Observe the legal requirements in each coun-try.
XDo not use hot water and do not wash thevehicle in direct sunlight.
XUse a soft sponge to clean.
XUse a mild cleaning agent, such as a carshampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
XThoroughly hose down the vehicle with agentle jet of water.
XDo not point the water jet directly towardsthe air inlet or the edges of decorative foils.
XUse plenty of water and rinse out thesponge frequently.
XRinse the vehicle with clean water and drythoroughly with a chamois.
XDo not let the cleaning agent dry on thepaintwork or the decorative foils.
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt assoon as possible when driving in winter.
Power washers
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior dam-
age to the tires or chassis components.
Components damaged in this way may fail
unexpectedly. 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.
!Vehicles with decorative film: parts of yourvehicle are covered with decorative film.Maintain a distance of at least 27.5 in(70 cm) between the film-covered parts ofthe vehicle and the nozzle of the powerwasher.
Information about the correct distance isavailable from the equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around whencleaning your vehicle.
The water temperature of the power washermust not exceed 140 ‡ (60 †).
!Always maintain a distance of at least12 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and thepower washer nozzle. Information about thecorrect distance is available from the equip-ment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around whencleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
RTires
RDoor gaps, roof gaps, joints, etc.
RElectrical components
RBattery
RPlug-type couplings
RLight bulbs
RSeals
RTrim elements
RVentilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical componentscan lead to leaks or failures.
!Vehicles with HANDS-FREE ACCESS: if aSmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is within thedetection range of the KEYLESS-GOantenna, the following situations could leadto the unintentional opening of the trunk lid:
Rusing a car wash
Rusing a power washer
Make sure that the SmartKey is at least6.5 ft (2 m) away from the vehicle.
Cleaning the paintwork
!Do not affix:
Rstickers
Rfilms
Rmagnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwisedamage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affectedby corrosion and damage caused by inade-quate care cannot always be completelyrepaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-cialist workshop.
XRemove dirt immediately, where possible,while avoiding rubbing too hard.
XSoak insect remains with insect removerand rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
XSoak bird droppings with water and rinse offthe treated areas afterwards.
XRemove tree resin, oils, fuels and greases byrubbing gently with a cloth soaked in petro-leum ether or lighter fluid
XRemove coolant and brake fluid with a moistcloth and clear water.
272Care
Maintenance and care
!Have the battery regularly checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Comply with the service intervals in theMaintenance Booklet, or contact a qualifiedspecialist workshop for more information.
!Always have work on batteries carried outat a qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, beabsolutely necessary to disconnect the 12-volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-lowing:
RSecure the vehicle to prevent it from roll-ing away.
RSwitch off the ignition.
RDisconnect the negative terminal first andthen the positive terminal.
After the work has been done, install thebattery and replace the cover of the positiveterminal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking areprohibited 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 immediatelywith 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 byMercedes-Benz. These batteries provideincreased impact protection to prevent vehicleoccupants from suffering acid burns shouldthe battery be damaged in the event of anaccident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-mum possible service life, it must always besufficiently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery maydischarge over time if you do not use the vehi-cle. In this case, have the battery disconnec-ted at a qualified specialist workshop. You canalso charge the battery with a charger recom-mended by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a quali-fied specialist workshop for further informa-tion.
Have the battery condition of charge checkedmore frequently if you use the vehicle mainlyfor short trips or if you leave it standing idlefor a lengthy period. Consult a qualified spe-cialist workshop if you wish to leave your vehi-cle parked for a long period of time.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicleand do not require any electrical consumers.The vehicle will then use very little energy,thus conserving battery power.
After an interruption to the power supply, e.g.due to a discharged battery, you must resetthe clock (see the Digital Operator's Manual).
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 suffi-
cient ventilation while charging and jump-
starting. Do not lean over a battery.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of
injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash away battery acid immedi-
284Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance
Make sure that:
RThe jumper cables are not damaged.
RBare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while thejumper cables are connected to the battery.
RThe jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine isrunning, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
XSecure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position ].
XMake sure that the ignition is switched off. All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster mustbe off. When using the SmartKey, turn the SmartKey to position
iJumper cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any quali-fied specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissi-
ble gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehi-
cle, its weight should not be greater than
the permissible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weightof your vehicle can be found on the vehicleidentification plate (Ypage 320).
!When Active Brake Assist, Active DistanceAssist DISTRONIC or the HOLD function isactivated, the vehicle brakes automaticallyin certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivatethese systems in the following or similar sit-uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at thetowing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could bedamaged.
!Do not use the towing eye for recovery,this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,recover the vehicle with a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly andsmoothly. If the tractive power is too high,the vehicles could be damaged.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Thiscould damage the vehicle.
!When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stopbutton. The automatic transmission mayotherwise shift to position ]when you
open the driver's or front-passenger door,which could damage the transmission.
!Make sure that the electric parking brakeis released. If the electric parking brake isfaulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!You may tow the vehicle for a maximumdistance of 30 miles (50 kilometers). A tow-ing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not beexceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles(50 kilometers), the entire vehicle must beraised and transported.
!When you are tow-starting or towinganother vehicle, its weight must not exceedthe maximum permissible gross weight ofyour vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transportedthan to have it towed away.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-tion \\when the vehicle is being towed away.
The battery must be connected and charged.Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position Hinthe ignition lock
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission toposition \\
Deactivate the automatic locking featurebefore the vehicle is towed (Ypage 201). Youcould otherwise be locked out when pushingor towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There
is a risk of burns when removing the rear
cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe. Take particu-
lar care when removing the rear cover.
288Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance