Page 372 of 522

371 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
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.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
automatic climate control to air recir-
culation mode (
page 214) or
(
page 231).
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close prox-
imity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inadvertently
locked or unlocked.
!
Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!
Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
Page 375 of 522

374 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 58).
With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 63).
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap 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 recom-
mended.
!
The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.
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
status0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!
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 con-
taining 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.
Page 408 of 522

407 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Gear selector lever
in Park position
You have tried to start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button with the
gear selector lever not in positionP.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
You have tried to turn off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button with the
gear selector lever not in positionP.
P/N
Shift gear select. lever
to Neutral or Park
You have tried 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
orN. Make sure the brake pedal is de-
pressed.
PRE-SAFE
inoperative
See Operator’s Man.
PRE-SAFE
® itself has failed. All other occu-
pant safety systems, such as the air bags, are
still available.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
If ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® malfunction messag-
es are displayed simultaneously, PRE-SAFE
®
has been deactivated as a result of these
malfunctions. All other occupant safety sys-
tems, such as the air bags, are still available.
Page 421 of 522
420 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
F
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 with
KEYLESS-GO* out of the vehicle.
Please don't
forget your 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.
Take the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch.
Get a new key
The SmartKey is malfunctioning.
Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 422 of 522
421 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
F
Change
key batteries
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 441).
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 with
KEYLESS-GO*.
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.
Page 426 of 522

425 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
.
Rear left foglamp
The left rear fog lamp is malfunctioning.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Rear right foglamp
The right rear fog lamp is malfunction-
ing.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Switch off lights
You have removed the SmartKey from
the starter switch, opened the driver’s
door and left the headlamps on or re-
moved the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the vehicle and left
the headlamps on.
Switch off the headlamps.
Tail lamp, left side
Auxiliary bulb on
The left tail lamp is malfunctioning. A
substitute bulb is being used.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Tail lamp, right side
Auxiliary bulb on
The right tail lamp is malfunctioning. A
substitute bulb is being used.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Cornering lamp
left
The left corner-illuminating front fog
lamp* is malfunctioning.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Cornering lamp
right
The right corner-illuminating front fog
lamp* is malfunctioning.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Page 437 of 522
436 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyUnlocking the vehicle
If you cannot unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*, open the driver’s door and
the trunk using the mechanical key.
Removing the mechanical key
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key
Move locking tab1 in direction of ar-
row.
Slide mechanical key2 out of the
housing.
Unlocking the driver’s door
Insert mechanical key2 into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn mechanical key2 counterclock-
wise to position1 until the locking
knobs move up.
The driver’s door is unlocked.
Pull door handle to open the driver’s
door.
i
Unlocking your vehicle with the mechanical
key and opening the driver’s door or the trunk
will trigger the anti-theft alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, Insert the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter
switch.
1
Unlocking
2
Mechanical key
Page 438 of 522

437 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Insert the mechanical key1 into the
trunk lid lock until it stops.
Turn the mechanical key1 counter-
clockwise to position2 and hold it in
this position.
Pull the handle3 and lift the trunk lid.
The trunk opens.
Turn the mechanical key1 back and
remove it from the trunk lid lock.
Locking the vehicle
If you are unable to lock the vehicle with
the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*, do the following:
Close the passenger door, the rear
doors and the trunk.
Press the central locking switch in the
center console (
page 127).
Check to see whether the locking
knobs on the doors have moved down.
If necessary, push them down
manually.
Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 436).
Check whether the trunk is locked.
1
Mechanical key
2
Unlocking in an emergency
3
Handle
!
Always make sure there is sufficient over-
head clearance.