Special service requirements
Arduous operating condition
sorincreased
loads on the vehicle will require some service
work to be performed more often than for a
vehicle in normal use. Such arduousc ondi-
tions include regular city driving with frequent
intermediate stops and use in mountainous
terrain or on poor road surfaces.
For example, if the vehicle is used under ardu-
ous operating conditions, have air filters,
engine oil and oil filters changed frequently
and check the wheels often.F urther informa-
tion can be obtaine dataqualified specialist
workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Centre.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-BenzS ervice network
is also available in other countries. The
Service Hotline's curren ttelephone numbers
for use when you are abroad are to be found
in the "Mercedes-Benz Service24h" section
of the Service Booklet. Care
General notes
H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packagin gand cleaning
cloth sinane nvironmentally responsible man-
ner.
! For cleanin gyour vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleanin gagents
R solvents
R cleanin gagents containin gsolvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. aring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film. !
Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleanin git, 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 afew minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up.
Regular care of your vehicle is acondition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care product sand cleanin gagents rec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, following acar wash, drive with
particular care until the brakes are dry. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivat ethe HOLD function and DISTRONIC
PLUS before the vehicle is washed in an auto-
matic car wash.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
! In car washes with atowing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N,otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged. Care
301Maintenance and care Z
R
Vehicles with akey:
do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels. You
can prevent this by shifting the auto-
matic transmission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
X Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the key to position 2(Ypage 141) in
the ignition lock.
Use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehi-
cle in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residueont he 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 asoft sponge to clean.
X Use amild cleaning agent, such as acar
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with 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 achamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaninge quipment G
WARNING
Do not use 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 adistance 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, jointse tc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights 302
CareMaintenance and care
R
seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the paintwork !
Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similari tems
to painte dsurfaces .You could otherwise
damage 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 aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Remove impurities immediately, where
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.
X Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with acloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
Care and treatment of mattp aintwork!
Never polish 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 aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre.
! Do not use wash programs with ahot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a
clear matt finish. This will help you to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
treatment.
These notes also apply to light-alloy wheels
with aclear matt finish.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using asoft 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 vehicle parts
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 afew minutes after clean-
ing. Brakin gheats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up. Care
303Maintenance and care Z
The vehicle tool kit contains:
R
Foldable wheel chock
R Fuse allocation chart
R Jack
R Centrin gpin
R One pair of gloves
R Wheel wrench
R Towing eye
Vehicles with acollapsible emergency
spare wheel (AMG vehicles) :
Towin geye
; Onep air of gloves
= Jack
? Folding wheel chock
A Centrin gpin
B Sheet for fault ywheel
C Tyre inflatio ncompressor
D Wheel wrench
E Fuse allocation chart
X Open the boot lid.
X Lift the boot floor upwards (Y page 278).Flat tyre
Preparing the vehicle
Information on changing awheel/fitting
(Y page 336).
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on vehi-
cles with MOExtended tyres. Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R
MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 313)
R aT IREFIT kit (Y page 313)
R an emergenc yspare wheel (only for certain
countries) (Y page 351)
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 Apply the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Vehicles with AIRMATIC: make sure that
"normal" level is selected (Y page 181).
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 141).
X All occupant smust 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 while awheel 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 asuitable dis-
tancea way (Y page 310). Observe legal
requirements. 312
Flat tyreBreakdown assistance
Jump-starting
G
WARNING
There is arisk of acid burns when jump-starting avehicle 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 the important safety precautions when handling batteries. You will find these under
"Battery (vehicle) -important safety notes" in the index. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is arisk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Vehicles with apetrol engine: avoid repeated and length ystarting attempts. Otherwise,
th en on-combusted fuel may damage th ecatalytic converter.
Do not use arapid chargin gdevic etos tart th evehicle. If your vehicle's batter yisdischarged,
the engin ecan be jump-started from another vehicle or from asecon dbatter yusing jump
leads. Observe the following points:
R The batter yisnot accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's batter yisnot accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using asecond battery or ajump-starting device.
R vehicles with apetrol engine: onlyjump-star tthe vehicle when the engine and exhaust
system are cold.
R do not start the engine if the battery is frozen.L et the battery thaw first.
R jump-starting may only be performed from batteries with anominal voltage of 12 V.
R only use jump leads that have asufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R if the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for afew minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery alittle.
R make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps do not come into contact with other metal parts
while the jump leads are connected to the battery.
R the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts such as the V-belt pulleyort he fan.
These parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g. radio, blower, etc.).
X Open the bonnet (Y page 296).
Position number Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
startingd evice. Jump-starting
319Breakdown assistance Z
X
Slide cover :of positive terminal ;in the direction of the arrow.
X Connect positive terminal ;on your vehicl etopositive terminal =of dono rbattery B
using the jump lead .Always begin with positive terminal ;on your own vehicle first.
X Start the engine of the dono rvehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connec tnegativ eterminal ?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 Before disconnecting the jump leads, let the engines run for several minutes.
X First, remove the jump leads from earth point Aand negative terminal ?,then from pos-
itive terminal ;and positive terminal =,each time beginning at the contacts on your own
vehicle first.
X Close cover :of positive terminal ;after removing the jump leads.
X Have the battery checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be anormal operating condition.
i Jump-starting cables and further information regarding jump startingc an be obtained at
any qualified specialist workshop. Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use arigid
towing bar if: R
the engine is not running.
R there is abrake system malfunction.
R there is amalfunction 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. 320
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
Befor
etowing away ,make sur ethat the steer-
ing can be move dand is not locked.
If yo utow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weigh tmustn ot excee dthe maximum per-
missible gros svehicle 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.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged.
! Observe the following points when towing
with atow rope:
R secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R the tow rope must not be longer than is
legally permitted. It should be marked in
the middle, e.g. with awhite cloth
(30 x30c m) so thatothe rroad users are
aware that avehicle is being towed.
R the tow rope may only be attached to the
towing eyes.
R observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distance so that the tow rope does not
sag.
R do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. The vehicle could be dam-
aged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,
recover the vehicle with acrane.
! When towing, pulla wayslowly and
smoothly .Ifthe tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use
the key instead of the Start/Stop button.
The automatic transmission may otherwise
switch to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-passenger door which
could damage the transmission.
! You may tow the vehicle for amaximum
of 50km.At owing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight rating can be found on the vehicle
identification plate (Y page 359).
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on atransporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
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 automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
(Y page 84). You could otherwise be locked
out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 71) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be Towing and tow-starting
321Breakdown assistance
Z
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover. Example: towing eye covers
Towing eye cover
s(AMG vehicles)
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
fron tand at the rear, under the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 311).
X Pull cover :out of the bumper in the
direction of the arrow by inserting your fin-
gers int othe recess. X
Press the mark on cover ;inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover ;off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Position the top of cover :in the bumper
and press it in at the bottom until it
engages.
X Attach cover ;to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
Only possible on vehicles without
4MATIC.
X Switc hont he hazard warning lamps
(Y page 114).
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0and remov ethe key from the ignition
lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the key or
the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 320). Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
G
WARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake forc ebooster do not work when the
engin eisnot running. You will then need 322
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance