Cleaning And Care Of The Vehicle - Mercedes-Benz 560 SL 1986 Owner's Manual

Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle

In operation, your vehicle is sub­
jected to varying external influ­
ences which, if gone unchecked,
can attack the paintwork as well as
the underbody and cause lasting
damage.
Such damage is caused not only
by extreme and varying climatic
conditions, but also by air pollution,
road salt, tar, gravel and stone
chipping. Grease and oil, fuel, cool­
ant, brake fluid, bird droppings, tree
resins, etc. should be removed im­
mediately to avoid paint damage.
Frequent washing, however, re­
duces and/or eliminates the ag­
gressiveness and potency of the
above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are neces­
sary to deal with unfavorable condi­
tions; for example, near the ocean,
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions), or during winter opera­
tion.
You should check your vehicle
from time to time for stone chipping
or other damage. Any damage
should be repaired as soon as pos­
sible to prevent the start of corro-
In doing so, do not neglect the un­
derside of the car. A prerequisite
for a thorough check is a washing
of the underbody followed by a
thorough inspection. Damaged
areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at
the factory with a wax-base rust-
roofing in the body cavities which
will last for the lifetime of the
vehicle. Post-production treatment
is neither necessary nor recom­
mended by MERCEDES-BENZ be­
cause of the possibility of incompa­
tibility between materials used in
the production process and others
applied later.
After every engine cleaning you
should have the engine compart­
ment re-rustproofed with MB anti­
corrosion wax. Before rustproofing,
all control linkage bushings have to
be lubricated with hydraulic oil
(check with your local MERCEDES-
BENZ dealership for recommended
brands).
We have selected car-care pro­
ducts and compiled recommenda­
tions which are specially matched
to our vehicles and which always
reflect the latest technology. You
can obtain MB car-care products at
every MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, cor­
rosion or damage due to negligent
or incorrect care cannot always be
removed with the car-care products
recommended here. In such cases
it is best to seek aid at your autho­
rized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
The following topics deal with the
cleaning and care of your vehicle
and give important "how-to" infor­
mation as well as references to
recommended MB car-care pro­
ducts.