Get Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care Guide for Mercedes C Class 4 Door 2023

Maintenance and care

618

Cleaning and care

Information on washing the vehicle in a car wash

WARNING Risk of burns from hot compo-

nent parts in the engine compartment

Certain component parts in the engine com-

partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the

cooler and parts of the exhaust system.

WARNING Risk of an accident due to

reduced braking power aꢀer washing the

vehicle

Allow the engine to cool down and only

Braking eﬃciency is reduced aꢀer washing the

vehicle.

touch component parts described in the

following.

Aꢀer the vehicle has been washed, brake

carefully while paying attention to the

traﬃc conditions until braking power has

been fully restored.

WARNING ‑ Risk of ﬁre and injury due to

windscreen washer concentrate

Windscreen washer concentrate is highly ﬂam-

mable. It could ignite if it comes into contact

with hot engine component parts or the

exhaust system.

NOTE Damage from automatic braking

Open cap 1 by the tab.

Top up the washer ﬂuid.

If one of the following functions is activated,

the vehicle will brake automatically in certain

situations:

Make sure that no windscreen washer

concentrate spills out next to the ﬁller

opening.

Active Brake Assist

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC

HOLD function

Active Parking Assist

Keeping the air/water duct free

Keep the area between the bonnet and the

windscreen free of deposits, e.g. ice, snow or

leaves.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

619

The side windows and sliding sunroof are com- Car wash mode

To avoid damaging the vehicle, deactivate

these systems e.g. during towing or in the car

wash.

pletely closed.

In car wash mode, the vehicle is prepared for driv-

ing into a car wash. Car wash mode can be activa-

ted at a speed of up to 20 km/h (/ page 620).

The outside mirrors are folded in.

The blower for the ventilation and heating is

switched oﬀ.

When car wash mode is activated, the Car wash

mode active message will appear on the driver's

display. The following adjustments will be made:

NOTE Damage due to unsuitable car wash

The windscreen wiper switch is in position g.

Before driving into a car wash make sure

that the car wash is suitable for the vehi-

cle dimensions.

Ensure there is suﬃcient ground clear-

ance between the underbody and the

guide rails of the car wash.

Ensure that the clearance width of the

car wash, in particular the width of the

guide rails, is suﬃcient.

The key is at a minimum distance of 3 m away

from the vehicle. Otherwise, the boot lid could

open unintentionally.

This also applies to the Digital Vehicle Key.

For car washes with a conveyor system:

The outside mirrors will be folded in.

To prevent the windscreen washer system

from starting up automatically, the rain sensor

will be deactivated.

The windows and the sliding sunroof will be

closed, if necessary.

Neutral i is engaged.

If you would like to leave the vehicle while

Parking Assist PARKTRONIC will be deactiva-

it is being washed, make sure the key is

located in the vehicle. Park position j

will otherwise be engaged automatically.

ted.

To avoid damage to your vehicle when using a car

wash, ensure the following beforehand:

Vehicles with 360° camera: the front image

will be activated aꢀer approximately eight sec-

onds.

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-

ted.

If, aꢀer the car wash, you remove the wax

from the windscreen and wiper rubbers, this

will prevent smearing and reduce wiper noise.

Vehicles with HANDS-FREE ACCESS: kick

detection will be deactivated.

The HOLD function is switched oﬀ.

The 360° camera or the reversing camera is

switched oﬀ.

If one of the settings cannot be selected, this will

be shown by the % symbol next to the respec-

tive setting.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

620

Pressing Switch off will cancel car wash mode.

Above a speed of 20 km/h, car wash mode will

be deactivated automatically.

You can also switch oﬀ car wash mode via the

MBUX multimedia system (/ page 620).

Multimedia system:

Information on using a high-pressure cleaner

Settings

Vehicle

Driving

WARNING Risk of an accident when using

high-pressure cleaners with round-spray

nozzles

Activating car wash mode

Select Car wash mode.

Select Activate.

The water jet can cause externally invisible

damage.

Components damaged in this way may unex-

pectedly fail.

The following settings will be reset when car wash

mode is deactivated:

If one of the settings cannot be selected, this is

shown by an % next to the respective setting.

The outside mirrors will be folded out.

The rain sensor will be activated.

For an overview of the settings made when

you activate car wash mode (/ page 32).

Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with

round-spray nozzles.

Parking Assist PARKTRONIC will be reset to

the previously selected setting.

Deactivating car wash mode

Have damaged tyres or chassis parts

replaced immediately.

The windows and the sliding sunroof will

remain closed.

Select Switch off.

The settings for car wash mode will be reset.

Vehicles with 360° camera: the front image

will be deactivated at speeds above 18 km/h.

To avoid damage to your vehicle, observe the fol-

lowing when using a high-pressure cleaner:

Car wash mode is automatically deactivated

as soon as a speed of 20 km/h is exceeded.

Vehicles with HANDS-FREE ACCESS: kick

detection will be activated.

The key is at a minimum distance of 3 m away

from the vehicle. Otherwise, the boot lid could

open unintentionally.

Activating/deactivating car wash mode

Requirements

This also applies to the Digital Vehicle Key.

Maintain a distance of at least 30 cm to the

vehicle.

The vehicle is stationary.

The vehicle is switched on.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

621

Vehicles with decorative ﬁlm: Parts of your

vehicle are covered with a decorative ﬁlm.

Observe the relevant legal requirements (e.g. in

some countries, washing by hand is permitted

Tree resin, oils, fuels and greases: remove by

rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in petro-

leum ether or lighter ﬂuid.

Coolant and brake ﬂuid: remove with a damp

cloth and clean water.

Tar stains: use tar remover.

Wax: use silicone remover.

Do not attach stickers, ﬁlms or similar materi-

als. Only have ﬁlm attached to the bumper at

a qualiﬁed specialist workshop.

Maintain a distance of at least 70 cm between only in specially designated wash bays).

the ﬁlm-covered parts of the vehicle and the

Use a mild cleaning agent (e.g. car shampoo).

nozzle of the high-pressure cleaner. Move the

Wash the vehicle with lukewarm water using a

nozzle of the high-pressure cleaner around

soꢀ car sponge. When doing so, do not

while cleaning. The water temperature of the

expose the vehicle to direct sunlight.

high-pressure cleaner must not exceed 60°C.

Carefully hose the vehicle oﬀ with water and

dry using a chamois.

Observe the information on the correct dis-

tance in the equipment manufacturer's oper-

Observe the notes on the care of car parts

(/ page 623).

ating instructions.

Remove dirt immediately, where possible. Do

not use acid solutions.

Do not direct the nozzle of the high-pressure

cleaner directly at sensitive parts, e.g. tyres,

gaps, electrical components, batteries, illumi-

nants or louvres.

Notes on paintwork/matt ﬁnish paintwork care

Matt ﬁnish

Only use care products approved for

Mercedes-Benz.

To avoid damaging the paintwork and interfering

with the driving assistance systems, please

observe the following notes:

Washing the vehicle by hand

Do not attach stickers, ﬁlms or similar materi-

als. Only have ﬁlm attached to the bumper at

a qualiﬁed specialist workshop.

Do not polish the vehicle and light-alloy

wheels.

Paint

NOTE Engine damage due to water ingress

Insect remains: soak with insect remover and

Take care not to point the water jet

directly towards the air inlet grille below

the bonnet.

rinse oﬀ the treated areas aꢀerwards.

Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse oﬀ

aꢀerwards.

Only use car washes that correspond to the

latest engineering standards.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

622

Do not use car wash programmes with a ﬁnal

Remove dirt as soon as possible. Avoid rub-

bing too hard in order not to damage the dec-

orative ﬁlm irreparably.

If there is dirt on the ﬁnish or if the decorative

ﬁlm is dull: use the paint cleaner recommen-

ded and approved for Mercedes-Benz.

Insect remains: soak with insect remover and

rinse oﬀ the treated areas aꢀerwards.

Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse oﬀ

aꢀerwards.

Do not use polish on matt decorative ﬁlm. Pol-

ishing will have the eﬀect of shining the ﬁlm-

wrapped surface.

Do not treat matt or structured decorative

ﬁlms with wax. Permanent stains may occur.

hot wax treatment.

Do not use paint cleaners, buﬃng or polishing

products, gloss preservers, e.g. wax.

In the event of paintwork damage:

Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas aﬀected by

corrosion and damage caused by incorrect care

cannot always be completely repaired. In this

case, contact a qualiﬁed specialist workshop.

You can obtain more information on care and

cleaning agents from the manufacturer.

In the case of ﬁlm-wrapped surfaces, visual diﬀer-

ences may occur between the surfaces that were

not protected by a decorative ﬁlm aꢀer a decora-

tive ﬁlm has been removed.

Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a

qualiﬁed specialist workshop.

Make sure the radar sensors function

(/ page 334).

To prevent water stains, dry a ﬁlm-wrapped

vehicle with a soꢀ, absorbent cloth aꢀer every

car wash.

Notes on cleaning decorative ﬁlms

Observe the "Notes on paintwork/matt ﬁnish

paintwork care" (/ page 621). They also apply to

matt decorative ﬁlms.

Observe the notes on cleaning decorative ﬁlms to

avoid damage.

Avoiding damage to the decorative ﬁlm

The service life and colouring of decorative

ﬁlms are impaired by:

Have work or repairs to decorative ﬁlms car-

ried out at a qualiﬁed specialist workshop

(e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre).

Sunlight

Temperature (e.g. hot air blower)

Cleaning

For cleaning, use plenty of water and a mild

Weather conditions

cleaning agent without additives or abrasive

substances (e.g. a car shampoo approved for

Mercedes-Benz).

Stone chippings and dirt

Chemical cleaning agents

Oily products

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

623

Notes on care of car parts

Windows

application instructions may result in damage,

smear marks or dazzling spots.

Remove external fogging or dirt on the wind-

screen in front of the multifunction camera.

Otherwise, driving systems and driving safety

systems may be impaired or unavailable

(/ page 334).

NOTE Damage to electronic components

due to excess ﬂuids

WARNING Risk of entrapment if the wind-

screen wipers are switched on while the

windscreen is being cleaned

When cleaning the windows from the inside,

ﬂuids such as cleaning agents or water may

run down and get behind trim parts of the

vehicle interior and cause damage to elec-

tronic components.

If the windscreen wipers are set in motion

while you are cleaning the windscreen or

wiper blades, you can be trapped by the wiper

arm.

Wiper blades

Move the wiper arms into the replacement

position (/ page 30).

Always switch oﬀ the windscreen wipers

Use cleaning agents as sparingly as pos-

sible.

and the vehicle before cleaning the wind-

screen or wiper blades.

With the wiper arms folded out, clean the

wiper blades with a damp cloth.

Immediately absorb any excess ﬂuids.

To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the notes

on cleaning and care of the following car parts:

Make sure that the wiper blades are coated.

The coating may leave residue on a cloth. Do

not rub the wiper blades excessively or clean

them too oꢀen.

Clean the windows inside and outside with a

damp cloth and with a cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use dry cloths or abrasive or solvent-

based cleaning agents to clean the insides of

windows.

Wheels and rims

Use water and acid-free alloy wheel cleaners.

Exterior lighting

Do not use acidic alloy wheel cleaners to

Clean the lenses with a wet sponge and mild

cleaning agent (e.g. car shampoo).

Use only cleaning agents or cleaning cloths

that are suitable for plastic lenses.

remove brake dust. This could damage wheel

bolts and brake components.

Aꢀer changing the wiper blades or treating

the vehicle with wax, clean the windscreen

thoroughly with cleaning agents recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz. Failure to observe the

To avoid corrosion of the brake discs and

pads, drive the vehicle for a few minutes aꢀer

cleaning before parking it. The brake discs and

pads will warm up and dry out.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

624

Vehicle socket (high-voltage battery)

Remove traces of rust on the ball (e.g. using a

wire brush).

Remove dirt with a lint-free cloth.

Aꢀer cleaning, lightly oil or grease the ball

head.

WARNING Risk of injury or fatal injuries

from bleached seat belts

Use clean water and a soꢀ cloth to clean the

vehicle socket.

Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can severely

weaken them.

This can, for example, cause seat belts to tear

or fail in an accident.

Do not use high-pressure cleaners or cleaning

agents such as soap.

Sensors

Before using trailers with anti-torsional cou-

pling, observe the manufacturer's operating

instructions.

Clean the sensors in the front and rear bump-

Never bleach or dye seat belts.

ers with a soꢀ cloth and car shampoo

(/ page 334).

NOTE Property damage due to disinfec-

tants

When using a high-pressure cleaner, maintain

a minimum distance of 30 cm.

Notes on care of the interior

The interior includes a number of sensitive

surfaces such as displays, plastics and

leather.

Disinfectants can contain alcohol and other

substances that penetrate and damage surfa-

ces. Technology behind buttons and displays

can also be damaged.

WARNING Risk of injury from plastic parts

breaking oﬀ aꢀer the use of solvent-based

care products

Reversing camera and 360° camera

Open the camera cover with the multimedia

system (/ page 401).

Use clean water and a soꢀ cloth to clean the

camera lens.

Do not use a high-pressure cleaner.

Care and cleaning products containing sol-

vents can cause surfaces in the cockpit to

become porous. When the airbags are

deployed, plastic parts may break away.

Do not use disinfectant on interior surfa-

ces.

Trailer hitch

Do not use any care or cleaning products

containing solvents to clean the cockpit.

Observe the notes on care in the trailer hitch

manufacturer's operating instructions.

To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the fol-

lowing notes on cleaning and care:

Do not clean the ball neck with a high-pres-

sure cleaner or solvent.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

625

Seat belts

Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or

sun cream to come into contact with the plas-

tic trim.

Do not use a microﬁbre cloth.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Clean with lukewarm soapy water.

Do not use chemical cleaning agents.

Do not dry by heating them to over 80°C or

exposing them to direct sunlight.

Real wood and trim elements

Steering wheel made of genuine leather or DINA-

MICA

Clean with a microﬁbre cloth.

Black piano-lacquer look: clean with a damp

cloth and soapy water.

For heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents, pol-

ishes or waxes.

Display

NOTE Damage caused by wrong cleaners

Switch oﬀ the display and let it cool down.

Do not use solvent-based cleaning

agents such as tar remover or wheel

cleaner; neither should you use polishes

or waxes. Otherwise you may damage

the ﬁnish.

Clean the surface carefully with a microﬁbre

cloth and a suitable display care product (TFT-

LCD).

Do not use any other agents.

Roof lining

Head-up display

Clean with a brush or dry shampoo.

Clean with a damp cloth and a 1% soap solu-

tion and then wipe with a dry cloth.

For heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Leather care: use a leather care agent that

has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not allow the leather to become too damp.

Clean with a soꢀ, non-static, lint-free cloth.

Do not use cleaning agents.

Carpet

Use a carpet and textile cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Plastic trim

Clean with a damp microﬁbre cloth.

Imitation leather steering wheel

For heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Clean the entire steering wheel with a damp

cotton cloth and a 1% soapy water solution.

Do not spot clean.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not attach stickers, ﬁlms or similar materi-

als.

Do not use a microﬁbre cloth.

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care

626

Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural

surface properties such as diﬀerences in

structure, marks caused by growth and injury

or subtle colour diﬀerences. These surface

properties are characteristics of leather and

not material faults. Leather is also subject to

a natural ageing process during which the sur-

face properties change.

structure, marks caused by growth and injury

or subtle colour diﬀerences. These surface

properties are characteristics of leather and

not material faults. Leather is also subject to

a natural ageing process during which the sur-

face properties change.

Waves or wrinkling in the seat cover may

occur due to the stress on the seat; this is

caused by the natural leather material.

Regular cleaning and care of the leather

reduces soiling, wear marks and ageing dam-

age and thus signiﬁcantly extends its life

span. Clothing that can leave stains (e.g.

jeans) may discolour the leather.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use a microﬁbre cloth.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Fabric seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp microﬁbre cloth and a 1%

soap solution to clean the entire seat cover.

Do not spot clean.

Genuine leather seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then clean the seat covers with a damp cotton

cloth and wipe down with a dry cloth. Regu-

larly clean the seat covers.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

For heavy soiling: use a leather care agent rec-

ommended for Mercedes-Benz aꢀercare.

Leather care: use a leather care agent that

has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use a microﬁbre cloth.

Do not allow the leather to become too damp.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

DINAMICA seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp cloth to clean.

Do not use a microﬁbre cloth.

Imitation leather seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp cotton cloth and a 1% soap

solution to clean the entire seat cover. Do not

spot clean.

Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural

surface properties such as diﬀerences in

F206 0105 02

Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care for Your Mercedes C Class 4 Door 2023

Popular Manuals