care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
X Remove dirt immediately, where possible,
while 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 resin, 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.
If water no longer forms "beads" on the paint
surface, use the paint care products recommen-
ded and approved by Mercedes-Benz. This is the
case approximately every three to five months,
depending on the climate conditions and the
care product used.
If dirt has penetrated the paint surface or if the
paint has become dull, the paint cleaner recom- mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz
should be used.
Do not use these care products in the sun or on
the hood while the hood is hot.
X Use a suitable touch-up stick, e.g. MB Touch-
Up Stick, to repair slight damage to the paint-
work quickly and provisionally.
Matte finish care !
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to shine.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matte
effect:
R strong rubbing of the paintwork with
unsuitable materials
R frequent use of automatic 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 matte 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
matte finish. This will help you to avoid damage to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels with
a clear matte finish.
The vehicle should ideally 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 the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels G
WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
! Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park your vehicle for a long period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. 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 for a long period of time.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury. 236
CareMaintenance and care
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or wiper blades.
! Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise, you
will damage the hood.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield 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 product that is recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise, you
will damage the hood.
! Do not pull 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 windshield could be damaged if the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly. X
Fold the windshield wiper arms away from the
windshield.
X Carefully clean the wiper blades with a damp
cloth.
X Fold the windshield wiper arms back again
before switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
which are suitable for plastic light lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
could scratch or damage the plastic light len- ses.
X Clean the plastic lenses of the exterior lights
with a wet sponge and a mild cleaning agent,
e.g. Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the mirror turn signals !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
that are suitable for plastic lenses. Unsuitable
cleaning agents or cleaning cloths could
scratch or damage the plastic lenses of the
mirror turn signals.
X Clean the plastic lenses of the mirror turn sig-
nals in the exterior mirror housing using a wet sponge and mild cleaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the sensors !
If you clean the sensors with a power
washer, make sure that you keep a distance
of at least 11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle
and the power washer nozzle. Information
about the correct distance is available from
the equipment manufacturer. Care
237Maintenance and care Z
