wipers MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2007 User Guide

339 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax should be applied to
the engine compartment after every en-
gine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Use only a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a
diffused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control (
page 178) or auto-
matic climate control (
page 189) to
air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
!Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 56). Otherwise, the rain
sensor* could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.

340 Operation
Vehicle care
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.Headlamps, tail lamps, side makers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 56).
With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 37).
iAfter running the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, wipe any wax off of the
windshield (
page 340). This will prevent
smears and reduce wiping noise which can be
caused by residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.
!Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use a
damp cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of which
you are sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome
cleaner. If in doubt whether an ornamental mold-
ing is chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Only use window cleaners that are suitable
for plastic lamp lenses. Window cleaning solu-
tions which are not suitable may damage the
plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. Therefore,
do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners that
contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and use only a soft,
non-scratchy cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do
not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.
!The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the windshield and/or the wip-
er blades. Otherwise, the wiper motor could
suddenly turn on and cause injury.

399 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Placing wiper arms in vertical position
1Wiper arms
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 (
page 37).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 56).
With wiper arms 1 in vertical position,
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
Remover the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise, the motor could suddenly turn
on and cause injury.
Warning!G
Wiper blades are components that are
subject to wear and tear. Replace the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the windows will not be
properly wiped. As a result, you may not
be able to observe surrounding traffic condi-
tions and could cause an accident.
!To avoid damage to the hood:

The wiper arms should only be folded for-
ward when in the vertical position.

Never open the hood when a wiper arm is
folded forward.
!Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper
arm back. If released, the force of the impact
from the tensioning spring could crack the wind-
shield.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact the wind-
shield glass without a wiper blade inserted.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

454 Index
Combination switch 113
High beam flasher 113
High beam headlamps 55, 113
Low beam headlamps 55
Turn signals 55
Windshield wipers 56
Control system 121
Control system menus 124
AMG 128
AUDIO 133
NAV* 135
Settings 136
Standard display 127
TEL* 149
Trip computer 148
Vehicle status message memory 135Control system submenus
Convenience* 147
Instrument cluster 139
Lighting 143
Time/Date 141
Vehicle 146
Convenience opening/closing*
Power windows 238
Retractable hardtop 244
Coolant 448
Adding water 293
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 449
Checking coolant level 300
Messages in the multifunction
display 368–370
Technical data 444
Temperature 289
Temperature gauge (Multifunction
display) 127Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 114
Replacing bulbs 393
Cruise control 247
Messages in the multifunction
display 358
Cup holder 254
Curb weight 328
D
Date (Control system) 142
Daytime running lamp mode 111
Setting 143
Deep water see Standing water
Defrosting
Rear window 170
Windshield (Automatic climate
control*) 188
Windshield (Climate control) 177

458 Index
H
Hard plastic trim items, cleaning 342
Hazard warning flasher 115, 116
Head restraint height (Seats) 42
Headlamps
Bi-Xenon* 394
Cleaning system* 168, 302, 450
Night security illumination (Control
system) 144
Switching off 61
Switching on 55
Headliner, cleaning 342
Head-thorax air bag 70
Heating
Seats* 104
Steering wheel* 276
High beam
Flasher 113
Headlamps 55, 113
Headlamps, bulbs 394
High beam headlamps 109
High mounted brake lamp 395
High-performance brake system 281
Hood 294
Horn 25
Hydroplaning 284I
Identification labels see Labels
Ignition (Position in starter switch) 37
Immobilizer see Anti-theft systems
Infant and child restraint systems see
Children in the vehicle
Instrument cluster 27, 118
Clock 120
Lamps, indicator and warning 346
Overview 26
Instruments and controls see Cockpit
Interior rear view mirror see Mirrors
Intermittent/interval wiping see
Windshield wipers
J
Jack (Vehicle tool kit) 382
Lifting vehicle 407
Lowering vehicle 413
Jump starting 419K
Kickdown 159
Kilopascal 328
Knee bag see Air bags
L
Labels 430
Lamp in center console 354
Lamps in instrument cluster 346
Lamps, indicator and warning
ABS 346, 347
Battery (SmartKey) 97
Brakes 348
CHECK ENGINE 349
ESP
®87, 350
Passenger front air bag off 74, 354
Fuel reserve 353
Passenger front air bag off 354
Seat belts 351–352
SRS 65, 353

468 Index
Vehicle loading terminology 327
Vehicle status message memory menu
(Control system) 135
Vehicle tool kit 32, 382
Collapsible wheel chock 384
Vehicle washing see Vehicle care
VIN 431
W
Warning sounds
Anti-theft alarm system 90
Exterior lighting 62, 99, 109
Maintenance service indicator 335
Panic alarm 83
Parking brake 53, 348
Seat belts 78, 351, 352
Tow-away alarm 91
Warranty coverage 429Washing the vehicle see Vehicle care
Wear pattern (Tires) 331
Weights 442
Wheel bolts 386
Wheel chock (Vehicle tool kit) 382
Wheel wrench (Vehicle tool kit) 382
Wheels
Tightening torque 413
Wheels see Tires
Where will I find...? 382
Wind screen* 246
Windows see Power windows
Windshield
Washer fluid reservoir 302
Washer system 450
Windshield wipers 56
Replacing wiper blades 399
Wiper blades, cleaning 340Winter driving 332
Instructions 286
Snow chains 333
Tires 332
Winter tires 332
Wood trims
Cleaning 343