Mercedes-Benz 2009 R-Class, Operator'S Manual

Page: 295 / 412

Vehicle care
293
approximately 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle, it
could be inadvertently locked or unlocked.
Hand-wash
X
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
X
Only use a soft, wet cloth or sponge to
clean the vehicle.
X
Only use a mild vehicle wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
X
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a
diffused jet of water.
X Do not spray directly towards the
ventilation intake.
X
Use plenty of water and rinse the sponge
and chamois frequently.
X
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on the
finish.
Automatic car wash
You can have your vehicle washed in an
automatic car wash from the start. Brushless
car washes are preferable.
X
To protect the filter system, activate the air
recirculation mode using button
:
on
the climate control panel.
! Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic
spray. Caustic spray will damage the paint
or ornamental moldings.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it before
running it through the automatic car wash.
! Make sure the combination switch is set
to wiper setting
M
. Otherwise, the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers
to move unintentionally. This may lead to
vehicle damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in
exterior rear view mirrors prior to running
the vehicle through an automatic car wash
to prevent damage to the mirrors.
X
When taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor-type car wash:
Make sure the automatic transmission
remains in neutral position
N. Observe
instructions, see “Remaining in neutral
position
N” (
Y
page 137).
When leaving the automatic car wash, make
sure the mirrors are folded out.
After running the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, wipe any wax off of the
windshield and the wiper blade inserts. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noise
which can be caused by residual wax on the
windshield.
Ornamental moldings
X For regular cleaning and care of ornamental
moldings, use a damp cloth.
! Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings
may have chrome appearance, they could
be made of anodized aluminum that will be
damaged when cleaned with chrome
cleaner. Instead, use a damp cloth to clean
those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of
which you are sure are chrome-plated, use
a chrome cleaner. If in doubt whether an
ornamental molding is chrome-plated,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Operation
Z