Page 257 of 321

Vehicle care255Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with manual transmission
and All-wheel drive: If the vehicle is
towed with all four wheels on the
ground then there are no technical
limitations for speed and distance. If
only one axle has been raised, the
maximum speed is 30 mph. There is
no distance limitation.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
and Front-wheel drive: The vehicle
must be towed facing forwards, not
faster than 50 mph nor further than
60 miles . In all other cases and when
the transmission is defective, the front
axle must be raised off the ground.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
and All-wheel drive: The vehicle must
be towed facing forwards. If the
vehicle is towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the maximum speed is 30 mph and for a maximum of
30 miles. If the front axle has been
raised, the maximum speed is
30 mph. There is no distance
limitation.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.5-door Hatchback, 4-door Saloon,
Sports Tourer: insert cap at the
bottom, turn slightly clockwise and
close cap.
Country Tourer: insert cap with the
upper flange into the recess and fix
cap by pushing.
VXR: insert cap with the lower flange
into the recess. Push the cap into the bumper.
Towing another vehicle
5-door Hatchback, 4-door Saloon,
Sports Tourer, VXR: disengage cap
at bottom and remove downwards.
Page 258 of 321
256Vehicle care
Country Tourer: insert a screwdriver
in the slot at the lower edge of the cap. Release the cap by carefully moving
the screwdriver downwards. To
prevent damage it is recommended to place a cloth between the screwdriver
and the frame.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 238.Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
5-door Hatchback, 4-door Saloon,
Sports Tourer, VXR: insert cap at the
bottom, turn slightly clockwise and
engage cap.
Country Tourer: insert cap with the
upper flange into the recess and fix
cap by pushing.
Page 259 of 321

Vehicle care257Appearance care
Exterior care
Locks The locks are lubricated at the factoryusing a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, as this has a
degreasing effect and impairs lock function. After using de-icing agent,
have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
Washing The paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences.
Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's
instructions. The windscreen wiper
and rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Wax painted parts of the vehicle
regularly.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of 4 to 9.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Do not clean the engine compartmentwith a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Thoroughly rinse and leather-off the vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use
separate leathers for painted and
glass surfaces: remnants of wax on
the windows will impair vision.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Exterior lights Headlight and other light covers aremade of plastic. Do not use any
abrasive or caustic agents, do not use
an ice scraper, and do not clean them dry.
Polishing and waxing
Wax the vehicle regularly (at the
latest when water no longer beads).
Otherwise, the paintwork will dry out.
Polishing is necessary only if the paint
has become dull or if solid deposits
have become attached to it.
Paintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.
Plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing agents.
Page 260 of 321

258Vehicle care
Windows and windscreen wiperblades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois leather together with window cleanerand insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Clean smearing wiper blades with a
soft cloth and window cleaner.
Sunroof
Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media
(e.g. paint cleaner, acetone-
containing solutions etc.), acidic or
highly alkaline media or abrasive
pads. Do not apply wax or polishing
agents to the sunroof.
Wheels and tyres
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damageRectify minor paintwork damage witha touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.
UnderbodySome areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other
critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.
After the underbody is washed, check
the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.Liquid gas system9 Danger
Liquid gas is heavier than air and
can collect in sink points.
Take care when performing work
at the underbody in a pit.
For painting work and when using a
drying booth at a temperature above
60 °C, the liquid gas tank must be
removed.
Do not make any modifications to the
liquid gas system.
Towing equipment Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Interior care Interior and upholsteryOnly clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
Page 261 of 321

Vehicle care259
Clean the leather upholstery with
clear water and a soft cloth. In case of
heavy soiling, use leather care.
The instrument cluster and the
displays should only be cleaned using a soft damp cloth. If necessary use aweak soap solution.
Clean fabric upholstery with a
vacuum cleaner and brush. Remove
stains with an upholstery cleaner.
Clothing fabrics may not be
colourfast. This could cause visible
discolourations, especially on light-
coloured upholstery. Removable
stains and discolourations should be
cleaned as soon as possible.
Clean seat belts with lukewarm water
or interior cleaner.Caution
Close Velcro fasteners as open
Velcro fasteners on clothing could damage seat upholstery.
The same applies to clothing with
sharp-edged objects, like zips or
belts or studded jeans.
Plastic and rubber parts
Plastic and rubber parts can be
cleaned with the same cleaner as
used to clean the body. Use interior cleaner if necessary. Do not use any
other agent. Avoid solvents and petrol in particular. Do not use high-
pressure jet cleaners.
Page 262 of 321

260Service and maintenanceService and
maintenanceGeneral information ...................260
Recommended fluids, lubricants and parts .................................... 261General information
Service information In order to ensure economical and
safe vehicle operation and to
maintain the value of your vehicle, it
is of vital importance that all
maintenance work is carried out at the proper intervals as specified.
The detailed, up-to-date service
schedule for your vehicle is available
at the workshop.
Service display 3 97.
European service intervals
Maintenance of your vehicle is
required every 20,000 miles or after
1 year , whichever occurs first, unless
otherwise indicated in the service
display.
The European service intervals are
valid for the following countries:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Greenland, Hungary,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Service display 3 97.
International service intervals Maintenance of your vehicle is
required every 10,000 miles or after
1 year , whichever occurs first, unless
otherwise indicated in the service
display.
The international service intervals are
valid for the countries which are not
listed in the European service
intervals.
Service display 3 97.
Confirmations
Confirmation of service is recorded in the Service and Warranty Booklet.The date and mileage is completed
with the stamp and signature of the
servicing workshop.
Page 263 of 321

Service and maintenance261
Make sure that the Service and
Warranty Booklet is completed
correctly as continuous proof of
service is essential if any warranty or goodwill claims are to be met, and is
also a benefit when selling the
vehicle.
Service interval with remaining
engine oil life duration The service interval is based on
several parameters depending on
usage.
The service display lets you know
when to change the engine oil.
Service display 3 97.Recommended fluids,
lubricants and parts
Recommended fluids and
lubricants
Only use products that meet the
recommended specifications.
Damage resulting from the use of
products not in line with these
specifications will not be covered by
the warranty.9 Warning
Operating materials are
hazardous and could be
poisonous. Handle with care. Pay
attention to information given on
the containers.
Engine oil
Engine oil is identified by its quality
and its viscosity. Quality is more
important than viscosity when
selecting which engine oil to use. The oil quality ensures e.g. engine
cleanliness, wear protection and oil
aging control, whereas viscosity
grade gives information on the oil's
thickness over a temperature range.
Dexos is the newest engine oil quality
that provides optimum protection for
gasoline and diesel engines. If it is unavailable, engine oils of other listed qualities have to be used.
Recommendations for gasoline
engines are also valid for
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG),
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and
Ethanol (E85) fuelled engines.
Select the appropriate engine oil
based on its quality and on the
minimum ambient temperature
3 265.
Topping up engine oil
Engine oils of different manufacturers
and brands can be mixed as long as
they comply with the required engine
oil quality and viscosity.
Use of engine oil with only
ACEA A1/B1 or only A5/B5 quality is
prohibited, since it can cause long-
term engine damage under certain
operating conditions.
Page 264 of 321

262Service and maintenance
Select the appropriate engine oil
based on its quality and on the
minimum ambient temperature
3 265.
Additional engine oil additives
The use of additional engine oil
additives could cause damage and
invalidate the warranty.
Engine oil viscosity grades
The SAE viscosity grade gives
information of the thickness of the oil.
Multigrade oil is indicated by two
figures, e.g. SAE 5W-30. The first
figure, followed by a W, indicates the
low temperature viscosity and the
second figure the high temperature viscosity.
Select the appropriate viscosity grade
depending on the minimum ambient
temperature 3 265.
All of the recommended viscosity
grades are suitable for high ambient
temperatures.Coolant and antifreeze
Use only silicate-free long life coolant
(LLC) antifreeze.
The system is factory filled with
coolant designed for excellent
corrosion protection and frost
protection down to approx. -28 °C.
This concentration should be
maintained all year round. The use of additional coolant additives that
intend to give additional corrosion
protection or seal against minor leaks
can cause function problems. Liability
for consequences resulting from the
use of additional coolant additives will be rejected.
Brake and clutch fluid Only use high-performance brake
fluid approved for the vehicle, consult a workshop.
Over time, brake fluid absorbs
moisture which will reduce braking
effectiveness. The brake fluid should therefore be replaced at the specified
interval.Brake fluid should be stored in a
sealed container to avoid water
absorption.
Ensure brake fluid does not become contaminated.