2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL window

Use care products and cleaning agents
recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.GWARNING
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the
particular container. Always open your
vehicle's doors or windows when cleaning the
inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and keep
them out of reach of children.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film.
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible
manner.
! Do not park 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
cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and
the brake pads/linings, thus drying them.
The vehicle can then be parked.
Exterior care
Automatic car washGWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, you must drive particularly
carefully after washing the vehicle until the
brakes have dried.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey 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 automatic transmission to N
beforehand.
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:
306CareMaintenance and care

XMake sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.XTurn the SmartKey to position
2 (Y page 149) in the ignition lock.
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/
Stop button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XShift the automatic transmission to
position N.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the parking brake.XSwitch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed.
R the ventilation/heating is switched off
(the OFF button has been pressed).
R the windshield wiper switch is in position
0 .
Otherwise, the vehicle might be damaged.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windshield and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the
windshield.
Washing by hand
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as
soon as possible when driving in winter.
Also, clean the insides of the wheels when
washing the underbody of the vehicle.
XDo not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.XUse a soft car sponge for cleaning.XUse a gentle cleaning agent, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz approved car shampoo.XWash down the vehicle with a gentle water
jet.XDo not point the water jet directly at the air
inlets.XUse plenty of water and rinse the sponge
frequently.XRinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
it thoroughly with a chamois.XDo not allow the cleaning agent to dry on
the paintwork.
Power washers
GWARNING
Do not use power washers with circular-jet
nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your vehicle, in
particular the tires. You could otherwise
damage the tires and cause an accident.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and the
power washer nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around
when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tires
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 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
Care307Maintenance and careZ

Cleaning the windowsGWARNING
Before cleaning the windshield or wiper
blades, switch off the windshield wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button repeatedly until all
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster have
gone out. The windshield wipers could
otherwise move and injure you.
XClean the inside and outside of the
windows 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
solvents 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
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain
circumstances prevent water from draining
away. This can lead to corrosion damage
and damage to electronic components.
Cleaning the wiper blades
GWARNING
Before cleaning the windshield or wiper
blades, switch off the windshield wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button repeatedly until all
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster have
gone out. The windshield wipers could
otherwise move and injure you.
! Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.XFold the wiper arms away from the
windshield.XCarefully clean the wiper blades with a
damp cloth.XFold the windshield wipers back again
before switching on the ignition.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if
the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
Cleaning the exterior lighting
XClean the plastic lenses of the exterior
lights with a wet sponge and a mild cleaning
agent, e.g. Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or
cleaning cloths.
! Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic light lenses.
Cleaning the sensors
Care309Maintenance and careZ

Benz. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for more information.
The battery and the cover of the positive
terminal clamp must be installed securely
during operation.
i Remove the SmartKey if you park the
vehicle and do not require any electrical
consumers. 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. Always have this work
performed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
i If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if the battery has been reconnected,
you must carry out the following tasks:
R set the clock ( Y page 224).
On vehicles with COMAND and a
navigation system, the clock is set
automatically.
R reset the sliding sunroof ( Y page 94).
R reset the function for automatically
folding the exterior mirrors in/out by
folding the mirrors out once
( Y page 113).
R reset the side windows ( Y page 92).
Charging the battery
GWARNING
Never charge a battery still installed in the
vehicle unless a battery charger unit approved
by Mercedes-Benz is being used. Gases may
escape during charging and cause explosions
that may result in paint damage, corrosion or
personal injury.
A battery charger unit specially adapted for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz is available as an
accessory. It permits the charging of the
battery in its installed position. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information and availability.
Charge the battery in accordance with the
separate instructions for the battery charger.GWARNING
There is a risk of acid burns during the
charging process due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over the
battery during the charging process.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact with the
skin, eyes or clothing.
! Only charge the installed battery with a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged
while still installed.
! Only use battery chargers with a
maximum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment ( Y page 329).
XOpen the hood ( Y page 300).XConnect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and earth point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in
the jump-starting procedure
( Y page 329).XRead the battery charger's operating
instructions before charging the battery.328BatteryBreakdown assistance