Get Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care Guide for Mercedes GLC Class SUV First Generation (2015-2021)

428 Maintenance and care

Keeping the air-water duct free

R

the SmartKey is at a minimum distance of

10 ft (3 m) away from the vehicle, otherwise

the tailgate could open unintentionally.

in car washes with a conveyor system: neu‐

tral i is engaged.

NOTE Damage due to unsuitable car

*

wash

#

Keep the area between the hood and the

windshield free of deposits, e.g. ice, snow

and leaves.

#

Before driving into a car wash make

sure that the car wash is suitable for

the vehicle dimensions.

% In car washes with a conveyor system: if you

would like to leave the vehicle while it is

being washed, make sure the SmartKey is

located in the vehicle. The park position j

is otherwise automatically engaged.

% If, after the car wash, you remove the wax

from the windshield and wiper rubbers, this

will prevent smearing and reduce wiper

noise.

#

Ensure there is sufficient 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 sufficient.

Cleaning and care

Notes on washing the vehicle in a car wash

&

WARNING Risk of accident due to

reduced braking effect after washing the

vehicle

The braking effect is reduced after washing

the vehicle.

To avoid damage to your vehicle when using a

car wash, ensure the following beforehand:

#

After the vehicle has been washed,

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Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and the

HOLD function are deactivated.

brake carefully while paying attention to

the traffic conditions until the braking

effect has been fully restored.

Information on using a power washer

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the 360° Camera or the rear view camera is

switched off.

&

WARNING Risk of accident when using

high-pressure cleaning equipment with

round-spray nozzles

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the side windows and sliding sunroof are

completely closed.

The water jet from a round-spray nozzle (dirt

grinder) may cause damage to tires and sus‐

pension components that is not visible.

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the blower for the ventilation/heating is

switched off.

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the windshield wiper switch is in position g.

Maintenance and care 429

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Observe the information on the correct dis‐

tance in the equipment manufacturer's oper‐

ating instructions.

Do not point the nozzle of the power washer

directly at sensitive parts such as tires, slits,

electrical components, batteries, light bulbs

and ventilation slots.

Components damaged in this way may fail

unexpectedly.

#

Do not use high-pressure cleaning

equipment with round-spray nozzles to

clean your vehicle.

#

Damaged tires or suspension compo‐

nents must be replaced immediately.

Washing the vehicle by hand

To avoid damage to your vehicle, observe the fol‐

lowing when using a power washer:

Observe the legal requirements, e.g. in a number

of countries, washing by hand is only permitted

in specially designated wash bays.

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Keep the SmartKey at least 10 ft (3 m) away

from the vehicle. Otherwise the tailgate

could open unintentionally.

#

Use a mild cleaning agent, e.g. car shampoo.

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Maintain a distance of at least 11.8 in

(30 cm) to the vehicle.

#

Wash the vehicle with lukewarm water using

a soft car sponge. When doing so, do not

expose the vehicle to direct sunlight.

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Vehicles with decorative foil: parts of your

vehicle are covered with a decorative foil.

Maintain a distance of at least 27.6 in

(70 cm) between the foil-covered parts of the

vehicle and the nozzle of the power washer.

Move the power washer nozzle around whilst

cleaning. The water temperature of the

power washer must not exceed 124 °F

(60 °C).

#

Carefully hose the vehicle off with water and

dry using a chamois. Take care not to point

the water jet directly towards the air inlet

grille below the hood.

430 Maintenance and care

Notes on paintwork/matte finish paintwork care

Observe the following information:

Cleaning and care

Avoiding paintwork damage

Paintwork

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Insect remains: soak with insect remover and rinse off the

treated areas afterwards.

Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse off afterwards.

Tree resin, oils, fuels and greases: remove by rubbing gen‐

tly with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighter fluid.

Do not attach stickers, films or similar materials.

Remove dirt immediately, where possible.

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Coolant and brake fluid: remove with a damp cloth and

clean water.

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Tar stains: use tar remover.

Wax: use silicone remover.

Maintenance and care 431

Cleaning and care

Avoiding paintwork damage

Matte finish

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Only use care products approved for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not polish the vehicle and alloy wheels.

Only use car washes that correspond to the latest engi‐

neering standards.

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Do not use car wash programs with a final hot wax treat‐

ment.

Do not use paint cleaners, buffing or polishing products,

gloss preservers, e.g. wax.

Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a qualified

specialist workshop.

Notes on cleaning decorative foils

work care" (/ page 430). They also apply to

matte decorative foils.

Observe the notes on matte finish care in the

chapter "Notes on paintwork/matte finish paint‐

432 Maintenance and care

Observe the following information:

Cleaning

Avoiding damage to the decorative foil

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For cleaning, use plenty of water and a mild cleaning agent without

The service life and color of decorative foils are impaired by:

additives or abrasive substances, e.g. a car shampoo approved for

Mercedes-Benz.

Remove dirt immediately, where possible, whilst avoiding rubbing

too hard. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the decorative foil

irreparably.

-

Sunlight

Temperature, e.g. hot air blower

Weather conditions

Stone chippings and dirt

-

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-

Chemical cleaning agents

Oily products

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If there is dirt on the finish or if the decorative foil is dull: use the

Paint Cleaner recommended and approved for Mercedes-Benz.

-

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Insect remains: soak with insect remover and rinse off the treated

areas afterwards.

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Do not use polish on matte decorative foil. Polishing will have the effect

of shining the foil-wrapped surface.

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Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse off afterwards.

To prevent water stains, dry a foil-wrapped vehicle with a soft,

absorbent cloth after every car wash.

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Do not treat matte or structured decorative foils with wax. Permanent

stains may occur.

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Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by

corrosion and damage caused by incorrect care

cannot always be completely repaired. In such

cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.

In the case of foil-wrapped surfaces, optical dif‐

ferences may occur between the surfaces that

were not protected by a decorative foil after

removing a decorative foil.

% Have work or repairs to decorative foils car‐

ried out at a qualified specialist workshop,

e.g. in an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

You can obtain more information on care and

cleaning products from the manufacturer.

Maintenance and care 433

Notes on care of vehicle parts

#

Always switch off the windshield wipers

and the ignition before cleaning the

windshield or wiper blades.

with these parts of the vehicle, you could

burn yourself.

&

WARNING Risk of entrapment if the

windshield wipers are switched on while

the windshield is being cleaned

#

Always be particularly careful around

the tailpipe and the tailpipe trims and

supervise children especially closely in

this area.

&

WARNING Risk of burns from the tail‐

pipe and tailpipe trims

If the windshield wipers are set in motion

while you are cleaning the windshield or

wiper blades, you can be trapped by the

wiper arm.

#

Allow vehicle parts to cool down before

touching them.

The exhaust tailpipe and tailpipe trims can

become very hot. If you come into contact

Observe the following information:

Notes on cleaning and care

Use water and acid-free wheel cleaners.

Avoiding vehicle damage

Wheels/rims

R

Do not use acidic wheel cleaners to remove brake dust.

This could damage wheel bolts and brake components.

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To avoid corrosion of the brake discs and brakepads, drive

the vehicle for a few minutes after cleaning before parking

it. The brake discs and brakepads warm up and dry out.

Windows

Clean windows inside and outside with a damp cloth and with Do not use dry cloths or abrasive or solvent-based cleaning

a cleaning agent recommended for Mercedes-Benz. agents to clean the inside of windows.

Wiper blades

Fold out the wiper blades and clean them using a damp cloth. Do not clean the wiper blades too often.

434 Maintenance and care

Notes on cleaning and care

Avoiding vehicle damage

Exterior lighting

Clean the lenses with a wet sponge and mild cleaning agent,

e.g. car shampoo.

Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths that are suitable

for plastic lenses.

Sensors

Clean the sensors in the front and rear bumper and in the

radiator grill with a soft cloth and car shampoo.

When using a power washer, maintain a minimum distance of

11.8 in (30 cm).

Side running boards

Use water and acid-free cleaning agents.

Do not clean the aluminum trim inserts on the running board

with alkaline or acidic cleaning agents. The aluminum trim

inserts could otherwise be damaged.

Rear view camera

and 360° Camera

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Open the camera cover with the multimedia system

Do not use a power washer.

(/ page 232) .

Use clean water and a soft cloth to clean the camera lens.

Tailpipes

Clean with a cleaning agent recommended for Mercedes-

Benz, especially in the winter and after washing the vehicle.

Do not use acidic cleaning agents.

Maintenance and care 435

Notes on care of the interior

When the airbags are deployed, plastic parts

may break away.

&

WARNING Risk of injury or death from

bleached seat belts

&

WARNING Risk of injury from plastic

parts breaking off after the use of sol‐

vent-based care products

#

Do not use any care or cleaning prod‐

Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can severely

weaken them.

This can, for example, cause seat belts to

tear or fail in an accident.

ucts containing solvents to clean the

cockpit.

Care and cleaning products containing sol‐

vents can cause surfaces in the cockpit to

become porous.

#

Never bleach or dye seat belts.

Observe the following information:

Cleaning and care

Avoiding vehicle damage

Seat belts

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Clean with lukewarm and soapy water.

Do not use chemical cleaning agents.

Do not dry seat belts by heating them to over 176 °F

(80 °C) or exposing them to direct sunlight.

Display

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Clean the surface carefully with a microfiber cloth and a suit‐

able display care product (TFT/LCD).

Switch off the display and let it cool down.

Do not use any other cleaning products.

Plastic trim

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Clean with a damp microfiber cloth.

For heavy soiling: use care product recommended for

Mercedes-Benz.

Do not attach stickers, films or similar materials.

Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or sun cream to

come in contact with the plastic trim.

436 Maintenance and care

Cleaning and care

Avoiding vehicle damage

Real wood/trim ele‐

ments

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Clean with a microfiber cloth.

Black piano-lacquer look: clean with a damp cloth and

soapy water.

Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents, polishes or waxes.

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For heavy soiling: use care product recommended for

Mercedes-Benz.

Headliner

Carpet

Clean with a brush or dry shampoo.

Use carpet and textile cleaning agents recommended for

Mercedes-Benz.

Genuine leather

seat covers

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Clean with a damp cloth and then wipe with a dry cloth.

Leather care: use leather care agents that have been rec‐

ommended for Mercedes-Benz.

Do not allow the leather to become too damp.

Do not use a microfiber cloth.

DINAMICA seat cov‐

ers

Clean with a damp cloth.

Do not use a microfiber cloth.

Imitation leather

seat covers

Clean with a damp cloth and 1% soapy water.

Maintenance and care -> Cleaning and care for Your Mercedes GLC Class SUV First Generation (2015-2021)

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