If you own a Mercedes, you already know that it is a special vehicle with special needs. You probably take it only to an authorized Mercedes mechanic any time it needs to be fixed. However, there are likely a few maintenance or repair tasks you feel comfortable doing yourself, such as changing the oil or the battery. Before you just pop the hood, there are a few things you need to know to keep your car running its best.

Oil Changes

Changing oil is a task that many people like to do on their own to save money. Just because you have a Mercedes does not mean you have to take it to a shop to get this done. However, it is important that you follow the owner's manual in regards to how often the job needs to be done and what type of oil to use. The manual may tell you that you only have to change the oil every 10,000 miles. This is much different than the normal mileage of 3,000 to 4,000 miles per oil change that most cars have. However, if you do not use the exact oil specified in the manual and still wait the 10,000 miles between changes, you will be damaging the engine. It is also important that you get an oil filter capable of lasting that long too.

Battery Issues

If you notice different systems or accessories starting to fail, this is probably due to an old battery. You can call the Mercedes dealer to ask which batteries are compatible with your vehicle and then try to find one online to save money. If you ever need to jumpstart your car, you need to keep the jumper cables connected for at least 10 minutes after the car starts to ensure a proper charge. Also, any time the battery goes out, you may find that your power windows and sunroof are not behaving normally. You will need to synchronize them with the battery. Push the button to lower a window or open the sunroof and wait until you hear a soft click before releasing it, even if the window or roof is all the way open. You will need to make sure all the doors are closed and that the key is in the ignition but that the motor is not running. This should be done for all the windows individually.

You probably didn't buy the Mercedes because it was the cheapest car on the lot. You enjoy having a finely tuned automobile to drive. To keep your automobile finely tuned, make sure you keep it in good repair and perform regular maintenance on it. Before you do any work yourself, make sure you understand exactly what is needed and how to do the job.

Visit a site such as http://www.checkeredflagimports.biz to find a Mercedes repair shop near you.