Page 366 of 514

365 Operation
Vehicle care
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.Power washer Tar 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”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months,
depending on the 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.
!Follow the instructions provided by the
power washer manufacturer on main-
taining a distance between the vehicle
and the nozzle of the power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to
power-wash tires. The intense jet of
water can result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving
across the surface. Do not aim directly
at electrical parts, electrical connec-
tors, seals, or other rubber parts.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
(approximately 1 m), the vehicle could
be inadvertently locked or unlocked.
!Affixing stickers, adhesive tape or sim-
ilar materials to painted body compo-
nents may damage the paintwork.
Page 367 of 514

366 OperationVehicle care
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle 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 bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax. Vehicle washing
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.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved 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 clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.
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
(approximately 1 m), the vehicle could
be inadvertently locked or unlocked.
Page 371 of 514

370 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snapes into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have status 0) before cleaning the windshield and/or
the wiper blades. Otherwise, the wiper mo-
tor could suddenly turn on and cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
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.!To clean the window interior, do not
use a dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or
cleaners containing solvents. Do not
touch the inside of the front, rear or
side windows with hard objects such as
an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
!Only use acid-free cleaning materials.
Acid may cause corrosion or damage
the clear coat.!The vehicle should not be parked for an
extended period of time immediately
after it has been cleaned, especially not
after the wheel rims have been cleaned
with wheel rim cleaner. Wheel rim
cleaners can lead to increased corro-
sion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it
is parked after cleaning. To do so,
please drive your vehicle for several
minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
Page 394 of 514
393 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Selector lever
in park position
You have turned off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in gear
selector lever positionN and opened the
driver’s door.
or
You have attempted to switch off the en-
gine with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button while the gear selector lever was in
positionR orD.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Please
shift to
N or P
You have attempted to start the engine
with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
while the gear selector lever was in
positionR orD.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP or N.
Page 404 of 514

403 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
A
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 318).
Y
Hood open
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 322).
I
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er switch.
Replace key
No additional code available for SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Key
Check battery
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.
Change the batteries (
page 435).
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running be-
cause
the SmartKey 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 centrally
locked nor can the engine be started
again after the engine has been stopped.
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 necessary.
Keyless Go
Check system
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Page 405 of 514

404 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
I
Key recognized
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.
Key
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.
Message is only a reminder.
Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.
Take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
.
Active Light System
currently
unavailable
The Bi-Xenon cornering lamps system is
malfunctioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Active Light System
malfunction
Drive to workshop
The Bi-Xenon cornering lamps system is
malfunctioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Active Light System
Substitute bulb on
The active headlamps are malfunctioning.
Another light is being used.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
3rd brake lamp
The high mounted brake lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Brake lamp
Drive to workshop
Stop lamp illumination is delayed or lamp
is permanently on.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Brake lamp, left
The left brake lamp is malfunctioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Page 420 of 514
419 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking the vehicle
If you are unable to unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, open the
driver’s door and the trunk using the
mechanical key.
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key
Move locking tab1 in direction of
arrow.
Slide mechanical key2 out of the
housing.Unlocking the driver’s door
1Unlocking
Insert the mechanical key into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to position1.
The driver’s door is unlocked.
iUnlocking and opening the driver’s
door and/or the trunk with the
mechanical key will trigger the
anti-theft alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the
following:
Press button Œ or ‹on the
SmartKey.
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Pull the outside door handle.
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35).
Page 421 of 514

420 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyUnlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.41 ft
(1.65 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The trunk lid lock is located next to the
handle above the rear license plate recess.
1Unlocking in an emergency
2Handle
Insert the mechanical key into the
trunk lid lock until it stops.
Turn the mechanical key
counterclockwise to position1 and
hold it in this position.
Pull the trunk lid handle2 and lift the
trunk lid.
The trunk opens.
Turn the mechanical key back and
remove it from the trunk lid lock.
Locking the vehicle
If you cannot lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*, do the following:
Close the passenger door and the
trunk.
Press the central locking switch in the
center console (
page 118).
Check to see whether the locking knob
on the passenger door has moved
down.
If necessary, push it down manually.
Remove the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 419).
Check whether the trunk is locked.
If necessary, lock the trunk with the
mechanical key (
page 116).
Except for the driver’s door, the vehicle
should now be locked.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards
automatically. Always make sure there
is sufficient overhead clearance.