How to winterize Mercedes-Benz for winter storage

For some Mercedes-Benz owners (especially the lucky ones with a convertible), the winter ends the summer fun. Storing your Mercedes-Benz the right way is important to ensure you will not be greeted with warning lights when you need to start your car again. Or even worse– not be greeted at all. Here is a list of things you may want to consider as you winterize your Mercedes-Benz.

Here are a few valuable tips for  Mercedes-Benz drivers. If you don’t drive your car in the winter and want to store it, follow these easy tips.

Fill up the Fuel Tank

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Don’t leave the car parked with a nearly empty fuel tank for months. The space in the fuel tank of your Mercedes-Benz will contain vapor, and over time it will condense to water. The water will not only contaminate the gasoline, but it can cause corrosion, especially to the fuel level sensor. Otherwise, you may have problems such as the fuel gauge no longer working or showing the correct gas level.

Perform Routine Maintenance

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If your Mercedes-Benz is nearing routine maintenance such as Service A, B, C, D, and E in the next 500 miles or 30 days, you may want to perform the maintenance before storing your MB.

Check Tire Pressure

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Add air to the tire and set the pressure to at least 40 psi. The tires will likely lose some air even if you have no leaks. This will minimize the flat spotting of the tires. If you don’t have a tire inflator at home, you can use an air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter and inflates your tires. We like the EP Auto 12V 120W Tire inflator because it comes with a digital gauge and will turn off once the tire pressure reaches the previously set PSI.

Use Vehicle Cover

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If you are planning on storing your Mercedes-Benz, it is recommended that you use a cover. This will prevent damage to the car’s paint. Replacement covers can be purchased at any local store or online. You don’t need to get a cover designed specifically for Mercedes-Benz, any universal cover will be better than nothing, as long as it will fit on the car. Most MB cars need a large car cover for S, CLK, CLS, and CLA-Class. Small or mid-size vehicle covers may be hard to fit even on a C-Class but may work on S and SL classes.

Car covers such as OverDrive PolyPro Full Size Car Cover by Classic Accessories have great reviews on Amazon and are large enough to fit most Mercedes-Benz sedans.

Disconnect Battery

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We prefer to disconnect the battery if you plan on letting the car sit for several months. Remember that when you start the car again, you must synchronize things such as the windows by pressing and holding the windows switch for 5 seconds once the window hits the top. Sync the sunroof by moving it all the way to the back, then hold the switch for another five seconds. Repeat the same procedure but move the sunroof to the front and hold the switch after the sunroof closes.

You will also need to reset the steering angle sensor; otherwise, the dashboard will have ABS and ESP defective warnings. To reset the steering angle sensor, start the car and turn the steering wheel to the right and then to the left. Do this a couple of times and then restart the car. The warning lights should disappear.

If you don’t feel comfortable with disconnecting the battery, your other option would be to connect a battery tender such as Black and Decker 12 Volt charger to ensure that the battery will always remain charged.

Fluids

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Make sure that your systems have the correct fluids. What do we mean? Your coolant should have a 50/50 mix, not just water. You shouldn’t have water in your cooling system anyway. If you live in very cold climates, you may want to change the mixing ratio to 30 water and 70 antifreeze.

Ensure you also have windshield washer fluid that will not freeze in low temperatures. It is not uncommon for owners to fill up the windshield washer fluid reservoir with just water. If you are going to store your Mercedes-Benz for the winter, you should make sure to use something such as Rain-X Winter Windshield Washer Fluid -25 Degree. Add the correct windshield washer fluid reservoir if you have only water in your windshield washer fluid. Then run the wipers for a few minutes to get the windshield washer fluid into the lines. Otherwise, the lines can freeze during the winter, especially if you have been using just water. This can cause crack and windshield washer fluid leaks.

Start the car up a few times during the winter and take it for a short trip. That would be the best way to ensure your Mercedes-Benz stays in excellent shape.

We hope you will find these tips on storing a Mercedes-Benz for the winter useful. Use the comments sections if you have any advice or recommendations that you would like to share with fellow MB owners.