2008 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK brake

Towing and tow-starting
268 Towing and tow-starting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
If you have the vehicle towed, you must use
a rigid towing bar if:
R the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the voltage sup-
ply or the vehicle's electrical system.
The electric power steering and the brake
force booster do not work when the engine
is not running. Greater braking force will
then be required and brake pedal travel will
be longer. If necessary, depress the brake
pedal with full force.
Do not tow the vehicle if the key cannot be
turned in the ignition lock. If this is the case,
the steering is locked and the vehicle can-
not be steered.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed. When towing, observe the legal requirements
in all countries concerned.
!
When towing, pull away slowly and with-
out jerking. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! 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.
! Only secure the tow cable or towing bar
to the towing eyes. You may otherwise
damage the vehicle.
R Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* must not be
tow-started.
R If the engine does not start, try jump-start-
ing it (Y page 266).
R If it is not possible to jump-start the vehicle,
have it towed to the nearest qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. R
The selector lever must be in position N
when towing a vehicle with AUTO-
TRONIC*.
R If you are towing the vehicle over a consid-
erable distance, this must only be done
with the front axle raised.
R The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the front/rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
R Before towing the vehicle, make sure that
the battery is connected and charged. Oth-
erwise:
-you cannot switch on the ignition
- you cannot move the selector lever
to N(on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*)
- you have no support when braking
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 111).
You could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Practical advice
* optional
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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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Trailer coupling*
291Trailer loads
A 150
A 150
BlueEfficiency A 170
A 170
BlueEfficiency A 200
A 200 TURBO A 160 CDI A 180 CDI
A 200 CDI
Permissible trailer load, braked
46 1,000 kg 1,300 kg 1,500 kg 1,000 kg 1,500 kg
Permissible trailer load, unbraked
595 kg 595 kg 595 kg 645 kg 645 kg
Maximum drawbar noseweight
47 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg
46
At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12 % from a standstill.
47 The drawbar noseweight is not included in the trailer load. Techni
cal data
* optional
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Service products and capacities
292 Service products and capacities
Notes on service products and capaci-
ties
Service products are:
R fuels (e.g. petrol, diesel)
R lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R coolant
R brake fluid
R windscreen washer fluid
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use those products which have been tested
and specially approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle and are listed in the Mercedes-
Benz Owner's Manual in the relevant chapter
since:
R parts and service products are matched
R damage caused by the use of non-approved
service products is not covered by the war-
ranty
You can recognise service products approved
by Mercedes-Benz by the following inscrip-
tion on the containers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approval (e.g. MB Approval 229.51) Other designations or recommendations that
relate to a level of quality or a specification in
accordance with an MB Approval have not
necessarily been approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
You can obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
When handling, storing and disposing of
any service products, please observe the
relevant regulations, as you could other-
wise endanger yourself and others.
Keep service products away from children.
To protect your health, do not allow service
products to come into contact with your
eyes or open wounds. See a doctor imme-
diately if any service product is swallowed. H
Environmental note
Dispose of service products in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner. Fuels
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Before refuelling, always turn off the
engine. G
Risk of injury
Do not allow fuel to come into contact with
skin or clothing.
Allowing fuels to come into direct contact
with your skin or inhaling fuel vapours is
damaging to your health.
Tank capacity Total capacity 54 l
Of which reserve
fuel
Approximately 6 l
!
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Never mix
diesel with petrol. Even small amounts of
the wrong fuel result in damage to the
injection system. Damage resulting from Technical data
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Service products and capacities
300 Brake fluid
Over a period of time, the brake fluid absorbs
moisture from the air; this lowers its boiling
point. G
Risk of accident
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too
low, vapour pockets may form in the brake
system when the brakes are applied hard
(e.g. when driving downhill). This would
impair braking efficiency.
Have the brake fluid renewed every two
years with a brake fluid that has been
approved by Mercedes-Benz and have this
confirmed in the Service Booklet.
i There is usually a notice in the engine
compartment to remind you when the next
brake fluid change is due. Windscreen washer system
G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washer
concentrate is being handled.
The washer fluid reservoir holds approxi-
mately 4.5 litres.
The headlamp cleaning system* and the
windscreen washer system are both supplied
from the washer fluid reservoir.
Further information on windshield washer
fluid and the mixing ratio can be found on
(Y page 175). Technical data
* optional
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