2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class tow

damage to the major assemblies or the
vehicle.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain further information from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Care
Notes on care
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. G
WARNING
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the
particular container .Always open your
vehicle's doors or windows when cleaning the
inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and keep
them out of reach of children.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film. H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible
manner.
! Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosio nofthe brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
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. Exterior care
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, you must drive particularly
carefully after washing the vehicle until the
brakes have dried.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! 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 470
CareMaintenance and care

position
Pautomatically and locks the
wheels. You can preven tthis 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 key to position 2(Ypage 307) 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.
! 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.
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.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays. Observe the legal requirements in all
countries concerned.
X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
Powerw ashers G
WARNING
Do not use power washers with circular-jet
nozzles (dirt grinders) to clea nyour vehicle, in
particular the tires. You could otherwise
damage the tires and cause an accident.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and the
power washer nozzle. Information about
the correc tdistance is available fro mthe
equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around
when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tires
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints, etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals Care
471Maintenance and care Z

Useful information
............................478
Where will I find...? ...........................478
Flat tire .............................................. 479
Battery ............................................... 484
Jump-starting .................................... 488
Towing and tow-starting ..................490
Fuses .................................................. 492 477Breakdown assistance

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 31).Where will I find...?
First-aid kit
X Open the trun klid. X
Remove tensioning strap 0002.
X Remove first-aid kit 0003fromt he parcel net.
i Check the expiration date on the first-aid
kit at least once a year. Replace the
contents if necessary, and replace missing
items. Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit can be found in the
stowage well under the trunk floor.
X Lift the trunk floor upwards (Y page 442). 0002
Folding wheel chock
0003 Vehicle tool kit tray cover
0026 Vehicle tool kit
0025 Jack "Minispare" emergency spare wheel
The "Minispare" emergency spare wheel can
be found in the stowage well under the trunk
floor.
X Lift the trunk floor up (Y page 442). X
Turn stowage tray 0026counterclockwise
and remove together with vehicle tool kit
tray 0003.
X Remove "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel 0002.
For further information on changing a wheel
and installing the spare wheel, see
(Y page 479). 478
Where will I find...?Breakdown assistance

Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel or
MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) (Y page 483).
i Vehicle preparation is no tnecessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tires.
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 Apply the electric parkin gbrake manually
(Y page 328).
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Move the DIRECT SELECT leve rto position
P.
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 307).
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. Changing
awheel and mounting the
spare wheel
Preparing the vehicle When using a different size spare wheel or
emergency spare wheel, do not exceed the
maximum road speed of 50 mph (80 km/h)
G
WARNING
The wheel or tire size as well as the tire type
of the spare wheel or emergency spare wheel
and the wheel to be replaced may differ.
Mounting an emergency spare wheel may
severely impair the driving characteristics.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R adapt you rdriving style accordingly and
drive carefully.
R never install more than one spare wheel or
emergency spare wheel that differs in size.
R only use a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size briefly.
R do not switch ESP ®
off.
R have a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size replaced at the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
Observe that the wheel and tire dimensions
as well as the tire type must be correct.
i Vehicles withou taspare wheel or
emergency spare wheel are not equipped
with a tire-change tool kit at the factory. For
more information on which tools are
required to perform a wheel change on your
vehicle, e.g. wheel chock, lug wrench or
alignment bolt, consult an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
X Prepare the vehicle as described
(Y page 479).
X Remove the following items (depending on
the vehicle's equipment) from the stowage
well under the trunk floor:
R
emergency spare wheel or spare wheel
R wheel bolts for the spare wheel/
emergency spare wheel Flat tire
479Breakdown assistance Z

X
Slide the emergency spare wheel onto the
alignment bol tand push it on.
X Tighte nthe wheel bolts until they are
finger-tight.
X Unscrew the alignment bolt.
X Tighten the last wheel bolt until it is finger-
tight.
Lowering the vehicle G
WARNING
Tire pressure that is too high or too low can
lead to a blowoutoft he mounted emergency
spare wheel/spare wheel, particularly when
driving with a heavy load and increasing
speed. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tire pressure of the emergency
spare wheel or spare wheel and adjust it.
When doing so, observe the specified tire
pressure.
X Turn the crank of the jack counter-
clockwise until the vehicle is once again
standing firmly on the ground.
X Place the jack to one side. G
WARNING
The wheels could work loose if the wheel nuts
and bolts are not tightened to the specified
tightening torque. There is a risk of accident.
Have the tightening torque immediately
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a wheel is changed.
X Tighten the wheel bolts evenly in a
crosswise pattern in the sequence
indicated ( 0002to0023). The tightening torque
must be 110 lb-ft (150 Nm) .
X Turn the jack back to its initial position and
store it together with the rest of the tire-
change tool kit in the stowage well under
the trunk floor.
i When you are driving with the emergency
spare wheel mounted, the tire pressure
monitoring system cannot function
reliably. Only restart the tire pressure
monitoring system when the defective
wheel has been replaced with a new wheel.
All wheels mounted must be equipped with
functioning sensors. The defective wheel
should no longer be in the vehicle. MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tires. Flat tire
483Breakdown assistance Z

Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: be sure to read the "HYBRID"
supplement. Otherwise, you could fail to
recognize dangers. G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing ba rif:
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 maximu mforce.
Before towing away, make sure that the
steering can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! 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.
! Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
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. !
When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! 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.
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 shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
(Y page 269) You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 478). 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. 490
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

X
Press the mark on cover 0002inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover 0002off 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 0002to 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 importan tthat you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 490).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 283).
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. Towing
avehicle with both axles on
the ground
When having your vehicle towed, observe the
important safety notes (Y page 490). 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
vehicle .Adapt your style of driving
accordingly.
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 key
instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 307).
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. Towing and tow-starting
491Breakdown assistance Z