2008 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK towing

Towing and tow-starting
269Fitting the towing eye
Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if you
intend to use the vehicle for towing, fit the ball
coupling (Y page 186) and connect the tow-
bar to this.
Opening the front cover The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are in the bumpers. They are located at the
front and rear behind covers on the right-hand
side of the vehicle when viewed in the direc-
tion of travel.
1
Cover
X Press cover 1back in the direction of the
arrow.
X Take cover 1off the opening. Opening the rear cover
1
Cover
X Press cover 1back in the direction of the
arrow.
X Take cover 1off the opening.
Securing the towing eye X
Take the towing eye and the wheel wrench
from the vehicle tool kit ( Ypage 200).
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
X Insert the wheel wrench handle into the
towing eye and tighten it. Towing the vehicle
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
With towing distances over 50 km, the
entire vehicle needs to be lifted up and
transported.
! The engine must be switched off (key in
ignition lock in position 0or position 1) if
the vehicle is being towed with the front
axle raised or if the parking brake is being
tested on a dynamometer. Intervention by
ESP ®
could otherwise damage the brake
system.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Turn the key to position 2(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral. Practical advice
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Towing and tow-starting
270
Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Move the selector lever to N.Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
Please note:
R Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* must not be
tow-started.
R The battery must be connected.
R The engine and catalytic converter must be
cold.
R Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Turn the key to position 2(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral. X
Tow the vehicle or let it roll.
X Shift to a suitable gear and bring the clutch
pedal up slowly. Do not depress the accel-
erator pedal.
The engine is started. Removing the towing eye
X Take the wheel wrench from the vehicle
tool kit ( Ypage 200).
X Insert the wheel wrench handle into the
towing eye and turn it anti-clockwise.
X Unscrew the towing eye.
X Replace the cover and press it until it
engages.
X Return the towing eye and the wheel
wrench to the vehicle tool kit. Transporting the vehicle
The towing eyes or trailer coupling *can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or trans-
porter if you wish to transport it.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components. The
vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to neutral.
Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* X
Turn the key to position 2(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Move the selector lever to N.Practical advice
* optional
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Vehicle identification plates
276phones/wireless devices in the vehicle.
This also ensures that interference
between these devices and the vehicle's
electronics is kept to a minimum. If instal-
led, the exterior aerial conducts the elec-
tromagnetic fields transmitted by a mobile
phone to the exterior of the vehicle. Frequency range Maximum trans-
mission output
(watts)
Short wave
(< 50 MHz) 100
4 m waveband 20
2 m waveband 50
70 cm waveband 35
25 cm waveband 10
!
If electrical or electronic equipment
which does not comply with the above
installation conditions is operated inside
the vehicle, the vehicle's operating permit
may be invalidated (EU Directive
95/54/EC - Automotive EMC directive) Vehicle identification plates
Vehicle identification plate with vehi-
cle identification number (VIN) and
paint code number
The vehicle identification plate is located at
the bottom of the door frame on the front-
passenger side. 1
Vehicle identification plate
X Open the driver's door.
You will see vehicle identification plate
1. Vehicle identification plate (example)
1
Vehicle identification plate
2 Vehicle manufacturer
3 EU type approval number
4 Vehicle identification number (VIN)
5 Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight
6 Maximum permissible towing weight
7 Maximum permissible front axle load
8 Maximum permissible rear axle load
9 Paint code number Technical data
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Service products and capacities
293
adding the wrong fuel is not covered by the
warranty.
More information about refuelling and fuels
can be found on (Y page 168). Introduction to fuel consumption
The vehicle will use more fuel than usual in
the following situations:
R at very low temperatures
R in urban traffic
R on short trips
R when towing a trailer
R in mountainous terrain The consumption figures have been deter-
mined according to EU Directive
RL 80
/1268 /EEC.
i Only for certain countries: the respective
current consumption and emission values
of your vehicle can be found in the COC
papers (EC-CERTIFICATE OF CONFORM-
ITY). These documents are supplied when
the vehicle is delivered.
! Do not use any special additives, as they
can cause malfunctions and engine dam-
age. Damage resulting from the use of such
additives is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz warranty. H
Environmental note
CO 2(carbon dioxide) is the gas which sci-
entists believe to be principally responsible
for global warming (the greenhouse effect).
Your vehicle's CO 2emissions are directly
related to fuel consumption and therefore
depend on:
R efficient use of the fuel by the engine
R driving style
R other non-technical factors, such as envi-
ronmental influences or road conditions
You can minimise your vehicle's CO 2emis-
sions by driving carefully and having it serv-
iced regularly. Technical data
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