2011 Mercedes R-Class Owner's Manual - Page 286

284 Care Rsolvents Rcleaning agents containing solvents Do not scrub. Do not touch the surfaces or protective films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice scraper. You could otherwise scratch or damage the surfaces and protective film. H Environmental note Maintenance and care Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning cloths in an environmentally responsible manner. ! Do not park the vehicle for an extended period right after cleaning it, particularly after having cleaned the wheels with wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause increased corrosion of the brake discs and brake pads/linings. Generally, park the vehicle at operating temperature after cleaning. Exterior care Automatic car wash G Warning! Braking efficiency is reduced after washing the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For this reason, you must drive particularly carefully after washing the vehicle until the brakes have dried. Do not remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Do not open the driver's door or front-passenger door when the engine is switched off. Otherwise, the automatic transmission selects park position P automatically and locks the wheels. You can prevent this by shifting the automatic transmission to N beforehand. RVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Do not open the driver's door or frontpassenger door when the engine is switched off. Otherwise, the automatic transmission selects park position P automatically and locks the wheels. Observe the following to make sure that the automatic transmission stays in position N: X Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the ignition is switched off. X Turn the SmartKey to position 2(Y page 149) in the ignition lock. Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/ Stop button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO. X Depress and hold the brake pedal. X Shift the automatic transmission to position N. X Release the brake pedal. X Release the parking brake. X Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey in the ignition lock. You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash from the very start. ! 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. RVehicles with a SmartKey: ! 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. 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.