Mercedes-Benz 350 SDL Owner's Manual page 90

Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle
Warning!
Many cleaning products can be
hazardous. Some are poisonous,
others are flammable. Always fol­
low the instructions on the par­
ticular container. Always open
your car's doors or windows
when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that
are not designed for cleaning
your car.
In operation, your vehicle is subjected
to varying external influences 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 condi­
tions, but also by air pollution, road
salt, tar, gravel and stone chipping.
Grease and oil, fuel, coolant, brake
fluid, bird droppings, tree resins, etc.
88
should be removed immediately to
avoid paint damage. Frequent
washing, however, reduces and/or
eliminates the aggressiveness and
potency of the above adverse influ­
ences.
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 operation.
You should check your vehicle from
time to time for stone chipping or
other damage. Any damage should be
repaired as soon as possible to
prevent the start of corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the
underside 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 rustproofing
in the body cavities which will last for
the lifetime of the vehicle. Post­
production treatment is neither
necessary nor recommended by
MERCEDES-BENZ because of the
possibility of incompatibility between
materials used in the production
process and others applied later.
We have selected car-care products
and compiled recommendations which
are specially matched to our vehicles
and which always reflect the latest
technology. You can obtain MB car-
care products at your authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
Scratches, corrosive deposits,
corrosion or damage due to negligent
or incorrect care cannot always be
removed or repaired with the car-care
products recommended here. In such
cases it is best to seek aid at your
authorized MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
The following topics deal with the
cleaning and care of your vehicle and
give important "how-to" information as
well as references to recommended
MB car-care products.