2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV tow

Towing and tow-starting
330
X
Electrical consumers can be switched on
again. Do not switch the lights on, however,
as this will overload the battery.
X Remove the jump lead from earth
point 1and negative terminal 3first,
then from positive terminal 2and positive
terminal 4, each time disconnecting from
the battery on your own vehicle first.
i The message Battery protection:
some convenience functions cur-
rently not available may appear in the
multi-function display. It disappears as
soon as the battery is sufficiently charged.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Towing and tow-starting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if:
R the engine is not running
R there is a brake system malfunction
R the voltage supply or the vehicle's elec-
trical system is damaged
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 the brake pedal travel
will be longer. If necessary, depress the
brake pedal with maximum 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 will 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.
! On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*: use the
key instead of the KEYLESS GO * button.
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock and set the automatic transmission to
N. Then turn the key back to 0and leave it
in the ignition lock.
! Only secure the tow cable or towing bar
to the towing eyes. You may otherwise
damage the vehicle. Practical advice
* optional
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Towing and tow-starting
331
R
Tow-starting the vehicle is not permitted.
R Vehicles with 4MATIC *must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
R If the engine does not start, try jump-start-
ing it (Y page 329).
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 If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, have it carried away on a trans-
porter or trailer.
R If you are towing the vehicle, move the
automatic transmission selector lever to
N and turn the key to position 2
(Y page 76) in the ignition lock.
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
- you have no support when braking
i Before towing the vehicle, deactivate tow-
away protection* (Y page 64)and the auto-
matic door locking feature (Y page 134).You could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Fitting the towing eye
Opening the front cover The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are located
at the front and rear under the covers on the
right-hand side of the vehicle when viewed in
the direction 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 252).
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
X Insert the wheel wrench handle into the
towing eye and tighten it. Practical advice
* optional
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Towing and tow-starting
332 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.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* must not be
towed with the front or rear axle raised.
! If you have the vehicle towed with the
front or rear axle raised, the ignition must
be switched off (key in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the braking system on
the front or rear axle.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 76) in
the ignition lock.
i On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*: use the
key instead of the KEYLESS GO * button.
X Move the DIRECT SELECT lever to the N
position. Removing the towing eye
X Take the wheel wrench from the vehicle
tool kit ( Ypage 252).
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. Recovering a vehicle that has become
stuck
Take great care when recovering a vehicle
whose drive wheels have become embedded
in loose earth or mud, particularly if the vehi-
cle is laden.
When recovering the vehicle do not use jerky
movements and do not pull it at an angle. The
chassis could otherwise be damaged.
Never attempt to recover a vehicle with a
trailer attached.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible
using the tracks it made when it became
stuck. Towing in the event of the following
malfunctions
In the event of damage to the transfer
case Have the propeller shafts between the axles
and the transfer case removed.
Have the vehicle towed with the front axle
raised.Practical advice
* optional
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Fuses
333
In the event of damage to the front axle Have the propeller shaft between the rear
axle and the transfer case removed.
Have the vehicle towed with the front axle
raised.
In the event of rear axle damage (Vehi-
cles with 4MATIC)
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans-
ported on a transporter or trailer.
! New bolts must always be used when the
propeller shafts are refitted. The specified
tightening torques must be observed.
i Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position
P. To
shift the automatic transmission to neutral,
you must supply power to the vehicle's elec-
trical system in the same way as jump-start-
ing (Y page 329).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Fuses
Notes on changing fuses
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo-
nents on the circuit and their functions will
fail.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognise by
the colour and value. The fuse ratings are lis-
ted in the fuse allocation chart. A Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre will be happy to advise
you. G
Risk of fire
Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which have
the correct fuse rating for the systems con-
cerned. Do not attempt to repair or bridge
faulty fuses. Otherwise, a circuit overload
could cause a fire. Have the cause traced
and rectified at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
If the newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
! Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which have the correct fuse rating for the system
concerned. Otherwise, components or sys-
tems could be damaged.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R Dashboard fuse box on the front-passenger
side
R Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
right-hand side of the vehicle
R Fuse box in the stowage well under the lug-
gage compartment floor
Fuse allocation chart The fuse allocation chart is located with the
vehicle tool kit (Y
page 252) in the stowage
compartment under the luggage compart-
ment floor. Practical advice
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Vehicle identification plates
340phones/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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Vehicle weights
352 Short wheelbase R 280 R 350 R 350 4MATIC R 500 4MATIC
Maximum permissible rear axle load
Towing a trailer 1,670 kg 1,670 kg 1,670 kg 1,660 kg
1,770 kg 1,770 kg 1,770 kg 1,760 kg
Maximum roof load 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg
Maximum permissible load 660 kg 660 kg 660 kg 660 kg
Short wheelbase R 280 CDI R 280 CDI 4MATIC R 320 CDI 4MATIC
Unladen weight (in accordance with EC direc-
tive) 2,185 kg 2,250 kg 2,250 kg
Maximum permissible gross vehicle weight 2,840 kg 2,840 kg 2,840 kg
Maximum permissible front axle load 1,370 kg 1,370 kg 1,370 kg
Maximum permissible rear axle load
Towing a trailer 1,700 kg 1,700 kg 1,700 kg
1,800 kg 1,800 kg 1,800 kg
Maximum roof load 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg
Maximum permissible load 655 kg 590 kg 590 kg
Long wheelbase R 280 R 350 R 350 4MATIC
Unladen weight (in accordance with EC direc-
tive) 2,175 kg 2,175 kg 2,230 kg
Maximum permissible gross vehicle weight 2,840 kg 2,840 kg 2,880 kgTechnical data
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
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Vehicle weights
353Long wheelbase R 280 R 350 R 350 4MATIC
Maximum permissible front axle load 1,370 kg 1,370 kg 1,370 kg
Maximum permissible rear axle load
Towing a trailer 1,670 kg 1,670 kg 1,670 kg
1,770 kg 1,770 kg 1,770 kg
Maximum roof load 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg
Maximum permissible load 665 kg 665 kg 650 kg
Long wheelbase R 280 CDI R 320 CDI 4MATIC R 500 4MATIC
Unladen weight (in accordance with EC direc-
tive) 2,245 kg 2,295 kg 2,265 kg
Maximum permissible gross vehicle weight 2,880 kg 2,920 kg 2,920 kg
Maximum permissible front axle load 1,370 kg 1,370 kg 1,370 kg
Maximum permissible rear axle load
Towing a trailer 1,700 kg 1,700 kg 1,660 kg
1,800 kg 1,800 kg 1,760 kg
Maximum roof load 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg
Maximum permissible load 635 kg 625 kg 655 kgTechnical data
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
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Trailer coupling*
354 Trailer coupling*
Mounting dimensions
G
Risk of accident
Only have a trailer coupling retrofitted at a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
! If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the cooling system may be nec-
essary, depending on the vehicle type.
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chas-
sis frame. Anchorage points for the trailer coupling
1
Anchorage points
2 Overhang dimension
3 Rear axle centre line For trailer tow hitches fitted at the factory, the
overhang dimension is 1,104 mm. Trailer loads
All models
Permissible trailer load,
unbraked 750 kg
Permissible trailer load,
braked
53 2,100 kg
Maximum drawbar nose-
weight
54 85 kg
53
At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12% from a standstill.
54 The drawbar noseweight is not included in the trailer load. Technical data
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
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