!
You should have all work involving the
battery carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. In the exceptional case that it is
necessary for you to disconnect the battery
yourself, make sure that:
R you switch off the engine and remove the
key. On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
ensure that the ignition is switched off.
Check that all the indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster are off. Otherwise,
electronic components, such as the
alternator, may be damaged.
R you first remove the negative terminal
clamp and then the positive terminal
clamp. Never swap the terminal clamps.
Otherwise, the vehicle's electronic sys-
tem may be damaged.
R in vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehi-
cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle.
The battery and the cover of the positive
terminal clamp must be fitted securely dur-
ing operation.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
Have the battery charge checked more fre-
quently if you use the vehicle mainly for short
trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked up for a long period of time.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In such cases, have the battery dis-
connected at a qualified specialist workshop.
You can also charge the battery with a
charger recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
For more information, please contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
i When you park the vehicle, remove the
key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little
energy, thus conserving battery power. i
If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if the battery was discharged, you will
have to:
R set the clock; see the separate operating
instructions.
For vehicles with Audio 20 and a 4-button
multifunction steering wheel, see "Date/
Time" (Y page 227).
R reset the panorama sliding sunroof
(Y page 93).
R reset the function for automatically fold-
ing the exterior mirrors in/out by folding
the mirrors out once (Y page 104). Charging the battery
G
WARNING
Only charge the battery in a well-ventilated
area. As the battery is being charged, gases
can escape and generate minor explosions.
This could injure you and other persons or
cause damage to the paintwork or acid cor-
rosion on the vehicle.
You can obtain information on battery charg-
ers which allow the battery to be charged
while still installed from a qualified specialist
workshop. G
WARNING
There is a risk of acid burns during the charg-
ing process due to the gases which escape
from the battery. Do not 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. Battery (vehicle)
339Breakdown assistance Z
R
the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the 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.
! On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
key instead of the Start/Stop button. Turn
the key to position 2in the ignition lock and
shift the automatic transmission to N.
Then, turn the key back to 0and leave it in
the ignition lock. 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
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
(Y page 83). You could otherwise be locked
out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 72) 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, fit the ball cou-
pling (Y
page 217) and connect the towbar to
it.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit ( Ypage 327). 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. Towing and tow-starting
343Breakdown assistance Z
Vehicles without the AMG Sports package
Vehicles with the AMG Sports package
X
Press the mark on cover :inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
Rear bumpers on vehicles with the AMG
Sports package: insert your finger into the
round cutout of cover :and pull the cover
out of the bumper.
X Take cover :off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover :to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
Only possible on vehicles without 4MATIC
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 342).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system. Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 342). G
WARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will then need
much more effort to brake and steer the vehi-
cle. Adapt your style of driving accordingly.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 114).
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal a change of direc-
tion. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When you reset
the combination switch, the hazard warn-
ing lamps start flashing again.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal.
X Engage neutral.
or
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N. 344
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
X
Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake. 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:
engage first 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
0 and 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 341).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Recovering a vehicle that has become
stuck
! When recovering a trapped vehicle, do not
jerk the vehicle or pull it at an angle. If the
tractive power is too high, the vehicles
could be damaged.
If the drive wheels get trapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover the vehicle with the
utmost care, especially so if the vehicle is
laden.
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. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety instructions (Y page 342)
and the legal requirements for the relevant
countries.
! 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 341).
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the exhaust system has cooled down. Towing and tow-starting
345Breakdown assistance Z