2008 Mercedes R-Class Owner's Manual - Page 406

Operation Vehicle care Engine cleaning Prior to cleaning the engine compartment make sure to protect electrical components and connectors from the intrusion of water and cleaning agents. Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied to the engine compartment after every engine cleaning. Before applying, all control linkage bushings and joints should be lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be protected from any wax. Vehicle washing In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces of road salt as soon as possible. When washing the vehicle underbody, do not forget to clean the inner sides of the wheels. Hand-wash Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo. Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a diffused jet of water. Direct only a very weak spray towards the ventilation intake. Use plenty of water and rinse the sponge and chamois frequently. 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 car washed in an automatic car wash from the start. Automatic car washes without brushes are preferable. To protect the filter system, switch the climate control system ( page 208) or the automatic climate control system* ( page 222) to air recirculation mode. ! Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic touchless car wash which uses caustic spray. Otherwise the 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. ! Do not use scouring agents on these parts. Never apply strong force and only use a soft, non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle. Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry cloth or sponge. Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint. i Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (approximately 1 m), the vehicle could be inadvertently locked or unlocked. ! Make sure that the windshield wiper switch is set to 0 ( page 60). 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. 405