Page 394 of 458

!
When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to position Pwhen
the driver's or front-passenger door are
opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! Vehicles with differential locks: make
sure the differential locks are in automatic
mode. When towing, the differential locks
must not be switched on. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
! The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight rating can be found on the vehicle
identification plate (Y page 443).
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, have it transported on a transporter
or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in
position Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
(Y page 276). You could otherwise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye Example: towing eye mounting covers
0002 Front cover
0003 Back cover
Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if possible,
connect the towbar to the trailer tow hitch
(Y page 253).
The brackets for the screw-in towing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front
and at the rear, under the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 380).
X To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover 0002inwards in the direction
of the arrow.
X To open the cover at the rear: insert a
flat, blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover 0003out of the bumper.
X Take cover 0002or0003 off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it. 392
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
Page 395 of 458

Removing the towing eye
X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover 0002or0003 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
! The ignition mus tbe switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system.
Only possible for vehicles without
4MATIC.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 124).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 391).Towing
avehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is importan tthat you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 391).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the automatic
transmission stays in position Nwhen towing
the vehicle, you must observe the following
points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in
position 0.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 158).
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to
position N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 124).
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the
combination switch as usual. In this case,
only the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the
combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts flashing again. Transporting 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.
Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or
transporter if you wish to transport it.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to
position N. Towing and tow-starting
393Breakdown assistance Z
Page 424 of 458

Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of hydroplaning .You will only gain these
benefits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates
its correct direction of rotation. Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protec tthe
tires from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel. Cleaning the wheels
G
WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components.
Components damaged in this way may fail
unexpectedly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced
immediately. Mounting
awheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Vehicle with emergency spare wheel:
whe nmounting the emergency spare
wheel in the event of a flat tire, follow the
additional notes on vehicle preparation
under "Flat tire" (Y page 381).
X Park the vehicle on firm, non-slippery and
level ground.
X Unload heavy luggage.
X Apply the electric parking brake manually.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Shift the transmission to position P.X
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that highway level is selected
(Y page 209).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 158).
X If included in the vehicle equipment, take
the tire-change tool kit out of the vehicle.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
i Apart from certain country-specific
variations, vehicles are not equipped with
a tire-change tool kit. For information on
which tools are required to perform a wheel
change on your vehicle, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Necessary wheel-changing tools can
include, for example:
R Jack
R Wheel chock
R Lug wrench
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away 422
Changing
awheelWheels and tires