2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Comand Manual

616 OperationVehicle careof incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
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 au-
thorized 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, de-
pending on the climate and washing deter-
gent 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, vehicle doors, etc.).
!
Follow the instructions provided by the pow-
er washer manufacturer on maintaining a dis-
tance 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 connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts.
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.
!
Affixing stickers, magnets, adhesive tape or
similar materials to painted body components
may damage the paintwork.

617 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 Anticorrosion 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 pul-
leys 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.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 506).
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.
!
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 408). Otherwise, e.g. the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
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 dam-
age to the mirrors.

618 OperationVehicle careWhen taking the vehicle through an auto-
matic conveyor type car wash, observe the
following instructions.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Shift the automatic transmission to
park positionP.

Release the brake pedal.

Remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button from the starter switch
(page 371).

Insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
into the starter switch.

With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in the
starter switch.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a damp cloth.
Warning!
G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use
of vehicle equipment could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 622). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.
!
Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use a
damp cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of which you
are sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome clean-
er. If in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

619 Operation
Vehicle care
Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the DISTRONIC Plus*/
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* system sensors
(USA only)
The sensors are integrated in the front
bumpers and cannot be seen from the out-
side.
1Sensor cover
2Bumper area near sensors

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.

Clean a wide area of the bumpers sur-
rounding the sensor2.
Cleaning the Parktronic* system
sensors
1Parktronic system* sensors in front
bumper
!
Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.
!
To prevent scratches or damage, never
apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the sensor
cover and/or bumper area near sensors. Do not
attempt to wipe dirty sensors and/or bumper
with a dry cloth or sponge.


620 OperationVehicle care
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water and a soft,
non-scratching cloth to clean
sensors1 on the bumpers.Cleaning the driving systems sensors
The sensors are integrated in the front and
rear bumpers and cannot be seen from the
outside. They work with the following sys-
tems:


BAS Plus*


PRE-SAFE
® Brake*


Blind Spot Assist*


Park Assist*


Advanced Parking Guidance*
1Bumper area near sensors

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water and a soft,
non-scratching cloth to clean the
bumper area near sensors.
!
Do not apply strong pressure to the sensor
covers. Applying strong pressure may damage
the sensor covers.
Follow the instructions provided by the power
washer manufacturer on maintaining a distance
between the vehicle and the nozzle of the power
washer.
!
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratching cloth
when cleaning the sensors. Do not attempt to
wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth or sponge.


621 Operation
Vehicle care
Cleaning the Rear View Camera* lens
1Camera lens
Only use clean water and a soft,
non-scratching cloth to clean the cam-
era lens1.
Be careful not to apply wax to the camera
lens1 when waxing the vehicle. If neces-
sary, remove the wax using the
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo
with plenty of water.Cleaning the windshield in front of the
Night View Assist camera*
1Recessed handles of camera cover

Use recessed handles1 to swing
camera cover downward.
!
To prevent scratches or damage to the sur-
face, never apply strong force and only use a
soft, non-scratching cloth when cleaning the
bumper area near sensors. Do not attempt to
wipe a dirty bumper with a dry cloth or sponge.
!
Do not clean the camera and the area
around the camera:


with a high-pressure cleaner


with a dry cloth and high pressure


with aggressive cleaning agents
You could otherwise damage the camera.Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, stop be-
fore trying to remove window fogging or
cleaning the window in front of the Night
View Assist camera.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
!
Do not clean the lens of the Night View
Assist camera. If the camera lens is dirty, please
contact a qualified specialist workshop such as a
Mercedes-Benz Center.


622 OperationVehicle care2Camera
Clean inside of windshield in front of
camera2 with a soft, non-scratching
cloth.

Use recessed handles1 to swing
camera cover up.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades

Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Placing wiper arms in vertical position
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 408).

With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
the SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Make sure the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status 1 (
page 372).

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 408).

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
repeatedly until windshield wipers
start.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
when the wiper arms are in a vertical
position.
!
If you use a windshield cleaning product,
make sure that none of the cleaning product
comes into contact with the lens of the Night
View Assist camera.
!
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.


623 Operation
Vehicle care
Cleaning
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.Cleaning the panorama roof with
tilt/sliding panel*
The rear part of the tilt/sliding panel has a
protective layer on the inside.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild
window cleaning solution.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.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 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 door windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
!
Do not use a dry cloth, abrasives, solvents
or cleaners containing solvents. Do not touch
the protective layer with hard objects such as an
ice scraper or ring. Never apply strong force and
only use a soft, non-scratching cloth when clean-
ing the rear part of the tilt/sliding panel.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the pro-
tective layer.
!
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
corrosion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Non-approved wheel cleaners may also damage
the wheel paint if the car is not driven after
cleaning.