Get Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care Guide for Mercedes GLA SUV Second Generation (2020-2026)

Cleaning and care

Information on washing the vehicle in a car wash

WARNING Risk of an accident due to

reduced braking power aer washing the

vehicle

Braking eciency is reduced aer washing the

vehicle.

Aer the vehicle has been washed, brake

carefully while paying attention to the

trac conditions until braking power has

been fully restored.

NOTE Damage from automatic braking

If one of the following functions is activated,

the vehicle will brake automatically in certain

situations:

Active Brake Assist

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC

HOLD function

Active Parking Assist

To avoid damaging the vehicle, deactivate

these systems e.g. during towing or in the car

wash.

NOTE Damage due to unsuitable car wash

Before driving into a car wash make sure

that the car wash is suitable for the vehi-

cle dimensions.

Ensure there is sucient ground clear-

ance between the underbody and the

guide rails of the car wash.

Ensure that the clearance width of the

car wash, in particular the width of the

guide rails, is sucient.

To avoid damage to your vehicle when using a car

wash, ensure the following beforehand:

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-

ted.

the HOLD function is switched o.

the 360° Camera or the reversing camera is

switched o.

the side windows and sliding sunroof are com-

pletely closed.

the blower for the ventilation and heating is

switched o.

the windscreen wiper switch is in position g.

the key is at a minimum distance of 3 m away

from the vehicle. Otherwise the tailgate could

open unintentionally.

for car washes with a conveyor system:

neutral i is engaged.

If you would like to leave the vehicle while

it is being washed, make sure the key is

located in the vehicle. The park position

j is otherwise automatically engaged.

If, aer the car wash, you remove the wax

from the windscreen and wiper rubbers, this

will prevent smearing and reduce wiper noise.

Car wash mode

In car wash mode, the vehicle is prepared for driv-

ing into the automatic car wash. Car wash mode

Maintenance and care

585

F247 0074 02

can be activated up to a speed of 20 km/h

(/ page 586).

The following settings will be adjusted when car

wash mode is activated:

The outside mirrors will be folded in.

To prevent the windscreen washer system

from starting up automatically, the rain sensor

will be deactivated.

The rear window wiper will be deactivated.

The windows and the sliding sunroof will be

closed.

Air-recirculation mode will be activated.

Parking Assist PARKTRONIC will be deactiva-

ted.

Vehicles with 360° camera: the front image

will be activated aer approx. eight seconds.

If one of the settings cannot be selected, this will

be indicated by a % next to the respective set-

ting.

Car wash mode is automatically deactivated

above a speed of 20 km/h.

The following settings will be reset when car wash

mode is deactivated:

The outside mirrors will be folded out.

The rain sensor will be activated.

The rear window wiper will be activated.

Air-recirculation mode will be deactivated.

Parking Assist PARKTRONIC will be reset to

the previously selected setting.

The windows and the sliding sunroof will

remain closed.

Vehicles with 360° camera: the front image

will be deactivated at speeds above 18 km/h.

Activating/deactivating car wash mode

Requirements

The vehicle is stationary.

The vehicle is switched on.

Multimedia system:

Settings

Vehicle

Driving

Activating car wash mode

Select Car wash mode.

Select Activate.

If one of the settings cannot be selected, this will

be shown by a % next to the respective set-

ting.

For an overview of the settings made when

you activate car wash mode (/ page 29).

Deactivating car wash mode

Select Switch off.

The settings of car wash mode will be reset.

Car wash mode is automatically deactivated

as soon as your speed exceeds 20 km/h.

586

Maintenance and care

F247 0074 02

Information on using a high-pressure cleaner

WARNING Risk of an accident when using

high-pressure cleaners with round-spray

nozzles

The water jet can cause externally invisible

damage.

Components damaged in this way may unex-

pectedly fail.

Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with

round-spray nozzles.

Have damaged tyres or chassis parts

replaced immediately.

To avoid damage to your vehicle, observe the fol-

lowing when using a high-pressure cleaner:

The key is at a minimum distance of 3 m from

the vehicle. Otherwise the tailgate could open

unintentionally.

Maintain a distance of at least 30 cm to the

vehicle.

Vehicles with decorative foil: Parts of your

vehicle are covered with a decorative foil.

Maintain a distance of at least 70 cm between

the foil-covered parts of the vehicle and the

nozzle of the high-pressure cleaner. Move the

nozzle of the high-pressure cleaner around

while cleaning. The water temperature of the

high-pressure cleaner must not exceed 60°C.

Observe the information on the correct dis-

tance in the equipment manufacturer's oper-

ating instructions.

Do not direct the nozzle of the high-pressure

cleaner directly at sensitive parts, e.g. tyres,

gaps, electrical components, batteries, illumi-

nants or louvres.

Washing the vehicle by hand

NOTE Engine damage due to water ingress

Take care not to point the water jet

directly towards the air inlet grille below

the bonnet.

Observe the relevant legal requirements (e.g. in

some countries, washing by hand is permitted

only in specially designated wash bays).

Use a mild cleaning agent (e.g. car shampoo).

Do not use acidic cleaning agents.

Wash the vehicle with lukewarm water using a

so car sponge. When doing so, do not

expose the vehicle to direct sunlight.

Carefully hose the vehicle o with water and

dry using a chamois.

Observe the notes on the care of car parts

(/ page 589).

Notes on paintwork/matt nish paintwork care

To avoid damaging the paintwork and interfering

with the driving assistance systems, please

observe the following notes:

Paint

Insect remains: soak with insect remover and

rinse o the treated areas aerwards.

Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse o

aerwards.

Tree resin, oils, fuels and greases: remove by

rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in petro-

leum ether or lighter uid.

Maintenance and care

587

F247 0074 02

Coolant and brake uid: remove with a damp

cloth and clean water.

Tar stains: use tar remover.

Wax: use silicone remover.

Do not attach stickers, foil or similar materials.

Only have foil attached to the bumper at a

qualied specialist workshop.

Remove dirt immediately, where possible. Do

not use acid solutions and acidic cleaners.

Matt nish

Only use care products approved for

Mercedes-Benz.

Do not attach stickers, foils or similar materi-

als. Only have foil attached to the bumper at a

qualied specialist workshop.

Do not polish the vehicle and light-alloy

wheels.

Only use car washes that correspond to the

latest engineering standards.

Do not use car wash programmes with a nal

hot wax treatment.

Do not use paint cleaners, bung or polishing

products, gloss preservers, .

In the event of paintwork damage:

Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a

qualied specialist workshop.

Make sure the radar sensors are working

(/ page 321).

Notes on cleaning decorative lms

Observe the "Notes on paintwork / matt nish

paintwork care" (/ page 587). They also apply to

matt decorative lms.

Observe the notes on cleaning decorative lms to

avoid damage.

Cleaning

For cleaning, use plenty of water and a mild

cleaning agent without additives or abrasive

substances (e.g. a car shampoo approved for

Mercedes-Benz).

Do not use acidic cleaning agents.

Remove dirt as soon as possible. Avoid rub-

bing too hard in order not to damage the dec-

orative lm irreparably.

If there is dirt on the nish or if the decorative

lm is dull: use the paint cleaner recommen-

ded and approved for Mercedes-Benz.

Insect remains: soak with insect remover and

rinse o the treated areas aerwards.

Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse o

aerwards.

To prevent water stains, dry a lm-wrapped

vehicle with a so, absorbent cloth aer every

car wash.

Avoiding damage to the decorative lm

The service life and colouring of decorative

lms are impaired by:

Sunlight

Temperature (e.g. hot air blower)

Weather conditions

Stone chippings and dirt

Chemical cleaning agents

Oily products

588

Maintenance and care

F247 0074 02

Do not use polish on matt decorative lm. Pol-

ishing will have the eect of shining the lm-

wrapped surface.

Do not treat matt or structured decorative

lms with wax. Permanent stains may occur.

Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas aected by

corrosion and damage caused by incorrect care

cannot always be completely repaired. In this

case, contact a qualied specialist workshop.

You can obtain more information on care and

cleaning agents from the manufacturer.

In the case of lm-wrapped surfaces, visual dier-

ences may occur between the surfaces that were

not protected by a decorative lm aer a decora-

tive lm has been removed.

Have work or repairs to decorative lms car-

ried out at a qualied specialist workshop

(e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre).

Notes on cleaning and care of car parts

WARNING Risk of entrapment if the wind-

screen wipers are switched on while the

windscreen is being cleaned

If the windscreen wipers are set in motion

while you are cleaning the windscreen or

wiper blades, you can be trapped by the wiper

arm.

Always switch o the windscreen wipers

and the vehicle before cleaning the wind-

screen or wiper blades.

NOTE Damage due to use of acidic clean-

ing agents

Do not use acidic cleaning agents. Oth-

erwise, the surfaces could be damaged.

To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the notes

on cleaning and care of the following car parts:

Wheels and rims

Use water and acid-free alloy wheel cleaners.

Do not use acidic alloy wheel cleaners to

remove brake dust. This could damage wheel

bolts and brake components.

To avoid corrosion of the brake discs and

pads, drive the vehicle for a few minutes aer

cleaning before parking it. The brake discs and

pads will warm up and dry out.

Windows

NOTE Damage to electronic components

due to excess uids

When cleaning the windows from the inside,

uids such as cleaning agents or water may

run down and get behind trim parts of the

vehicle interior and cause damage to elec-

tronic components.

Use cleaning agents as sparingly as pos-

sible.

Immediately absorb any excess uids.

Clean the windows inside and outside with a

damp cloth and with a cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Maintenance and care

589

F247 0074 02

Do not use dry cloths or abrasive or solvent-

based cleaning agents to clean the insides of

windows.

Aer changing the wiper blades or treating

the vehicle with wax, clean the windscreen

thoroughly with cleaning agents recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz. Failure to observe the

application instructions may result in damage,

smear marks or dazzling spots.

Remove external fogging or dirt on the wind-

screen in front of the multifunction camera.

Otherwise, driving systems and driving safety

systems may be impaired or unavailable

(/ page 321).

Wiper blades

Move the wiper arms into the replacement

position (/ page 27).

With the wiper arms folded out, clean the

wiper blades with a damp cloth.

Note that the wiper blades are coated. The

coating may leave residue on a cloth. Do not

rub the wiper blades excessively or clean

them too oen.

Exterior lighting

Clean the lenses with a wet sponge and mild

cleaning agent, such as car shampoo.

Use only cleaning agents or cleaning cloths

that are suitable for plastic lenses.

Vehicle socket (high-voltage battery)

Use clean water and a so cloth to clean the

vehicle socket.

Do not use high-pressure cleaners or cleaning

agents, such as soap.

Sensors

Clean the sensors in the front and rear part of

the vehicle with car shampoo, plenty of water

and a so cloth (/ page 321).

When using a high-pressure cleaner, maintain

a minimum distance of 30 cm.

Cameras

Use clean water and a so cloth to clean the

camera lenses.

Do not use a high-pressure cleaner.

Trailer hitch

Observe the notes on care in the trailer hitch

manufacturer's owner's manual.

Do not clean the ball neck with a high-pres-

sure cleaner or solvent.

Remove traces of rust on the ball, e.g. with a

wire brush.

Remove dirt with a lint-free cloth.

Aer cleaning, lightly oil or grease the ball

head.

Before using trailers with anti-swerve cou-

pling, note the manufacturer's owner's man-

ual.

Notes on care of the interior

WARNING Risk of injury from plastic parts

breaking o aer the use of solvent-based

care products

Care and cleaning products containing sol-

vents can cause surfaces in the cockpit to

590

Maintenance and care

F247 0074 02

become porous. When the airbags are

deployed, plastic parts may break away.

Do not use any care or cleaning products

containing solvents to clean the cockpit.

WARNING Risk of injury or fatal injuries

from bleached seat belts

Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can severely

weaken them.

This can, for example, cause seat belts to tear

or fail in an accident.

Never bleach or dye seat belts.

NOTE Property damage due to disinfec-

tants

The interior includes a number of sensitive

surfaces such as displays, plastics and

leather.

Disinfectants can contain alcohol and other

substances that penetrate and damage surfa-

ces. Technology behind buttons and displays

can also be damaged.

Do not use disinfectant on interior surfa-

ces.

To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the fol-

lowing notes on cleaning and care:

Seat belts

Clean with lukewarm and soapy water.

Do not use chemical cleaning agents.

Do not dry by heating them to over 80°C or

exposing them to direct sunlight.

Display

Switch o the display and let it cool down.

Clean the surface carefully with a microbre

cloth and a suitable display care product (TFT-

LCD).

Do not use any other agents.

Head-up display

Clean with a so, non-static, lint-free cloth.

Do not use cleaning agents.

Plastic trim

Clean with a damp microbre cloth.

For heavy soiling: Use a cleaner recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not attach stickers, lms or similar materi-

als.

Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or

sun cream to come in contact with the plastic

trim.

Real wood and trim elements

Clean with a microbre cloth.

Black piano-lacquer look: clean with a damp

cloth and soapy water.

For heavy soiling: Use a cleaner recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents, pol-

ishes or waxes.

Roof lining

Clean with a brush or dry shampoo.

Carpet

Use a carpet and textile cleaning agent recom-

mended for Mercedes-Benz.

Maintenance and care

591

F247 0074 02

Imitation leather steering wheel

Clean the entire steering wheel with a damp

cotton cloth and a 1% soap solution. Do not

spot clean.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use a microbre cloth.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Steering wheel made of genuine leather or DINA-

MICA

NOTE Damage caused by wrong cleaners

Do not use solvent-based cleaning

agents such as tar remover or wheel

cleaner; neither should you use polishes

or waxes. Otherwise you may damage

the nish.

Clean with a damp cloth and a 1% soap solu-

tion and then wipe with a dry cloth.

For heavy soiling: Use a cleaner recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Leather care: Use a leather care agent that

has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not allow the leather to become too damp.

Do not use a microbre cloth.

Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural

surface properties, such as dierences in

structure, marks caused by growth and injury

or subtle colour dierences. These surface

properties are special features of leather and

not material defects. Furthermore, leather is

subject to a natural ageing process in which

the surface properties change.

Genuine leather seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then clean the seat covers with a damp cotton

cloth and wipe down with a dry cloth. Regu-

larly clean the seat covers.

For heavy soiling: use a leather care agent rec-

ommended for Mercedes-Benz aercare.

Leather care: Use a leather care agent that

has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use a microbre cloth.

Do not allow the leather to become too damp.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural

surface properties, such as dierences in

structure, marks caused by growth and injury

or subtle colour dierences. These surface

properties are special features of leather and

not material defects. Furthermore, leather is

subject to a natural ageing process in which

the surface properties change.

Waves or wrinkling in the seat cover may

occur due to the stress on the seat; this is

caused by the natural leather material.

Regular cleaning and care of the leather

reduces soiling, wear marks and ageing dam-

age and thus signicantly extends its life

span. Clothing that can leave stains (e.g.

jeans) may discolour the leather.

DINAMICA seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp cloth to clean.

Do not use a microbre cloth.

592

Maintenance and care

F247 0074 02

Imitation leather seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp cotton cloth and a 1% soap

solution to clean the entire seat cover. Do not

spot clean.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use a microbre cloth.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Cloth seat covers

Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and

then use a damp microbre cloth and a 1%

soap solution to clean the entire seat cover.

Do not spot clean.

Use cleaning and care products recommen-

ded for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-

ucts.

Maintenance and care

593

F247 0074 02

Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care for Your Mercedes GLA SUV Second Generation (2020-2026)

Related Topics

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals