Page 144 of 173
142Vehicle careCaution
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 fumes
from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation system and close the
windows.
Seek the assistance of a workshop.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Towing another vehicle
The fixed towing eye is located under the rear bumper.
Vehicles with a towing hitch have a
socket for the detachable towing eye.
Screw the towing eye, supplied with
the vehicle tools, fully into the socket.
Attach a tow rope - or better still a tow
rod - to the rear towing eye, never to
the rear axle and suspension units.
The rear towing eye must only be
used for towing and not recovering a
vehicle.Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
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Vehicle care143Appearance 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 wipers
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.
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.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Do not clean the engine compartment with 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.
Exterior lights
Headlight and other light covers are
made 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.
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144Vehicle 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.
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 damage
Rectify minor paintwork damage with
a touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.
Underbody
Some 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.
Engine compartment
It is advisable to wash the engine compartment before and after winter
and preserve it with wax. Protect thealternator and brake fluid reservoir
with plastic sheets before washing
the engine.
When washing the engine with a
steam-jet cleaner, do not direct the
steam jet towards components of the
antilock brake system, air
conditioning system or the belt drive and its components.
After an engine wash, have all engine
compartment components preserved
thoroughly by a workshop using
protective wax.
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Towing equipment
Do not clean the coupling ball bar with a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Interior care Interior and upholstery
Only clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
Page 148 of 173

146Service and maintenanceService and
maintenanceGeneral information ...................146
Recommended fluids, lubricants and parts .................................... 147General 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 the vehicle is available at
the workshop.
Service display 3 67.
Engine identification 3 150.
Service intervals - M9R 630 and
M9R 692 engines only Maintenance of your vehicle is
required every 25,000 miles or after
2 years, whichever occurs first,
unless otherwise indicated by the
service display.Service intervals - except
M9R 630 and M9R 692 engines
Maintenance of your vehicle is
required every 20,000 miles or after
2 years, whichever occurs first,
unless otherwise indicated by the
service display.
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.
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 display The service interval is based on
several parameters depending on
usage.
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Service and maintenance147
The service display, located in the
Driver Information Centre, indicates
when the next service is due. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Service display 3 67.
Engine oil level monitor 3 67.Recommended fluids,
lubricants and parts
Recommended fluids andlubricants 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
petrol and diesel engines. If it is
unavailable, engine oils of other listed qualities have to be used.
Select the appropriate engine oil
based on its quality and on the
minimum ambient temperature
3 152.
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.
Select the appropriate engine oil
based on its quality and on the
minimum ambient temperature
3 152.
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148Service and maintenance
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 3 152.
All of the recommended viscosity
grades are suitable for high ambient
temperatures.
Coolant and antifreeze
Use only silicate-free long life coolant
(LLC) antifreeze approved for the
vehicle, consult a workshop.
The system is factory filled with
coolant designed for excellent
corrosion protection and frostprotection 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 fluid Only use DOT4+ 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.
Page 152 of 173

150Technical dataIdentification plate
The identification plate is located on
the right hand door pillar.
Information on identification plate 1)
:
1=Manufacturer, type approval
number2=Vehicle Identification Number3=Permissible gross vehicle
weight rating4=Permissible gross combination
weight5=Maximum permissible front axle load6=Maximum permissible rear axle
load7=Vehicle-specific or country
specific dataThe combined total of front and rear
axle loads must not exceed the
permissible gross vehicle weight. For
example, if the front axle is bearing its
maximum permissible load, the rear
axle can only bear a load that is equal
to the gross vehicle weight minus the front axle load.
The technical data is determined in
accordance with European
Community standards. We reserve
the right to make modifications.
Specifications in the vehicle
documents always have priority over
those given in this manual.
Engine identification The technical data tables show the
engine identifier code. Engine data
3 154.
To identify the respective engine,
refer to the engine power in the EEC
Certificate of Conformity provided
with your vehicle or other national
registration documents.1) The VIN plate on your vehicle may differ from the illustration shown.
Page 153 of 173
Technical data151
It is possible, using the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN), to
determine the engine type that is installed in your vehicle. For further
information consult a workshop.