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Vehicle care173If 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.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.
Clean bright metal mouldings with a
cleaning solution approved for
aluminium to avoid damages.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of four to nine.
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.
Do not use hard objects to remove
spots of tar. Use tar removal spray on
painted surfaces.
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.
Unpainted plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing
agents.
Matt filmed body parts or decor tapes must not be polished, to avoid
gleaming. Do not use hot wax
programmes in automatic car washes if the vehicle is equipped with theseparts.
Matt painted decor parts, e.g. mirror
housing cover, must not be polished.
Otherwise these parts would become
agleam or the colour would be
dissolved.
Windows and windscreen wiper
blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
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174Vehicle careFor 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.
Remove dirt residues from smearing
wiper blades by using a soft cloth and window cleaner. Also make sure to
remove any residues such as wax,
insect residues and similar from the
window.
Ice residues, pollution and continuous wiping on dry windows will damage or
even destroy the wiper blades.
Glass panel
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 glass panel.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 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.
Natural gas system Do not direct the steam jet or high-
pressure jet towards natural gas
system components. It is particularly
important to protect the natural gas
tank and the pressure valves on the
vehicle underbody and the bulkhead
in the engine compartment.
These components must not be
treated using chemical cleaners or
preservatives.
Have components of the natural gas
system cleaned by a workshop
authorised to carry out maintenance
of natural gas vehicles.
Towing equipment Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
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178Service and maintenanceDexos 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 must be used.
Recommendations for petrol engines
are also valid for Compressed Natural
Gas (CNG) fuelled engines.
Select the appropriate engine oil
based on its quality and on the
minimum ambient temperature
3 181.
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
3 181.Additional engine oil additives
The use of additional engine oil
additives could cause damage and
invalidate the warranty.
Engine oil viscosity
The SAE viscosity grade gives
information on 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 3 181.
All of the recommended viscosity
grades are suitable for high ambient
temperatures.
Coolant and antifreeze
Use only antifreeze approved for the
vehicle. Consult a workshop.
The system is factory filled with
coolant designed for excellent
corrosion protection and frost
protection down to approx. -28 °C. In
regions with very low temperatures,the factory filled coolant provides frost
protection down to approx. -37 °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.
Washer fluid
Use only washer fluid approved for
the vehicle to prevent damage of
wiper blades, paintwork, plastic and
rubber parts. Consult a workshop.
Brake and clutch fluidOver time, brake fluid absorbs
moisture which will reduce braking
effectiveness. The brake fluid should therefore be replaced at the specified interval.