2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON brake

blades. This will preven
tsmears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicl ewith a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposit scarefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
Do no tuse high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your
vehicle, in particular the tyres. You could oth-
erwise damage the tyres and cause an acci-
dent.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high-
pressure cleaner nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle. Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R
tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the wheels !
Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up.
Cleaning the paintwork Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X
Remove impurities immediately,w here
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards. 328
CareMaintenance and care

X
Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighte rfluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork If your vehicle has a clear mat
tfinish, observe
the following instructions in order to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
care.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels
with a clear mat tfinish.
! Neve rpolish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork
shiny.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
R Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable mate-
rials.
R Frequent use of car washes.
R Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or pol-
ishing products, or gloss preserver, e.g.
wax. These products are only suitable for
high-gloss surfaces. Their use on vehicles
with matt finish leads to considerable sur-
face damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs performed
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances. i
The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning
the windscreen or the wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Start/Stop
button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injure you.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away
from the windscreen when vertical. Other-
wise, you will damage the bonnet.
X Clean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent that is recommended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Do not touch the insides of the windows
with hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or
ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging
the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windscreen and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away.T his
can lead to corrosion damage and damage
to electronic components.
Cleaning the wiper blades G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning Care
329Maintenance and care
Z

X
Remove stowage well :.X
To remove the spare wheel or
"Minispare "emergency spare wheel:
remove vehicle tool kit tray :.
X Turn stowage well ;anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Remove the spare wheel or "Minispare"
emergency spare wheel =.
For further information on changing a wheel
and fitting the spare wheel, see
(Y page 341). Flat tyre
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R a TIREFIT kit
R an emergency spare wheel
R a spare wheel
R MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 345)
i Vehicle preparatio nis not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tyres.
i Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit
if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat
properties, e.g. winter tyres. A TIREFIT kit
can be obtained from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. X
Stop the vehicle as far away as possible
from traffic on solid, non-slippery and level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first or reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 153).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area whilst a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
X Place the warning triangle (Y page 334) a
suitable distance away. Observe legal
requirements. TIREFIT kit
Using the TIREFIT kit You can use the TIREFIT kit to seal small
punctures, particularly those in the tyre tread. Flat tyre
337Breakdown assistance

X
Make sure that the base of the jack is posi-
tioned directly under the jacking point.
X Turn crank ?clockwise until jack =sits
completely on jacking point ;and the
base of the jack lies evenly on the ground.
X Turn crank ?until the tyre is raised a max-
imum of 3 cm from the ground.
Removing awheel X
Unscrew the wheel bolts.
! Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
The threads of the wheel bolts and wheel
hubs could otherwise be damaged when
the bolts are tightened.
X Remove the wheel.
Fitting anew wheel G
WARNING
Replace damaged or corroded wheel bolts.
Never oil or grease wheel bolts. This could
cause the bolts to loose ninthe wheel hub. G
WARNING
If a wheel hub thread is damaged, you must
not drive the vehicle any further. Consult a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you use aMercedes-Benz
Service Centre or Service 24h for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety or
on safety-related systems must be carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Only use wheel bolts that have been designed
for the wheel and the vehicle. For safety rea-
sons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use wheel bolts which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the
respective wheel. Other wheel bolts could
work loose or damage the brake system.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts completely
while the vehicle is still jacked up. The vehicle
could topple off the jack.
X Clean the wheel and wheel hub contact
surfaces. X
Slide the emergency spare wheel/spare
wheel onto the wheel hub and push it on.
X Tighten the wheel bolts until they are fin-
ger-tight.
Lowering the vehicle X
Turn the crank of the jack anti-clockwise
until the vehicle is once again standing
firmly on the ground.
X Place the jack to one side. 344
Flat tyreBreakdown assistance

recycled in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre, or to a special col-
lection point for old batter-
ies.
G
WARNING
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for yourv ehicle by
Mercedes-Benz .These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event
of an accident.
To prevent acid burns, observe the following
safety notes when handling batteries:
R do not lean over the battery.
R do not place any metal objects on a battery.
Otherwise, you could cause a short circuit
and the battery's gas mixture could ignite.
R make sure that you do not create an elec-
trostatic charge, e.g. by wearing synthetic
clothing or as a result of friction on fabrics.
Therefore, you should not pull or slide the
battery over carpets or other synthetic
materials.
R never touch the battery first. To discharge
a possible electrostatic charge, step out of
the vehicle first and touch the bodywork.
R do not wipe the battery using a cloth. The
battery may explode as a result of electro-
static charge or due to flying sparks.
! Switch off the engine and remove the key
before disconnecting the terminal clamps
from the battery. On vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO, make sure that the ignition is
switched off. Check that all the indicator
lamps in the instrumentc luster are off.You may otherwise destroy electronic compo-
nents, such as the alternator.
i When you park the vehicle, remove the
key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little
energy, thus conserving battery power.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you do not
carry out work on batteries yourself, e.g.
removing or charging. Have this work per-
formed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g.
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Installation location of the battery
Your vehicle is equipped with a battery in the
engine compartment. It is fitted in front of the
front bulkhead on the right-hand side of the
vehicle when viewed in the direction of travel.
AMG vehicles: the battery is in the boot/
luggage compartment in the spare wheel well
on the right-hand side under the boot/lug-
gage compartment floor.
X Apply the parking brake firmly and, on vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, shift the
transmission to position P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g.
radio, blower, etc.).
X Turn the key to position 0(Ypage 153) in
the ignition lock and remove it, or, on vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, make sure that the
ignition has been switched off
(Y page 153). All indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster must be off.
X Battery in the engine compartment:
open the bonnet (Y page 322). Battery
347Breakdown assistance Z

Jump-starting
G
WARNING
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-starting a vehicle due to the gases which escape from
the battery. Do not lean over the battery while the engine is being jump-started. G
WARNING
Gases escaping from the battery during jump-starting may cause minor explosions. Avoid cre-
ating sparks. Keep naked flames away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions when handling batteries. You will find these under "Battery" in
the index.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may dam-
age the catalytic converter 18
and create a risk of fire.
Do not use a rapid-charging device to start the engine.
Make sure the jump leads are not damaged.
Make sure the jump leads are not touching any other metal objects when they are connected
to the battery.
If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle
or from a second battery using jump leads.
Observe the following points:
X The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or ajump-starting device.
X Only jump-start the vehicle when the engine is cold and the catalyti cconverter system has
cooled down 19
.
X Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
X Jump-starting may only be performed from batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
X Only use jump leads which have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
X Make sure that the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts, such as the pulley or
the fan. These parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start.T his charges the empty battery a little.
i Jump leads and further information about jump-starting can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, for example.
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Manual transmission: engage neutral.
X Automatic transmission: move the selector lever toP.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g. radio, blower, etc.).
X Open the bonnet (Y page 322).
18 Only vehicles with a petrol engine.
19 Only vehicles with a petrol engine. 350
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
starting device.
X Slide cover :of positive terminal ;in the direction of the arrow.
X Connec tpositive terminal ;on your vehicle to positive terminal =of donor battery B
using the jump lead, beginning with your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal ?of donor battery Bto earth point Aof your vehicle using
the jump lead, connectingt he jump lead to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Allow the engine to run for a few minutes before disconnecting the jump lead.
X First, remove the jump lead from earth point Aand negative terminal ?, then from positive
terminal ;and positive terminal =, each time disconnecting from the contacts on your
own vehicle first.
X After removing the jump lead, close cover :on positive terminal ;.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Ben zService
Centre. The jump-starting procedure is not a standard operating state; therefore, have the
battery checked. Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing and tow-starting. G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if: R
the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force. Towing and tow-starting
351Breakdown assistance
Z

Before towing away, make sure that the steer-
ing can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weigh
tofyour vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/hm ust
no tb e exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
key instead of the Start/Stop button .Turn
the key to position 2in the ignition loc kand
shift the automatic transmission to N.
Then, tur nthe key back to 0and leave it in
the ignition lock.
When towing a vehicle with an automatic
transmission, the transmission must be in
position N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the transmission to position
N on vehicles with automatic transmission Vehicles with automatic transmission:
release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position
P(Y page 168).
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 90). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 81) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if you intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling and connect the towbar to it
(Y page 217).
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 335). G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers. Example: Saloon352
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance