Page 189 of 304

189 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine 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 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 underbody, do not for-
get 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. 
     
        
        Page 193 of 304
193 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses 
     
        
        Page 206 of 304

206 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?
Where will I find ...?First aid kit
The first aid kit is located on the left side of 
the trunk.
1First aid kit
Loosen the fastening strap.
Remove first aid kit1.
Vehicle tool kit
The following is included:
Vehicle tool kit
Towing eye bolt
Wheel wrench
Alignment bolt
Vehicle jack
Wheel bolts
Special fuse puller
The jack is exclusively designed for lifting 
the vehicle during a wheel change. Always 
lower the vehicle on sufficient capacity 
jackstands before working under the 
vehicle.
iCheck expiration dates and contents 
for completeness at least once a year 
and replace missing/expired items.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking 
up the vehicle at the jack tubes built into ei-
ther side of the vehicle. To help avoid per-
sonal injury, use the jack only to lift the 
vehicle during a wheel change. Never get 
beneath the vehicle while it is supported by 
the jack. Keep hands and feet away from the 
area under the lifted vehicle. Always firmly 
set parking brake and block wheels before 
raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the 
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is 
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack 
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is 
fully inserted in the jack tube. Always lower 
the vehicle onto sufficient capacity jack-
stands before working under the vehicle. 
     
        
        Page 214 of 304
214 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
Insert a pin1, e.g. ball point pen, into 
the covered opening below positionD 
of the shift pattern.
Perform the following two steps simul-
taneously:
Push pin1 down.
Move selector lever from 
positionP.
Remove pin1.iAfter removing the pin from the open-
ing, the cover will not close fully. Only 
after moving the selector lever to 
positionsD+ andD- does the cover re-
turn to its closed position.
The selector lever is locked again when 
moving it to positionP. 
     
        
        Page 224 of 304
224 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsParking, standing and turn signal lamp
Switch off the lights.
Open the hood (
page 171).
1Release opening
Insert the screwdriver from the vehicle 
tool kit into release opening1.
Press the top of the screwdriver toward 
the middle of the vehicle and toward 
the rear.
The turn signal lamp will be lifted out.
Pull the turn signal lamp slightly out of 
its mounting.
Pull off the electrical connector from 
the turn signal lamp.
You can now take the turn signal lamp 
completely out of its mounting.
Twist bulb socket counterclockwise 
and pull out.
Gently push bulb into socket, turn 
counterclockwise and remove.
Insert new bulb in socket, push in and 
twist clockwise.
Reinstall bulb socket, push in and twist 
clockwise.
Plug electrical connector back into the 
turn signal lamp.2Guides
3Tabs
Slide the turn signal lamp with tabs3 
into guides2 and press it toward the 
rear into the mounting until it engages.
 
     
        
        Page 225 of 304

225 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Side marker lamp bulb
Switch off the lights.
Carefully slide lamp towards front.
Remove rear end first.
Twist bulb socket counterclockwise 
and pull out.
Gently push bulb into socket, turn 
counterclockwise and remove.
Insert new bulb in socket, push in and 
twist clockwise.
Reinstall bulb socket, push in and twist 
clockwise.
To reinstall lamp, set rear end in 
bumper and let front end snap into 
place.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp assemblies
1Brake lamp
2Turn signal lamp
3Tail, parking and standing lamp, side 
marker 
4Backup lamp
5Rear fog lamp (driver’s side)
Switch off the lights.
Open trunk lid (
page 77).
Remove cover in right side panel.
Remove first aid kit (
page 206).
Remove cover in left side panel.
Turn bulb socket counterclockwise and 
pull out.
Gently push bulb into socket, turn 
counterclockwise and remove.
Insert new bulb in socket, push in and 
turn clockwise.
Reinstall bulb socket, push in and turn 
clockwise.
Close cover. 
     
        
        Page 244 of 304

244 Practical hintsFlat tire
Detach the electric air pump.
Reinstall tire valve cap.
Stow the electrical plug and the air 
hose behind the flap and place the air 
pump back in the trunk.
Close the trunk lid.Storing collapsible spare wheel in 
wheel well
Before you can store the spare wheel with 
collapsible tire in the wheel well you have 
to release the air pressure of the tire.
Unscrew valve stem removal tool, 
which is part of the valve cap, from tire 
valve.
Using the valve stem removal tool, 
open tire valve slightly by turning the 
tire valve insert counterclockwise to 
release air pressure.
When the air pressure has been re-
leased, remove tire valve insert (pro-
tect it from dirt and sand) using the 
previously removed tire valve cap.
Once all air is out of the tire, and the 
tire has collapsed to its original shape, 
reinstall the tire valve insert and valve 
cap.
Place spare wheel in wheel well and 
secure it with the pump holder.
Tu rn pu m p hold er cl ockwi se  to its  st op.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires 
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes 
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires 
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling 
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail 
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the 
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the pillar in the driver’s 
door opening). Overloading the tires can 
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible injury when unscrewing 
air pump filler hose from tire valve after in-
flating the tire, use a rag since the tire valve 
could be hot. 
     
        
        Page 248 of 304

248 Practical hintsJump startingThe battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right hand side.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not 
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers, ex-
cept hazard warning flashers or work 
lights.
Apply parking brake.
Shift selector lever to positionP (man-
ual transmission to Neutral).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive terminal of discharged battery
3Negative terminal of discharged 
battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery
Connect positive terminals1 and2 of 
the batteries with the jumper cables. 
Clamp cable to charged battery1 first.
Start engine of the vehicle with the 
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect negative terminals3 and4 of 
the batteries with the jumper cables. 
Clamp cable to charged battery4 first.
Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can again turn on the electrical 
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under 
any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from 
negative terminals3 and4 of the bat-
teries and then from positive 
terminals1 and2.
Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery. 
Do not smoke. 
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries.
iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Do not tow-start vehicle.