should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing the vehicle and cleaning the paintwork
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-tions:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
!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.
!Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in position Nwhen washing your
vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The vehi-
cle could be damaged if the transmission is
in another position.
!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/the
airflow control is set to position 0).
R the windshield wiper switch is in position
0 .
Otherwise, the vehicle might be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
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 wind-shield.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in each coun-
try. X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
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 a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on thepaintwork.
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as
soon as possible when driving in winter.
276Care
Maintenance and care
Otherwise, the vehicle's electronic sys-
tem may be damaged.
R in vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehi-
cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle.
The battery and the cover of the positive
terminal clamp must be installed securely
during operation.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apron and face-guard.
Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clear water. Contact a physi-
cian if necessary.
Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event of
an accident. In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In this case, have the battery discon-
nected at a qualified specialist workshop. You
can also charge the battery with a charger
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop for further infor- mation.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly
for short trips or if you leave it standing idle
for a lengthy period. Consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop if you wish to leave your
vehicle parked for a long period of time.
Only replace a battery with a battery that has been recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
iRemove the SmartKey if you park the
vehicle and do not require any electrical
consumers. The vehicle will then use very
little energy, thus conserving batterypower.
iIf the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if you reconnect the battery, you will
have to: R set the clock via Audio 20 or COMAND
(see separate operating instructions)
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once ( Ypage 99).
Charging the battery
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery.
Battery (vehicle)291
Roadside Assistance
Z
!Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the front axle must be
raised or the entire vehicle raised andtransported.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton. Otherwise, the automatic transmission
may shift to position Pwhen the driver's or
front-passenger door are opened, which
could lead to damage to the transmission.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
If the vehicle can no longer be driven because of an accident or breakdown, you have the
following options:
R transporting the vehicle
As a rule, you should have the vehicle trans-
ported.
R towing the vehicle with a tow rope or tow bar
Only tow the vehicle in exceptional cases. When towing a vehicle, the transmission must
be in position N.
The battery must be connected and charged. Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the transmission to position N
iThe function of the electric parking brake
and the parking lock is dependent on the
on-board voltage.
If the on-board voltage is low or there is a
system malfunction, it is possible that:
R the electric parking brake may not be
applied in certain circumstances, or
R the transmission may not be shifted to P
iSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g.
the radio.
iDisarm the automatic locking feature
( Y page 205). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
Example: towing eye mounting covers
296Towing and tow-starting
Roadside Assistance
XRemove the towing eye from the stowage
space.
The towing eye is located with the vehicle
tool kit under the luggage compartment
floor ( Ypage 284).
Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: the towing
eye is beneath the tire inflation compres-
sor.
X Press the mark on cover :inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover :off the opening.
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover :to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the stowage well (Y page 284) beneath the cargo compart-
ment floor in the cargo compartment.
X Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: put back the
tire inflation compressor.
Towing the vehicle with the front axle
raised
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions ( Ypage 295).
Only vehicles without 4MATIC can be
towed with the front axle raised.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as doing so will damage the transmission.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed
away with both axles on the ground or be loa-
ded up and transported.
!The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised. Otherwise, ESP ®
may intervene and
damage the brake system. X
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO or the
KEYLESS-GO start function: you must
use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button ( Ypage 136).
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the automatic locking(Y page 205).
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps(Y page 107).
X Turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position 0and leave the SmartKey in the
ignition lock.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle( Y page 295).
X On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO or the
KEYLESS-GO start function: you must
use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button ( Ypage 136).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the automatic transmission
stays in position Nwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points: X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Towing and tow-starting297
Roadside Assistance
Z
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps(Y page 107).
iIn order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
!
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock ( Ypage 135).
X Shift the transmission to position N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded: X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
Notes on 4MATIC vehicles
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may only either be
towed away with both axles on the ground or be loaded up and transported.
If the vehicle's transmission, front, or rear
axle is damaged, have the vehicle transported on a truck or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system:
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to positionN , you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting ( Ypage 293).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. You could other-
wise damage the automatic transmission.
iYou can find information on "Jump-start-
ing" under ( Ypage 293).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-
age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
298Fuses
Roadside Assistance