Cleaning And Care Of The Vehicle - Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL 1986 Owner's Manual

Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle

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.
should be removed immediately to
avoid paint damage. Frequent wash­
ing, however, reduces and/or elimi­
nates the aggressiveness and poten­
cy 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 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 pre­
vent the start of corrosion.
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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 in­
spection. 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-pro-
duction treatment is neither necessary
nor recommended by MERCEDES-
BENZ because of the possibility of in­
compatibility between materials used
in the production process and others
applied later.
After every engine cleaning you
should have the engine compartment
re-rustproofed with MB anticorrosion
wax. Before rustproofing, all control
linkage bushings have to be lubri­
cated with hydraulic oil (check with
your local MERCEDES-BENZ dealer­
ship for recommended brands).
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 every
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corro­
sion or damage due to negligent or
incorrect care cannot always be re­
moved with the car-care products re­
commended 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 recom­
mended MB car-care products.