
Selecting the right cleaning agent
!
To avoid damage to interior equipment and materials: Never rub roughly or use
cleaning spirits on the cloth upholstery, never use strong agents, stain remover etc.
on
the leather upholstery. Never scour or use solvent on plastic parts. Never use strong
and aggressive agents on windows, do not touch the inside of the windows with hard
objects such as an ice scraper or ring, doing so may damage the windows. Interior Special
considerations Light soiling Heavy soiling
Cloth upholstery Use a clean, lint-
free cloth Light soap suds Stain remover (test
on
an inconspicuous
place first) Plastic parts Use a color-fast
cloth Damp, clean cloth,
cockpit spray Damp, clean cloth,
cockpit spray
Leather upholstery Use a clean, color-
fast cloth Clean cloth with
lukewarm water,
leather care
product Leather care
product
Windows Damp, clean cloth,
microfiber cloth,
glass cleaner Microfiber cloth,
glass cleaner
!
To avoid damage to exterior surfaces never do the following: Use aggressive paint
cleaner, machine polish, abrasive cleanser, acidic, highly alkaline agents, abrasive
sponges, high-pressure or hot water cleaning equipment. Exterior Special
considerations Lightly soiled
Hand-/Automatic
car washes Heavily soiled
Hand-/Automatic
car washes
tridion safety cell,
black Powder coated
single-coat paint
finish Car shampoo
concentrate, insect
remover for insect
remains, polish Car shampoo
concentrate, hard
wax, insect remover
for insect remains,
polish
tridion safety cell,
silver Powder coated
single-coat paint
finish and
clearcoat
Highly polished
plastic parts (body
panels) Body panels with
base coat and
clearcoat or
clearcoat only152
Vehicle care
>> Operation.

Exterior Special
considerations Lightly soiled
Hand-/Automatic
car washes Heavily soiled
Hand-/Automatic
car washes
Wheels and wheel
covers Two-layer metallic
paint (high-gloss) Car shampoo
concentrate, rim
care Car shampoo
concentrate, rim
care
Retractable soft top PAC fabric Car shampoo
concentrate, soft
top cleaner,
impregnation spray Car shampoo
concentrate, soft
top cleaner,
impregnation spray
Removing insects
Remove insect remains before you start to
wash the vehicle.
X
Spray insect remover on.
X Allow insect remover to work in briefly.
X Rub in gently with a soft cloth or sponge.
X Rinse with plenty of water.
X Treat the cleaned surface with hard wax.
Removing tar Remove any tar marks before washing the
vehicle.
X
Apply tar remover with a soft cloth.
X Allow tar remover to work in briefly.
X Rub in gently.
X Rinse with plenty of water.
X Treat the cleaned surface with hard 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.
Washing your vehicle by hand
X Wash the vehicle using car shampoo
concentrate and a sponge.
X Rinse with clean water.
X Towel dry the vehicle. !
Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight. The body panel surfaces and
paint finish may be damaged.
Washing your vehicle in an automatic car
wash
i When running your vehicle through an
automatic car wash, water droplets can
run
down the inside of the side windows.
Unscrew your vehicle’s antenna before
driving into an automatic car wash. X
Removing: Unscrew antenna :
counterclockwise.
X Fitting: Screw antenna : in clockwise.
Power washer G
WARNING
Do not use a round nozzle (dirt grinders) to
powerwash your vehicle, in particular the
tires.
You could otherwise damage the tires
and cause an accident. Vehicle care
153
>> Operation. Z

!
Do not aim directly at
R electrical parts
R electrical connectors
R seals
R other rubber parts
The distance should be at least 3.9 in
(10 cm) and the water temperature must
not exceed 140¦ (60¥). Follow the
instructions provided by the power
washer manufacturer on maintaining a
distance between the vehicle and the
nozzle of the power washer.
Always keep the jet of water moving
across the surface.
! Powerwashing could damage
R the high-voltage battery
R the drive system
R the engine compartment
Do not powerwash these components.
Wheel cover* X
Wash the wheel cover with shampoo and a
soft brush or in the car wash.
Decorative foils !
Decorative foils are permanently
adhered to the painted parts of the
vehicle and cannot be removed.
! Do not expose the foils to solvents,
gasoline or diesel.
i When
cleaning with a power washer, note
the following guideline values:
R Water temperature max. 176 ¦ (80¥)
R Minimum distance 11.8 in (30 cm)
R Jet of water strike at a right angle Paintwork care
The
frequency with which you care for your
paintwork is dependent on
R how much the vehicle is used
R where you normally park the vehicle (e.g.
in a garage or under a tree)
R the season
R weather and environmental influences
Rectifying paintwork damage You can use a touch-up paint pen to repair
minimal stone chip damage and scratches.
Recommended touch-up paint pens can be
obtained in a smart center.
i
For
any major paintwork damage, please
contact a smart center. Exterior Repair options
Plastic parts (body
panels) with
clearcoat Clearcoat touch-up
paint pen
Body panels with
base coat and
clearcoat recommended
touch-up paint pen
set in the relevant
color
tridion safety cell recommended
touch-up paint pen
set in the relevant
color
Soft top system (cabriolet only)
Regular care will protect the retractable
soft top and the rear soft top against
external influences, helping to preserve
its value. Use only an approved soft top
cleaner when removing dirt from the soft
top.
! Never clean the soft top using a power
washer,
as water could get into the inside
of the vehicle. 154
Vehicle care
>> Operation.
* optional

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions4
Switch Engine Off The engine oil level is too low. The engine could be damaged.
X
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
X Turn off the engine.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Check the engine oil level (Y page 118) and add engine oil as
required (Y page 119). J
Release Parking
Brake You are driving with the parking brake engaged.
X
Release the parking brake. 5
Shift
to N or P to
Start You have attempted to start the engine while the automatic
transmission was in reverse gear
R or drive position D.
Shift the automatic transmission into park position P or
neutral position N.5
Apply Brakes to
Start You have attempted to start the engine without depressing the
brake pedal.
Depress the brake pedal to start the engine.
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions#
Charge Battery The battery is not being charged.
Possible causes:
R
alternator malfunctioning
R broken poly-V-belt
X Stop the vehicle immediately as soon as it is safe to do so.
X Turn off the engine immediately.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Check the poly-V-belt.
X If poly-V-belt is broken: Do not continue to drive. Contact
an authorized smart center.
X If poly-V-belt is intact: Have the vehicle checked at an
authorized smart center immediately. !
Among other possible causes, the poly-V-belt could be broken. Do not continue to
drive.
Otherwise, the engine will overheat due to an inoperative water pump which may
result in damage to the engine. 160
Display messages
>> Practical hints.

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions;
The engine
malfunction
indicator lamp
illuminates
while driving. There is a malfunction in the system.
X
Have the vehicle checked at an authorized smart center
immediately. i
Some states may by law require you to visit a workshop as soon as the engine
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Check local requirements. Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions5
The engine oil
pressure
indicator lamp
illuminates
while driving. The engine oil pressure is low.
X
Stop the vehicle immediately in a safe location.
X Do not continue to drive.
X Turn off the engine.
X Engage the parking brake when leaving the vehicle.
X Contact Roadside Assistance or an authorized smart center. 5
The engine oil
pressure
indicator lamp
goes out before
the engine
starts. The engine oil pressure indicator lamp has failed.
X
Check the engine oil level.
X Have the system checked at an authorized smart center. !
The engine oil pressure indicator lamp should not be ignored. Extended driving with
the engine oil pressure indicator lamp illuminated could result in serious engine
damage that is not covered by the smart Limited Warranty. What to do if ...
171
>> Practical hints. Z

X
Insert a suitable object such as a coin
into the slot at the eyelet of the key
housing.
X Carefully turn the coin until key housing
top half : is unlatched.
X Open key housing top half : to the side.X
Remove transmitter battery ; from the
board.
! Check the polarity when inserting the
new transmitter battery. You could
otherwise
damage parts of the electrical
system. When inserting the batteries,
make sure they are clean and free of lint.
X Insert the new transmitter battery.
X Press both halves of the key housing
together again.
X Check the operation of the remote
control. Replacing bulbs
About replacing bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is
therefore
essential that all bulbs and lamp
assemblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. Contact an
authorized smart center for headlamp
adjustment. G
WARNING
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot.
Allow
the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb. Otherwise you could be burned if you
touch them.
Keep bulbs out of the reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:
R touch or move it when hot
R drop the bulb
R scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
i If the headlamps or front fog lamps* are
fogged up on the inside as a result of
high humidity, driving the vehicle a
distance with the lights on should clear
up the fogging.
Notes on bulb replacement:
R Only use bulbs of the same type and with
the specified watt rating.
R Switch the lights off before replacing a
bulb to prevent short circuits.
R Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.
R Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.
R Avoid touching the glass of the bulb with
bare fingers.
R If the newly installed bulb does not come
on, contact an authorized smart center.
R Have the bulbs for the front fog lamps*
and the LED daytime running lamps*
replaced at an authorized smart center.178
Replacing bulbs
>> Practical hints.
* optional

Steel rim with wheel cover
X
Vehicles with wheel cover on steel rim:
Pull the wheel cover off of the rim.
If necessary, use a suitable tool to pry
the wheel cover off.
X On wheel to be changed, loosen but do not
yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with wheel
wrench). Steel rim with wheel trim cap
X
Vehicles with wheel trim cap on steel
rim: On wheel to be changed, loosen but
do not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with wheel
wrench).
X Take the wheel trim cap off. X
Position jack ; under take-up
bracket : so that it is always vertical
as
seen from the side, even if the vehicle
is parked on an incline.
The take-up brackets are identified by
the embossed recesses in the area of the
door sills.
! Only position the jack on the
designated
take-up brackets. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
X Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum
of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the ground.
X Unscrew and remove the wheel bolts.
! Do
not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the wheel
bolts and wheel hub threads.
X Remove the wheel. Mounting the wheel
G
WARNING
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an
authorized smart center or call Roadside
Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly
tightened wheel bolts can cause the wheel Wheel change
195
>> Practical hints.
Z

Capacities
Components Model Capacity Fuels, coolants, lubricants,
etc.
Engine with oil
filter All models 3.5 US qt (3.3 l) Approved engine oils
Cooling system All models approx. 4.5 US qt (4.3 l) Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
meeting specification
MB 325.0
Fuel tank All models 8.72 US gal (33.0 l) Premium unleaded gasoline
(Minimum Posted Octane 91
[Avg. of 96 RON/86 MON])
Fuel tank
reserve All models approx. 1.32 US gal (5.0 l)
Air
conditioning
system* All models — R134a refrigerant and
special PAG lubricant oil
(never R 12)
Windshield
washer system All models 4.0 US qt (3.8 l) Windshield washer
concentrate
27
(Y page 222)
Washer fluid mixing ratio
(Y page 222) Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for
their suitability in our engines and
durability for our service intervals.
Therefore, only use engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with the
Maintenance System. For a listing of
approved engine oils and oil filters
contact an authorized smart center.
! Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification
other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System, or
changing of oil and oil filter at change
intervals longer than those called for by
the Maintenance System will result in
engine or emission control system
damage not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty. Please follow Maintenance System
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will result in
engine or emission control system
damage
not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty.
Viscosity grades for engine oils Using the chart below, select oil viscosity
according to the lowest air temperature
expected before the next oil change.
27 Use a windshield washer concentrate labeled for summer and water for temperatures above freezing
point
or a windshield washer concentrate labeled for winter and water for temperatures below freezing
point. 220
Service fluids and capacities
>> Technical data.
* optional