from the battery
.Donot lean over the battery
during the charging process. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact with the
skin, eyes or clothing.
! Only charge the installed battery with a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged
while still installed in the vehicle.
! Only use battery chargers with a maxi-
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
start connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment (Y page 354).
X Open the bonnet (Y page 321).
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and earth point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in
the jump-starting procedure
(Y page 354).
X Read the battery charger's operating
instructions before charging the battery. Battery
353Breakdown assistance Z
Jump-starting
G
WARNING
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-starting a vehicle due to the gases which escape from
the battery. Do not lean over the battery while the engine is being jump-started. G
WARNING
Gases escaping from the battery during jump-starting may cause minor explosions. Avoid cre-
ating sparks. Keep naked flames away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions when handling batteries. You will find these under "Battery (vehi-
cle)" in the index. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is a risk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter could be
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
Do not use a rapid charging device to start the vehicle. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jump
leads. Observe the following points:
R the battery is not accessible in all vehicles. if the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or ajump-starting device.
R you may only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and catalyti cconverter are cold.
R do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. let the battery thaw first.
R jump-starting may only be performed from batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R only use jump leads that have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start.T his charges the empty battery a little.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R the jump leads are not damaged.
R bare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while the
jump leads are connected to the battery.
R the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
These parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Manual transmission: engage neutral.
X Automatic transmission: move the selector lever toP.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g. radio, blower, etc.).
X Open the bonnet (Y page 321).354
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance
Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
starting device.
X Slide cover :of positive terminal ;in the direction of the arrow.
X Connec tpositive terminal ;on your vehicle to positive terminal =of donor battery B
using the jump lead, beginning with your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal ?of donor battery Bto earth point Aof your vehicle using
the jump lead, connectingt he jump lead to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Before disconnecting the jump leads, let the engine run for several minutes.
X First remove the jump leads from earth point Aand negative terminal ?, then from positive
terminal ;and positive terminal =, each time beginning at the contacts on your own
vehicle first.
X Close cover :of positive terminal ;after removing the jump leads.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition.
i Jump-starting cables and further information regarding jump starting can be obtained at
any qualified specialist workshop. Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing and tow-starting. G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if: Towing and tow-starting
355Breakdown assistance
Z
R
the engine is not running.
R there is a brake syste mmalfunction.
R there is a malfunctio ninthe power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away, make sure that the steer-
ing can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
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.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use
the key instead of the Start/Stop button.
The automatic transmission may otherwise
switch to position Pwhen you open the
driver's or front-passenger door which
could damage the transmission. When towing a vehicle with an automatic
transmission, the transmission must be in
position
N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the transmission to position
N on vehicles with automatic transmission
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P(Y page 172).
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 89). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 78) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if you intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling and connect the towbar to it
(Y page 223).
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 337). G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers. 356
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 125).
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition
lock.
i Whe ntowing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal achange of direc-
tion. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When the com-
bination switch is reset, the hazard warning
lamps start flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or trans-
porter if you wish to transport it.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the parking brake.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to first gear or reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0and remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X Secure the vehicle.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could be damaged. Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans-
ported on a transporter or trailer.
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 position
N, you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Y page 354).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety instructions (Y page 355)
and the legal requirements in each respective
country.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
at (Y page 354).
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the catalytic converters have cooled down.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 125).
X Fit the towing eye (Y page 356).
X Secure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock. 358
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance