Using a lint-free cloth, insert new bat-
teries under the contact spring with the 
plus (+) side facing up. 
Return battery compartment into hous-
ing until it locks into place.
Fuel filler flap emergency release
1Release knob
Remove right-side tail trim.
Turn release knob1 clockwise (arrow).
The fuel filler flap can know be opened.
iWhen changing batteries, always re-
place both batteries.
The required replacement batteries are 
available at any authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 330 of 399
330 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyManually unlocking the transmission selector lever
In the case of power failure, the transmis-
sion selector lever can be manually un-
locked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
1Pin
The selector lever can be manually un-
locked from position P in the event of an 
electrical failure, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
Open the storage compartment in the 
center console (
page 229).
Take out the cup holder*.
Using two fingers in the horizontal slot 
at the upper rear side of the cup holder, 
lift cup holder upwards to remove.
Hold the cover at a 45° angle.
Insert a suitable object 1 (e.g. a pin) 
through the hole and press the pin 
downward. 
Remove pin 1. 
iThe selector lever is locked again when 
moving it to positionP.