maintenance MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2011 User Guide

and windscree
nwasher concentrate (e.g.
MB SummerFit).
X At temperatures below freezing: fill the
washe rfluid reservoir with amix of water
and windscreen washer concentrate (e.g.
MB WinterFit). Adapt the mixing ratio to the
outside temperatures.
X To open: pull cap:upwards by the tab.
X Top up with the premixed washer fluid.
X To close: press cap :onto the filler neck
until it engages. Maintenance
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Service messages Information on the type of service and service
intervals (see separate Service Booklet).
You can obtain further information from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
The ASSYST PLUS service interval display
informs you when the nex
tservice is due.
If a service due date has been exceeded, you
also hear an acoustic signal.
The multifunction display shows a service
message for a few seconds, e.g.
Next service A due in .. days Service A due
Service A overdue by ... days
The letter indicates which service is due.
Astands for a minor service and
B for a major
service. A number or another letter may be
displayed after the letter. This figure indicates
any necessary additional maintenance work
to be performed.
If you report this displayed information to a
qualified specialist workshop, for example a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, they can
infor myou of the costs the service will incur.
The ASSYST PLUS service interval display
does not take into account any periods of
time during which the battery is disconnec-
ted. Maintaining the time-dependent service
schedule:
X
Note down the service due date displayed
in the multifunction display before discon-
necting the battery.
or
X Subtract the battery disconnection periods
from the service date shown on the display
after reconnecting the battery.
i The ASSYST PLUS service interval display
does not show any information on the
engine oil level. Observe the notes on the
engine oil level (Y page 323).
Hiding aservice message X
4-button multifunction steering wheel:
press C.
X 12-button multifunction steering
wheel: press%ora.
Displaying service messages X
Switch on the ignition.
4-button multifunction steering wheel
X Use V to selec tthe Service menu.
The service due date appears in the multi-
function display.
12-button multifunction steering wheel
X Press the =or; button to select the
Service menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
ASSYST PLUS submenu and confirm by
pressing the abutton.
The service due date appears in the multi-
function display.
Points to remember Resetting the ASSYST PLUS service inter-
val display
Aq
ualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Ben zService Centre, will reset the
ASSYST PLUS service interval display after 326
MaintenanceMaintenance and care

the necessary service work has been carried
out.
You can obtain further information, e.g.
regarding service work, fro maMercedes-
Benz Service Centre or directly from
Mercedes-Benz.
! If the ASSYST PLUS service interval dis-
play has been inadvertently reset, this set-
ting can be corrected at a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
Have service work carried out as described
in the Service Booklet. This may otherwise
lead to increased wear and damage to the
major assemblies or the vehicle.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. The
Service Hotline's current telephone numbers
for use when you are abroad are to be found
in the "Mercedes-Benz Service24h" section
of the Service Booklet. Care
Notes on care
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film. H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
! 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. Care of the exterior
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, following a car wash, drive with
particular care until the brakes are dry.
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.
! Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is in position Nwhen washing your
vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The vehi-
cle could be damaged if the transmission is
in another position.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper Care
327Maintenance and care Z

blades. This will preven
tsmears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicl ewith a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposit scarefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
Do no tuse high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your
vehicle, in particular the tyres. You could oth-
erwise damage the tyres and cause an acci-
dent.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high-
pressure cleaner nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle. Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R
tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
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 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, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X
Remove impurities immediately,w here
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. 328
CareMaintenance and care

X
Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighte rfluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork If your vehicle has a clear mat
tfinish, observe
the following instructions in order to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
care.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels
with a clear mat tfinish.
! Neve rpolish 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:
R Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable mate-
rials.
R Frequent use of car washes.
R Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
! 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. 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 the windows G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning
the windscreen or the wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Start/Stop
button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injure you.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away
from the windscreen when vertical. Other-
wise, you will damage the bonnet.
X Clean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent that is recommended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Do not touch the insides of the windows
with hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or
ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging
the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windscreen and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away.T his
can lead to corrosion damage and damage
to electronic components.
Cleaning the wiper blades G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning Care
329Maintenance and care
Z

the windscree
northe wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Start/Stop
button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injure you.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away
from the windscreen when vertical. Other-
wise, you will damage the bonnet.
! Do not pull on the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen.
X Cleant he wiper blades carefully using a
damp cloth.
X Fold the windscreen wipers back again
before switching on the ignition.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windscreen could be damaged if
the wiper arm hits against it suddenly.
Cleaning the exterior lighting X
Cleant he plastic lenses of the exterior
lighting using a wet sponge and a mild
cleaning agent, e.g. Mercedes-Ben zcar
shampoo or cleaning cloths.
! Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths that are suitable for plastic lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths could scratch or damage the plastic
lenses of the exterior lighting. Cleaning the sensors
X
Clean sensors :of the driving systems
with water, car shampoo and a sof tcloth.
! If you clean the sensors with a high-pres-
sure cleaner, make sure that you keep a
distance of at least 30 cm between the
vehicle and the high-pressure cleaner noz-
zle. Information about the correct distance
is available fro mthe equipment manufac-
turer.
Cleaning the reversing camera Example: Saloon
X
Use clear water and a soft cloth to clean
camera lens :.
! Do not clean the camera lens and the area
around the reversing camera with a high-
pressure cleaner. 330
CareMaintenance and care

Cleaning the exhaust tail pipes
Impurities combined with th
eeffects of road
grit and corrosive environmental factors may
cause flash rust to form on the surface. You
can restore the original shine of the exhaust
tail pipe by cleaning it regularly, especially in
winter and after washing.
! Do not clea nthe exhaust tail pipes with
alkaline-based cleaning agents, such as
wheel cleaner.
X Cleant he exhaust tail pipes with a chrome
care product tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Cleaning the trailer tow hitch The ball coupling must be cleaned if it
becomes dirty or corroded.
X Remove rust, e.g. with a wire brush.
X Remove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or
a brush.
! Do not clean the ball coupling with a high-
pressure cleaner. Do not use solvents. X
After cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling :.
X Check that the vehicle's trailer tow hitch is
working properly.
! Observe the note on care provided by the
trailer manufacturer.
i You can also have the maintenance work
on the ball coupling and the trailer tow hitch
carried out by a qualified specialist work-
shop. H
Environmental note
Dispose of oily and greasy cloths in an envi-
ronmentally-responsible manner. Interior care
Cleaning the display X
Before cleaning the display, make sure that
it is switched off and has cooled down.
X Cleant he display surface using a commer-
cially-available microfibre cloth and TFT/
LCD display cleaner.
X Dry the display surface using a dry micro-
fibre cloth.
! For cleaning, do not use any of the fol-
lowing:
R alcohol-based thinner or petrol
R abrasive cleaning agents
R commercially-available household clean-
ing agents
These may damage the display surface. Do
not put pressure on the display surface
when cleaning. This could lead to irrepara-
ble damage to the display.
Cleaning the plastic trim G
WARNING
When cleaning the steering wheel boss and
dashboard, do not use cockpit sprays or
cleaning agents containing solvents. Cleaning
agents containing solvents cause the surface
to become porous, and as aresult plastic
parts may break away and be thrown around
the interior when an airbag is deployed, which
may result in severe injuries.
! Do not affix the following to plastic surfa-
ces:
R stickers
R films
R scented oil bottles or similar items
You could otherwise damage the plastic. Care
331Maintenance and care Z

!
Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent
or sunscreen to come in contact with the
plastic trim. This maintains the high-quality
look of the surfaces.
X Wipe the plastic trim with a damp, lint-free
cloth, e.g. a microfibre cloth.
X Heavy soiling: use car care and cleaning
products recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
The surface may change colour tempora-
rily. Wait until the surface is dry again.
Cleaning the steering wheel and gear or
selector lever X
Thoroughly wipe with a damp cloth or use
leather care agents that have been recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Cleaning wooden trim and trim ele-
ments X
Wipe the wooden trim and trim pieces with
a damp, lint-free cloth, e.g. a microfibre
cloth.
X Heavy soiling: use car care and cleaning
products recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents
such as tar remover, wheel cleaners, pol-
ishes or waxes. There is otherwise a risk of
damaging the surface.
Cleaning the seat covers !
Do not use microfibre cloths to clean gen-
uine leather, artificial leather or
Alcantara® covers. If used often, these can
damage the cover.
! Observe the following when cleaning:
R clean genuine leather covers carefully
with a damp cloth and then wipe the cov-
ers down with a dry cloth. Make sure that
the leather does not become soaked. It
may otherwise become rough and
cracked. Only use leather care agents that have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.Y
ou can obtain these
from a qualified specialist workshop, e.g.
a Mercedes-Benz Service centre.
R clean artificial leather covers with a cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e.g. washing-up liquid).
R clean cloth covers with a microfibre cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e.g. washing-up liquid). Rub
carefully and always wipe entire seat sec-
tions to avoid leaving visible lines. Leave
the seat to dry afterwards. Cleaning
results depend on the type of dirt and
how long it has been there.
R clean Alcantara® covers with a damp
cloth. Make sure you wipe entire seat
sections to avoid leaving visible lines.
i Note that regular care is essential to
ensure that the appearance and comfor tof
the covers is retained ove rtime.
Cleaning the seat belts X
Use clean, lukewarm water and soap solu-
tion.
! Do not clean the seat belts using chemical
cleaning agents. Do not dry the seatbelts
at temperatures above 80 †orby exposing
them to direc tsunlight.
Cleaning the roo flining and carpets X
Roof lining: use a soft brush or a cleaning
agent recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Ben zto remove heavy soiling.
X Carpets: use the carpet and textile clean-
ing agents recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. 332
CareMaintenance and care

H
Environmental note
Daimler AG also supplies reconditioned
assemblies and parts which are of the same
quality as new parts. For these, the same war-
ranty applies as for new parts.
Always specify the vehicle identification num-
ber (VIN) (Y page 379) and the engine num-
ber (Y page 379) when ordering genuine
Mercedes-Ben zparts. Vehicle electronics
Tampering with the engine electron-
ics
G
WARNING
Only have work on the engine electronics and
related components carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out
the work required. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Ben zService
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, the vehicle's
roadworthiness could be affected.
! Only have maintenance work on the
engine electronics and its associated parts,
such as control units, sensors and connec-
tor leads, carried out at a qualified special-
ist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Vehicle componentsm ay other-
wise wear more quickly and the vehicle's
operating permit may be invalidated. Retrofitting of two-way radios and
mobile phones (RF transmitters)
Use the Technical Specification
ISO/TS 21609 30
implementation regulation
when retrofitting RF (radio frequency) trans-
mitters. If your vehicle has fittings for two-way radio
equipment, use the power supply or aerial
connections intended for use with the basic
wiring. Be sure to observe the manufacturer's
additional instructions when installing the fit-
tings.
!
Have aftermarket radio frequency trans-
mitting equipmen tinstalled at a qualified
specialist workshop .Mercedes-Benzr ec-
ommends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose.
The transmission output at the aerial base
must not exceed the maximum values below. Waveband Maximum trans-
mission output
(PEAK)
Short wave
(f < 54 MHz) 100 W
4 m waveband 30 W
2 m waveband 50 W
Trunked radio/Tetra 35 W
70 cm waveband 35 W
GSM 900/AMPS 10 W
GSM 1800 10 W
UMTS 10 W
The following aerial positions may be used if
RF transmitters have been properly installed:
30 ISO/TS 2160 9–Technical Specification for Road Vehicles (EMC) guidelines for installation of aftermarket
radio frequency transmitting equipment. Vehicle electronics
377Technical data Z