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Trailer towing
241
Driving tips In Germany, the maximum permitted speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations is 80 km/h.
!
A maximum speed of 80 km/h should not
be exceeded, even in countries where
higher speeds are permitted for vehicle/
trailer combinations.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients you
must select a lower gear in good time, or in
vehicles with automatic transmission*, select
shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Distronic* or Speedtronic. This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
Driving tips
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine, and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. G
Risk of accident
On no account should you attempt to draw
the vehicle/trailer combination out by
increasing speed. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold in the ball coupling when you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. Operation
* optional
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Page 245 of 401
Trailer towing
2421
Telescopic lever
2 Indicator lamp
X Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the pivoting range of the ball coupling.
Otherwise, they could be injured.
X Pull telescopic lever 1out forwards.
X Pull telescopic lever 1upwards.
The ball coupling disengages and folds
down under the rear bumper. Indicator
lamp 2flashes.
X Guide telescopic lever 1back again. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages behind
the bumper.
Indicator lamp 2goes out and the mes-
sage in the multi-function display disap-
pears. Trailer power supply
The trailer socket of your vehicle is equipped
at the factory with a permanent power supply.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
! You can connect accessories with a max-
imum power consumption of 240 W to the
permanent power supply.
You must not charge a trailer battery using
the power supply.
You can obtain further information about
installing the trailer electrics from a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Trailer with 7-pin connector
If your trailer has a 7-pin connector, you can
connect it to the 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable. Both of these can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Operation
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Service
243
Fitting the adapter
1
Connector with lug
2 Socket with groove
X Open the socket cover.
X Insert the connector with lug 1into
groove 2on the socket and turn the con-
nector clockwise to the stop.
X Make the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties.
! Make sure that there is sufficient cable
play so that the cable cannot become
detached when cornering. Service
Active Service System PLUS
ASSYST PLUS, the Active Service System,
tells you when the next service is due. When-
ever a service is due, this is shown in the
multi-function display:
Service A due in .. days
Service A due in .. km
Service A due now The letter indicates how much time the work-
shop will require to carry out the service work.
The letters displayed range from
Afor a short
service duration to Hfor a long service dura-
tion.
ASSYST PLUS does not record any periods of
time during which the battery is disconnec-
ted. In order to maintain the time-dependent
service schedule, you should call up the
service due date and make a note of it before
you disconnect the battery. The alternative is to subtract the battery-disconnection periods
from the service date shown on the display. Fading out the service message
1
Reset button
X Press reset button 1. Operation
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Care
248Use the chrome cleaning agent recommen-
ded by Mercedes-Benz for cleaning. Infor-
mation about chrome cleaning agents can
be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
Cleaning Distronic* 1
Distronic* cover
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock.
X Clean cover 1in the radiator grille with
water, car shampoo and a soft cloth.
! Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. Doing so will scratch or dam-
age the surfaces. Cleaning Parktronic* The sensors are located in the front and rear
bumpers.
1
Parktronic* sensors in the front bumper
(left-hand side)
X Clean sensors 1in the bumper with water,
car shampoo and a soft cloth.
! Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. You will otherwise scratch or
damage the sensors. If you intend to use a
high-pressure cleaner or a steam cleaner to
clean the sensors, observe the instructions
issued by the equipment manufacturer
concerning the distance to be maintained
between the nozzle of the high-pressure
cleaner and the vehicle. Trailer coupling*
The ball coupling must be cleaned if it
becomes dirty or corroded.
X Remove any rust using a wire brush.
X Remove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or
a brush.
! Do not clean the ball coupling with a high-
pressure cleaner. Do not use solvents. 1
Ball neck head
X After cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling 1.
X Check that the vehicle's trailer coupling is
working properly. Operation
* optional
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Care
249
i
Maintenance on the ball coupling and
trailer coupling can also be performed by
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. H
Environmental note
Dispose of oily and greasy cloths in an envi-
ronmentally-responsible manner. Operation
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Display
messages 268 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
@ STOP Car too low
G
Risk of accident
AIRMATIC Dual Control* is faulty. !
Avoid large steering angles, otherwise the
wing or the tyres could be damaged when you
drive on. Listen for scraping sounds.
X Do not exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
X Pull over and select a higher vehicle level.
The vehicle may be raised, depending on the
type of fault.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. @ Malfunction
The AIRMATIC Dual Control* function is
restricted. The vehicle's handling charac-
teristics may be affected. X
Do not exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. \ Trailer tow hitch
Check lock mecha-
nism
The trailer tow hitch* is not correctly
engaged. X
Stop the vehicle. Pay attention to the traffic
conditions as you do so.
X Allow the ball coupling to engage in the end
position (Y page 239). 2 Brake wear The brake pads/linings have reached
their wear limit. X
Have the brake pads/linings replaced as soon
as possible at a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advi
ce
* optional
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Display
messages 272 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
B Top up coolant See
Owner's Manual The coolant level is too low. X
Top up the coolant, observing the warning
notes before doing so (Y page 225).
X Have the coolant system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop if the coolant needs top-
ping up more often than usual. . Left-hand corner-
ing light
or
Right-hand corner-
ing light The left-hand and/or right-hand cornering
lamp* is faulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. . Dipped beam, left
or
Dipped beam, right The right-hand or left-hand dipped-beam
headlamp is faulty. X
Halogen headlamp: replace the bulb
(Y page 311).
X Bi-xenon headlamp*: visit a qualified special-
ist workshop. . Left-hand trailer
turn signal
or
Right-hand trailer
turn signal The left-hand or right-hand trailer turn sig-
nal is faulty. X
Replace the bulb. . Trailer brake lamp The trailer brake lamp is faulty. X
Replace the bulb. Practical advi
ce
* optional
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Display
messages 273Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
. Trailer Left-hand
tail lamp
or
Trailer Right-hand
tail lamp The left-hand or right-hand trailer tail lamp
is faulty. X
Replace the bulb. . AUTO lights inop-
erative The light sensor is faulty. Constant head-
lamp mode is switched on. X
Switch the lights to manual control in the on-
board computer (Y page 135).
X Switch the lights on and off using the light
switch. . Rear left turn sig-
nal Back-up bulb on
or
Rear right turn
signal Back-up
bulb on The rear left-hand or rear right-hand turn
signal is faulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. . Turn signal in
left-hand mirror
or
Turn signal in
right-hand mirror The turn signal lamp on the left-hand or
right-hand exterior mirror is faulty. This
display message will only appear if all
LEDs have failed. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advi
ce
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