Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Operator's Manual page 226

Care
224
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
! When washing your vehicle in a tow-
through car wash, use the SmartKey
instead of the Start/Stop button.
Start the engine using the SmartKey.. Move
the transmission to N with the E-SELECT
lever. Use the SmartKey to switch the
engine off again and then turn the Smart-
Key to position 2. Make sure that you then
leave the SmartKey in position 2. You may
otherwise damage the vehicle, the trans-
mission or the car wash.
Check the transmission position in the
instrument cluster.
! Use the E‑SELECT lever to shift the trans-
mission to N before switching the engine
off. If you open the driver's or front-
passenger door, the transmission remains
in this position for up to 30 minutes if the
SmartKey is in the ignition, even if the
engine is switched off. If you do not shift the
transmission to N using the E‑SELECT lever
beforehand, it shifts automatically to park-
ing position P and locks the wheels if the
driver's or front-passenger door is opened
and the engine is switched off. This may
damage the vehicle, the transmission or
the car wash.
Observe the information on maneuvering
( page 131).
Y
! Before driving into an automatic car wash,
make sure that it is suitable for the dimen-
sions of the vehicle. In particular, make
sure that:
there is enough ground clearance
R
between the vehicle underbody and the
guide rails of the automatic car wash.
the clearance width of the automatic car
R
wash is sufficient, particularly the width
of the guide rails.
you enter the automatic car wash
R
straight and in the center of the guide
rails in order to avoid damaging the tires
or wheel rims.
Fold in the exterior mirrors before the vehi-
cle is washed. The exterior mirrors could
otherwise be damaged.
! Make sure that:
the side windows and the roof are com-
R
pletely closed
the climate control blower is switched off
R
the windshield wiper switch is at position
R
0
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
! In portal car washes, the windshield wip-
ers may be moved up the windshield by the
cleaning brushes when the ignition is
switched off.
Set the Start/Stop button to key position 2
to reset the windshield wipers to their orig-
inal position.
! Preferably use automatic car washes with
adjustable high-pressure pre-cleaning. This
corresponds with the specification for the
Cabriolet program. In car washes that use
high water pressures, there is a risk that a
small amount of water may leak into the
vehicle.
! Cabriolet: do not treat the vehicle with
hot wax under any circumstances.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax and drying agents from the windshield
and the wiper blades. This will prevent smears