2011 Mercedes E-Class Owner's Manual - Page 280

278 Care carefully after washing the vehicle until the brakes have dried. G Risk of accident The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore, deactivate the HOLD function and DISTRONIC PLUS before the vehicle is washed in an automatic car wash. After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax from the windshield and the wiper blades. This will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises caused by residue on the windshield. Washing by hand Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as soon as possible when driving in winter. Also, clean the insides of the wheels when washing the underbody of the vehicle. X Do not use hot water and do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. X Use a soft car sponge for cleaning. X Use a gentle cleaning agent, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz approved car shampoo. X Wash down the vehicle with a gentle water jet. X Do not point the water jet directly at the air inlets. X Use plenty of water and rinse the sponge frequently. X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry it thoroughly with a chamois. X Do not allow the cleaning agent to dry on the paintwork. Maintenance and care You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash from the very start. ! It is preferable to use car washes with adjustable26 high-pressure precleaning. In car washes that use high water pressures, there is a risk that a small amount of water may leak into the vehicle. ! Cabriolet: do not treat the vehicle with hot wax under any circumstances. ! Cabriolet: pull the SmartKey out of the ignition lock when washing the vehicle. This ensures that the wind deflector on the windshield is retracted. The wind deflector may otherwise be damaged. ! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless Automatic Car Wash as these use special cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can damage the paintwork or plastic parts. If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before cleaning it in an automatic car wash. ! In car washes with a towing mechanism, make sure that the automatic transmission is in transmission position N, otherwise the vehicle could be damaged. ! Make sure that the side windows are completely closed, that the ventilation/ heating is switched off and that the windshield wiper switch is set to 0. Otherwise, the rain/light sensor could be activated, triggering unintended wiper movements. This can cause damage to the vehicle. 26 Corresponds Power washers G Warning! Do not use power washers with circular-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your vehicle, in particular the tires. You could otherwise damage the tires and cause an accident. ! Maintain the distance between the vehicle and the nozzle of the power washer at 11.8 in (30 cm). Information about the correct distance is available from the equipment manufacturer. Move the power washer nozzle around when cleaning your vehicle. to the specification for the Cabriolet program.