
should drive for a few minutes after
cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and
the brake pads/linings, thus drying them.
The vehicle can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents
recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similars ituations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! Neve rclean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed.
R the ventilation/heating is switched off
(the OFF button has been pressed).
R the windshield wiper switch is in position
0.
Otherwise, the vehicle might be damaged.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is in transmission position
N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock. Do not open the driver's
door or front-passenger door when the
engine is switched off .Otherwise, the
automatic transmission selects park
position Pautomatically and locks the
wheels .You can prevent this by shifting
the automatic transmission to N
beforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
X Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the SmartKey to position
2(Y page 157) in the ignition lock.
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/
Stop button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
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 Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windshield and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the
windshield. 370
CareMaintenance and care

Vehicles with
a"Minispare" emergency
spare wheel Example
:vehicles with AIRMATIC and trailer tow
hitch
0002 Folding wheel chock
0003 Lug wrench
001F Alignment bolt
001E Ball coupling of the trailer tow hitch
001C Towing eye
001D Jack
0011 Ratchet wrench
X Lift the cargo compartment floor up
(Y page 342).
X Remove the "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel (Y page 437). Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) (Y page 382)
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tires.
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 380)
R an emergency spare wheel (only for certain
countries) (Y page 436)
Information on changing/mounting a wheel
(Y page 421). X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground, as far away as possible from
traffic.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 179).
X If possible, bring the fron twheels into the
straight-ahead position.
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 now have status
0.T his is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 158).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed.
Anyone who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to
traffic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
X Unload heavy luggage.
i Only operate the tire inflation compressor
using a 12 V socket, even if the ignition is
turned off (Y page 347).
An emergency cut-out ensures that the on-
board voltage does not drop too low. If the
on-board voltage is too low, the power to
the sockets is automatically cut. This
ensures that there is sufficient power to
start the engine. Flat tire
381Breakdown assistance

!
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

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

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

R
before raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and inserting wheel chocks. Never
disengage the parking brake while the
vehicle is raised.
R the jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a
large, load-bearing underlay must be used.
On a slippery surface, a non-slip underlay
must be used, e.g. rubber mats.
R do not use wooden blocks or similar
objects as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the
jack will not be able to achieve its load-
bearing capacity due to the restricted
height.
R the maximum clearance between the
underside of the tire and the ground must
be 1.2 in (3 cm).
R never place your hands and feet under the
raised vehicle.
R never lie under the raised vehicle.
R never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
R never open or close a door or the tailgate
when the vehicle is raised.
R make sure that no person sare present in
the vehicle when the vehicl eis raised. X
Using lug wrench 0002, loosen the bolts on
the wheel you wish to change by abouto ne
full turn. Do not unscrew the bolts
completely. The jacking points are located jus
tbehind the
front wheel housings and just in front of the
rear wheel housings (arrows).
X Take the ratchet wrench out of the vehicle
tool kit and place it on the hexagon nut of
the jack so that the letters AUFare visible. 0003
Jacking points
001F Jack
001E Crank
X Position jack 001Fat jacking point 0003.
The alignment bolt on the jack must be
inserted into the intended jacking point
hole. 424
Changing
awheelWheels and tires