Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 2007 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 340)

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 (
୴ page 178) or auto-
matic climate control ( ୴ 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 to 0 ( ୴ 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.