Rsolvents
Rcleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces and films withhard objects, e.g. rings or ice scrapers. Oth-erwise, you may scratch or damage the sur-faces and films.
!Do not park your vehicle for a long periodof time directly after cleaning, particularlyafter cleaning the wheel rim with wheelcleaner. Wheel cleaner can lead to theincreased corrosion of the brake discs andpads. Therefore, drive for a few minutesafter cleaning. By heating up the brakes, thebrake discs and pads dry. The vehicle canthen be parked for a long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition forretaining the 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
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.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-tion is activated, the vehicle brakes auto-matically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivateDISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function inthe following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!It is preferable to use car washes withadjustable high-pressure pre-cleaning thatcorresponds to the specification for theCabriolet program. In car washes that usehigh water pressures, there is a risk that asmall amount of water may leak into thevehicle.
!Lock the car if you wash it in an automaticcar wash. Otherwise, the vehicle might bedamaged.
!Never clean your vehicle in a TouchlessAutomatic Car Wash as these use specialcleaning agents. These cleaning agents candamage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If you have your vehicle cleaned in a high-pressure automatic car wash, smallamounts of water may enter the vehicle.
!Make sure that the automatic transmissionis in positionNwhen washing your vehiclein a tow-through car wash. The vehicle couldbe damaged if the transmission is in anotherposition.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows and the roof are com-pletely closed
Rthe climate control blower is switched off
Rthe windshield wiper switch is at position0
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
You can clean the vehicle at an automatic carwash from the very start.
Preferably clean the vehicle at automatic carwashes that use textile washing elementswithout brushes. This prevents fine scratchesfrom forming on the paintwork and film.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it beforecleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe offwax from the windshield and the wiper blades.This will prevent smears and reduce wipingnoises caused by residue on the windshield.
iVehicles with decorative film: select awash program without hot wax at the auto-matic car wash.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is onlyallowed at specially equipped washing bays.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.
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Maintenance and care
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.
!If you clean the tank filler recess when it isopen, do not use a power washer. This cancause damage to the seals or other compo-nents.
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.
XUse tar remover to remove tar stains.
XUse silicone remover to remove wax.
If water no longer forms "beads" on the paintsurface, use the paint care products recom-mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Thisis the case approximately every three to fivemonths, depending on the climate conditionsand the care product used.
If dirt has penetrated the paint surface or ifthe paint has become dull, the paint cleanerrecommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz should be used.
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Maintenance and care
Z
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
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.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning productsto remove brake dust. This could damagewheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park your vehicle for a long periodof time directly after cleaning, particularlyafter cleaning the wheel rim with wheelcleaner. Wheel cleaner can lead to theincreased corrosion of the brake discs andpads. Therefore, drive for a few minutesafter cleaning. By heating up the brakes, thebrake discs and pads dry. The vehicle canthen be parked for a long period of time.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the wind-
shield 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.
!Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-vents to clean the inside of the windows. Donot touch the insides of the windows withhard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring.There is otherwise a risk of damaging thewindows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of thewindshield and the rear window at regularintervals. Deposits such as leaves, petalsand pollen may under certain circumstances
prevent water from draining away. This canlead to corrosion damage and damage toelectronic components.
XClean the inside and outside of the windowswith a damp cloth and a cleaning productthat is recommended and approved byMercedes-Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades
GWARNING
If the windshield wipers are set in motion
while you are cleaning the windshield, you
can be trapped by the wiper arm. There is a
risk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield.
!Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise, thewiper blade could be damaged.
!Do not clean wiper blades too often anddo not rub them too hard. Otherwise, thegraphite coating could be damaged. Thiscould cause wiper noise.
!Hold the wiper arm securely when foldingback. The windshield could be damaged ifthe wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
XFold the windshield wiper arms away fromthe windshield.
XCarefully clean the wiper blades with adamp cloth.
XFold the windshield wiper arms back againbefore switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting
!Only use cleaning agents or cleaningcloths that are suitable for plastic lenses.Caustic, irritant or otherwise unsuitablecleaning agents or cleaning cloths couldscratch or damage the exterior lighting plas-tic lenses.
XClean the plastic lenses of the exterior lightswith a wet sponge and a mild cleaningagent, e.g. Mercedes-Benz car shampoo orcleaning cloths.
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Z