Care
General notes
H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man- ner.
! 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.
! Do not park up your vehicle for a long period
of time immediately after cleaning, particu-
larly after cleaning the wheel rim with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaner may lead to increased corrosion of the brake discs and pads. You
should therefore drive for a few minutes after
cleaning. By heating up the brakes, the brake
discs and pads dry. The vehicle can then be
parked up for a long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after the vehicle has been washed. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After washing the vehicle, brake carefully
while paying attention to the traffic conditions in order to restore full braking efficiency. !
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
! Make sure that the automatic transmission
is in position Nwhen washing your vehicle in
a tow-through car wash. The vehicle could be
damaged if the transmission is in another
position.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed/
airflow control is turned to position 0).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at position
0 .
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, wash off excess dirt
before cleaning the vehicle in an automatic car
wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off the
wax from the windscreen and the windscreen
wiper blades. This will prevent smears and
reduce wiping noises caused by residue on the
windscreen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
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 gen-
tle 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. 286
CareMaintenance and care
X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind- ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam- aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
! Always maintain a distance of at least 30 cm
between the vehicle and the high-pressure
cleaner nozzle. Information about the correct
distance is available from the equipment
manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R plug connectors
R lamps
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damage to seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
! Vehicles with decorative film: parts of your
vehicle are covered with a decorative film.
Maintain a distance of at least 70 cm between
the parts of the vehicle covered with the film
and the nozzle of the high pressure cleaner.
Information about the correct distance is
available from the equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around whilst cleaning. Cleaning the paintwork !
Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by
corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
X Remove impurities immediately, where pos-
sible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X Soak insect remains with insect remover and
rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X Soak bird droppings with water and rinse off
the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resins, oils,
fuels and greases by rubbing gently with a
cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighter
fluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork !
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork shiny.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
R vigorous rubbing with unsuitable materials
R frequent use of car washes
R washing the vehicle in direct sunlight
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax, for the purpose of paintwork care. These products
are only suitable for high-gloss surfaces. Their
use on vehicles with matt paintwork leads to
considerable surface damage or, more spe-
cifically, to shiny, spotted areas.
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a clear
matt finish. This will help you to avoid damage to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment. Care
287Maintenance and care Z
These notes also apply to light-alloy wheels with
a clear matt finish.
The vehicle should preferably be washed by
hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of water.
Use only insect remover and car shampoo from
the range of approved Mercedes-Benz care
products. Cleaning vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind- ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam- aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
! Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park up your vehicle for a long period
of time immediately after cleaning, particu-
larly after cleaning the wheel rim with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaner may lead to increased corrosion of the brake discs and pads. You
should therefore drive for a few minutes after
cleaning. By heating up the brakes, the brake
discs and pads dry. The vehicle can then be
parked up for a long period of time.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers are set in motion
when cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, you could become trapped. There is a danger of injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windscreen or wiper blades. !
Only fold the windscreen wipers away from
the windscreen when vertical. Otherwise, you
will damage the bonnet.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive cleaning
agents, solvents or solvent-based cleaning
agents to clean the inside of the windows/
windscreen. Do not touch the inside of the
windows/windscreen with hard items such
as an ice scraper or a ring. Otherwise, the
windows/windscreen could be damaged.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windscreen and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals and
pollen may under certain circumstances pre-
vent water from draining away. This can lead
to corrosion damage and damage to elec-
tronic components.
X Clean the inside and outside of the windows
with a damp cloth and a cleaning agent that is
recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning the wiper blades G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers are set in motion
when cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, you could become trapped. There is a danger of injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windscreen orwiper blades.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away from
the windscreen when vertical. Otherwise, you
will damage the bonnet.
! Do not pull on 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 graph- ite coating could be damaged. This could
cause wiper noise.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windscreen could be damaged if
the wiper arm hits against it suddenly. 288
CareMaintenance and care
Make sure that:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps do not come into contact with other metal parts while
the jump leads are connected to the battery
R The jump leads cannot come into contact with parts that can move when the engine is running,
such as the V-belt pulley or the fan
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Manual transmission: depress the clutch pedal fully and engage neutral.
X Automatic transmission: shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.
X Open the bonnet. Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-starting
device.
X Press together cover :of positive clamp ;and slide it back.
X Connect positive terminal ;on your vehicle to positive terminal =of donor battery Busing the
jump lead, beginning with your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal ?of donor battery Bto earth point Aof your vehicle using the jump
lead, connecting the jump lead to donor battery Bfirst.
X If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected for
a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery a little.
X Start the engine.
X Before disconnecting the jump leads, let the engines run for several minutes.
X First, remove the jump leads from earth point Aand negative terminal ?, then from positive
clamp ;and positive terminal =. Each time, begin at the contacts on your own vehicle first.
X Close cover :of positive clamp ;after removing the jump leads.
X Close the bonnet.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition. Jump-starting
303Breakdown assistance Z