334 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
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. Only use 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 ex-
terior 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 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, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, 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.
iAfter running the vehicle through an au-
tomatic car wash, wipe any wax off of
the windshield (
page 336) and the
wiper blade inserts (page 335). This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping
noise which can be caused by residual
wax on the windshield.
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 approx. 3 ft. (approx. 1 m), the
vehicle could be inadvertently locked
or unlocked.
342 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
?(USA only)±(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunc-
tion indicator lamp comes
on while driving.
There is a malfunction in:
The fuel management system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which affect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive
emissions values and may switch the en-
gine to its limp-home (emergency opera-
tion) mode.
Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics system.
It allows the accurate identification of
system malfunctions through the read-
out of diagnostic trouble codes. It is lo-
cated in the front left area of the
footwell next to the parking brake pedal.
Your fuel tank is empty.
After refuelling, start, turn off, and re-
start the engine three or four times in
succession.
The limp-home mode is canceled. You do
not need to have your vehicle checked.
397 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 50).
Open the hood (
page 287) (except
for side marker lamps).
1Headlamp cover for fog lamp
2Headlamp cover for high beam halogen
headlamp bulb, parking and standing
lamp
3Headlamp cover for Bi-Xenon* (low and
high beam) or halogen (low beam)
headlamp bulb4Bulb socket for fog lamp
5Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp
6Electrical connector for high beam
halogen headlamp bulb
7Electrical connector for low beam
headlamp bulb
8Bulb socket for turn signal lampReplacing low beam bulbs
Bi-Xenon* headlamp
Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover for the Bi-Xenon
headlamp. Because of high voltage in Xenon
lamps, it is dangerous to replace the bulb or
repair the lamp and its components. We rec-
ommend that you have such work done by a
qualified technician.
398 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsHalogen headlamp
Press the tab on cover3 and remove
cover.
Pull connector7 off of the lamp.
Release the retaining springs and take
out the bulb.
Insert the new bulb in the socket so
that the base is in the recess on the
lower left.
Attach the retaining springs.
Insert connector7 into the bulb.
Press cover3 onto the housing until
the tab engages.Replacing halogen high beam bulbs
Press the tab on cover2 and remove
cover.
Pull connector 6 off of the bulb.
Apply pressure on the bulb contacts
from above until the bulb releases from
the retaining springs.
Remove bulb.
Insert the new bulb in the socket with
the marking facing upward.
Press the bulb upward on the contacts
until it engages in the retaining springs.
Insert connector6 onto the bulb.
Press cover2 onto the housing until
the tab engages.Front turn signal lamp bulb
Turn bulb socket8 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 in lamp and twist
clockwise until it engages.
