2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SLR Owner's Manual

297 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
If you have any questions about proper
care of your vehicle, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Depending on body color the characteris-
tic carbon structure of the body surface
may become visible due to high ambient
temperatures and humidity. This phenom-
enon is related to the technology and
concept of the vehicle’s body.
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.
Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:


Air pollution


Road salt


Tar


Gravel and stone chippingTo avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:


Grease and oil


Fuel


Coolant


Brake fluid


Bird droppings


Insects


Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:


near the ocean


in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)


during winter operation
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or door windows when cleaning the in-
side.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.i
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
Mercedes-Benz care products. These have been
specially developed to suit Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and are state of the art. Mercedes-Benz
care products are available from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Affixing stickers, magnets, adhesive tape or
similar materials to painted body components
may damage the paintwork.

298 OperationVehicle careYou should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible.Vehicle washingHand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.

Only use a mild car wash detergent,
which is recommended by
Mercedes-Benz.

Only use a soft sponge or a washing
brush.

Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a
diffused 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
preferable.

To protect the filter system, switch the
automatic climate control to air
recirculation mode (
page 193).
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
!
When washing the vehicle, fine and rigid
particles in sponges or brushes could scratch or
otherwise damage the paint. This applies to
both, hand-wash or automatic car wash.
Mercedes-Benz recommends you to have your
vehicle cleaned at an automatic car wash from
the start, preferably one without brushes, or to
use plenty of water when hand-washing your
vehicle.
Do not wash the car in direct sunlight and when
the body surface is hot.
In the winter, remove salt residue quickly and
thoroughly.
!
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.
Do not choose final hot-wax conservation when
taking the vehicle to an automatic car wash.

299 Operation
Vehicle care
Power washer
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Fold the wiper arm away from the
windshield (
page 363).
You must feel the wiper arm engage in
position.

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.
!
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 52). Otherwise, 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
damage to the mirrors.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 299). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
!
Do not use power washer to clean your
vehicle or the engine.
!
The hood must be opened (
page 250) be-
fore folding the wiper arm away from the wind-
shield. You could otherwise damage the hood
and/or the wiper arms.
!
Never open or close the hood when the wip-
er arms are folded away from the windshield.
You could otherwise damage the hood and/or
the wiper arm.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
before cleaning 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.
!
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.


300 OperationVehicle careCleaning the headlamps
Wipe the headlamp lens with a damp
sponge.Cleaning the headlamps

Wipe the headlamp lens with a damp
sponge.
Soft top care
Frequent cleaning reduces the dirt-repel-
lent effect of the soft top.
Intensive cleaning with Mercedes-Benz
care products for soft tops can help to re-
store the dirt-repellent effect.
!
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.
!
Only use windshield washer fluid suitable
for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuitable windshield
washer fluid may cause damage to the plastic
lenses of the headlamps.
Do not use


a dry cloth


abrasive products


solvents


cleaning agents containing solvents
You could otherwise scratch or damage the lens
surface.
!
Only use windshield washer fluid suitable
for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuitable windshield
washer fluid may cause damage to the plastic
lenses of the headlamps.
Do not use


a dry cloth


abrasive products


solvents


cleaning agents containing solvents
You could otherwise scratch or damage the lens
surface.
!
Incorrect cleaning and care can damage the
soft top or cause leaks. In this case contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, to have the
soft top inspected.
!
Remove bird droppings immediately. Bird
droppings are caustic and can cause leaks in the
soft top. Do not remove ice and snow with
sharp-edged devices.


301 Operation
Vehicle care
If you intend to park your vehicle for an
extended period of time, observe the fol-
lowing:

Park the vehicle with closed, dry soft
top.


When parking in confined areas, make
sure that the soft top remains dry and
ensure good ventilation.


When parking the vehicle in the open,
place a suitable cover over the soft top.Cleaning the soft top
In case of light soiling, cleaning the soft top
dry or spray or clean with water should be
sufficient.
If necessary, clean the soft top with water
and a soft brush. Always brush from the
front to the rear along the grain of the
fabric.
In case of heavy soiling or stains, clean the
soft top with suitable soft top cleaner and
a soft brush. Always brush from the front
to the rear along the grain of the fabric.
!
Do not clean the soft top with:


gasoline or benzine


thinner


tar or stain remover


other organic solvents
!
Do not choose final hot-wax conservation
when taking the vehicle to an automatic car
wash.
i
As it has a two-tone design, the soft top con-
sists of a special fabric. The appearance of the
fabric may change after opening and closing the
soft top several times. A change in fabric color or
bright lines along the soft top folds may be no-
ticed. The genuine appearance will be restored
when you clean the soft top with water
(
page 301) and then let it dry using a heat
source, insolation for example.

Practical hintsWhat to do if ...
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking in an emergency
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Batteries
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

304 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during the bulb self-check when switching on the
ignition, have the respective bulb checked
and replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solutions
v
The yellow ABS/ESP
® warn-
ing lamp comes on while the
engine is running.
Risk of accident!
The ESP
® has been switched off.
When the ESP
® is switched off it will not
stabilize the vehicle if the system recog-
nizes that the vehicle starts to skid or that
a wheel is spinning.

Switch the ESP
® back on (
page 87).
Exceptions: (
page 86).

If leaving the ESP
® switched off, adapt your
speed and driving to the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
If the ESP
® cannot be switched on:

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Risk of accident!
The ESP
® is not operational due to a
malfunction.

Read and observe additional messages in
the multifunction display (
page 319).

Continue driving with added caution.

Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.