Mercedes-Benz E-Class Owner's Manual page 376

Care
374
Cleaning the paintwork
! Do not affix:
stickers
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films
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magnetic plates or similar items
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to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X
Remove impurities immediately, where
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X
Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X
Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards.
X
Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X
Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X
Use silicone remover to remove wax.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork
!
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork
shiny.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable mate-
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rials.
Frequent use of car washes.
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Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
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! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or pol-
ishing products, or gloss preserver, e.g.
wax. These products are only suitable for
high-gloss surfaces. Their use on vehicles
with matt finish leads to considerable sur-
face damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs performed
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a
clear matt finish. This will help you to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
treatment.
These notes also apply to light-alloy wheels
with a clear matt finish.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
i
Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
! Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight 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. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up.
Cleaning the windows
G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers are set in motion
when cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, you could become trapped. There is a
danger of injury.