Page 400 of 462
!
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, or the trailer tow hitch, if
available. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
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.
! 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 444).
i Information on your vehicle's gross
vehicle weight rating can be found on the vehicle identification plate; see the printed
Operator's Manual.
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 Disarm the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 284).
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
:
Front cover
; Back cover 398
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
Page 401 of 462
Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if possible,
connect the towbar to the trailer tow hitch
(Y page 264).
The brackets for the screw-in towing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front
and at the rear, behind the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 386).
X To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover :inwards 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 ;out of the bumper.
X Take cover :or; off the opening.
X Screw in and tighten the towing eye
clockwise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover :or; to the bumper and
press until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 397).
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 167).
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 132).
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
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, 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.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to
position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Towing and tow-starting
399Breakdown assistance Z
Page 430 of 462
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. Protect the
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 a wheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Vehicle with emergency spare wheel:
when mounting the emergency spare
wheel in the event of a flat tire, follow the
additional notes on vehicle preparation
under "Flat tire" ( Ypage 387).
X Stop the vehicle on solid, 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 ON&OFFROAD
package: make sure that highway level is
selected (Y page 212).
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. This 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 167).
X If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from 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 428
Changing a wheelWheels and
tires