Page 347 of 491

346 OperationVehicle careTar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.
Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”, normally
every three to five months, depending on
climate and washing detergent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of embedded dirt (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up Stick
for quick and provisional repairs of minor
paint damage (i.e. chips from stones, vehi-
cle doors, etc.).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
exterior rear view 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 vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inad-
vertently locked or unlocked.
Page 349 of 491

348 OperationVehicle care
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning
Turn on the wipers and place it in a ver-
tical position.
For information on placing the wipers in a
vertical position, see “Replacing wiper
blades” (
page 416).Use a window cleaning solution on all glass
surfaces. An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.
Light alloy wheels
Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
should be used for regular cleaning of the
light alloy wheels.
If possible, clean wheels once a week with
Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care, us-
ing a soft bristle brush and a strong spray
of water.
Follow the instructions on the container.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status 0) before cleaning the wiper blades.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury. !Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status 0) before cleaning the windshield.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
Page 369 of 491
368 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
ESP
Display malfunction
Visit workshop
The ESP or the ESP display is
malfunctioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of accident.
P
Gear selector lever in
Park
You have attempted to turn off the
engine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button with the gear se-
lector lever not inP. You have
opened the driver's door with the
gear selector lever not inP.
Place the gear selector lever in positionP.
P/N
Shift to Neutral or Park
You have attempted to start the en-
gine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button while the gear se-
lector lever was in positionR orD.
Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orN. Make sure the brake pedal is de-
pressed.
Page 385 of 491

384 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
%
Hood open
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 299).
F
Key
Check battery
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.
Change the batteries (
page 408).
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running
because
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not in the vehicle
there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so.
Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be cen-
trally locked nor can the engine be
started again after the engine is
stopped.
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey
in the vehicle.
Operate the vehicle with the
SmartKey in the starter switch if nec-
essary.
Key
still in vehicle
A SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* left in the
vehicle was recognized while locking the
vehicle from the outside.
Take the SmartKey out of the vehicle.
Keyless Go
Check system
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Page 386 of 491

385 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
F
Do not
forget key
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no SmartKey
in the starter switch.
This message is only a reminder.
Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.
Take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er 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.
A
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 296).
Check gas cap
See Operator’s Manual
A loss of pressure has been detected in
the fuel system. The fuel cap may not be
closed properly or the fuel system may be
leaky.
Check the fuel cap (
page 297).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 405 of 491
404 Practical hintsUnlocking / locking in an emergencyUnlocking the vehicle
If you are unable to unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, open the driver’s door using
the mechanical key.
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key
Move locking tab1 in the direction of
the arrow and slide mechanical key2
out of the housing.Unlocking the driver’s door
3Unlocking
4Locking
Unlock the door with the mechanical
key. To do so, push the mechanical key
in the lock until it stops and turn it to
the left.
iUnlocking driver’s door and/or the
trunk with the mechanical key will trig-
ger the anti-theft alarm system. To can-
cel the alarm, insert the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the
starter switch.
Page 410 of 491
409 Practical hints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
3Battery
4Contact spring
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.
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Replacement batteries: Lithium, type
CR 2025 or equivalent.
Remove mechanical key (
page 408).
1Battery
2Tilt battery up
3Mechanical key
Insert the mechanical key3 in side
opening and push grey slide.
Battery compartment is unlatched.
Pull battery compartment out of the
housing in direction of arrow.
Using mechanical key3 apply pres-
sure to position2.
Battery1 tilts up slightly.
Pull out batteries1 in direction of ar-
row.
Using a lint-free cloth, insert new bat-
teries with the plus (+) side facing up.
Return battery compartment into hous-
ing until it locks into place.
Page 417 of 491
416 Practical hintsReplacing wiper blades
Removing wiper blades
Turn SmartKey in starter switch to
position1.
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 52).
With wiper arm in the vertical position,
turn SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.
Fold the wiper arm forward until it
snaps into place.
Turn the wiper blade at a right angle to
wiper arm.
Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have status
0) before replacing a wiper blade. Other-
wise, the wiper motor could suddenly turn
on and cause injury.