cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle.
The batteries and the covers of the positive
terminal clamps must always be fitted
securely during operation.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. WARNING
Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when handling the
battery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
in particular gloves, an apron and a face mask.
Immediately rinse acid splashes
off with clean water. Consult a doc- tor if necessary. Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Owner's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes–Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries that have
been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries have greater impact resistance and as a result there is no
risk of acid burns to occupants when a battery is damaged in an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
The vehicle battery, like other batteries, can
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.
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.
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. Charging the battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek medical attention. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting. 362
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance
Do not use a rapid charging device to start the vehicle. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jump
leads. Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or a jump-starting device.
R You may only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust system are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may only be performed using batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Only use jump leads that have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery a little.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps do not come into contact with other metal parts
while the jump leads are connected to the battery.
R The jump leads cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Make sure the ignition is switched off (Y page 159). All indicator lamps in the instrument
cluster must be off. When using the key, turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and
remove it (Y page 159).
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.
X Open the bonnet. Earth point cover (example: right-hand drive) Jump-starting
365Breakdown assistance Z
!
Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope
in the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This makes other road
users aware that a vehicle is being
towed.
R only secure the tow rope to the towing
eye.
R observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distance so that the tow rope does not
sag.
R do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
! Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes 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.
! Shift the automatic transmission to
Nand
do not open the driver's or front passeng-
er's door during towing. The automatic
transmission may otherwise shift to posi-
tion P, which could damage the transmis-
sion.
! 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.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per- missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight rating can be found on the vehicle
identification plate (Y page 402). Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
If the automatic transmission cannot be shif-
ted to position N, have the vehicle transpor-
ted on a transporter or trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged. Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 92). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
i Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 81) before the vehicle is towed. 368
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
X
Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 126).
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the turn signals for the desired direction
flash. When you reset the combination
switch, the hazard warning lamps start
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 eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporta-
tion.
X 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 electric parking brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed
away with both axles on the ground or be loa- ded up and transported.
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 auto-
matic transmission will be locked in position
P. To shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N, you must provide power to the vehi-
cle's electrical system in the same way as
when jump-starting (Y page 364).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Do not tow-start vehicles with automatic
transmission. You could otherwise damage the automatic transmission.
i Information on "Jump-starting"
(Y page 364). Electrical fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you manipulate, bridge or replace a faulty
fuse with a fuse of a higher amperage, the
electric cables could be overloaded. This may result in a fire. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with specified new fuses of the correct amperage.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognise by 370
Electrical fusesBreakdown assistance