Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.6 1989 Owner's Manual page 91

Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle
In operation, your vehicle is subjected
to varying external influences which, if
gone unchecked, can attack the paint­
work 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.
should be removed immediately to
avoid paint damage. Frequent wash­
ing, however, reduces and/or elimi­
nates the aggressiveness 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 emis­
sions), or during winter operation.
You should check your vehicle from
time to time for stone chipping or other
damage. Any damage should be re­
paired as soon as possible to prevent
the start of corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the under­
side 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 re­
commended by MERCEDES-BENZ
because of the possibility of incom­
patibility 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, corro­
sion or damage due to negligent or in­
correct care cannot always be re­
moved 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.