Page 250 of 321

248Vehicle care
Make the following preparations and
observe the following information:
■ Park the vehicle on a level, firm and
non-skid surface. The front wheels
must be in the straight-ahead
position.
■ Apply the parking brake and engage first gear, reverse gear or
P .
■ Remove the spare wheel 3 250.
■ Never change more than one wheel
at once.
■ Use the jack only to change wheels
in case of puncture, not for
seasonal winter or summer tyre
change.
■ If the ground on which the vehicle is standing is soft, a solid board
(max. 1 cm thick) should be placed
under the jack.
■ No people or animals may be in the
vehicle when it is jacked-up.
■ Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.■ Do not start the vehicle when it is
raised on the jack.
■ Clean wheel nuts and thread with a
clean cloth before mounting the
wheel.9 Warning
Do not grease wheel bolt, wheel
nut and wheel nut cone.
1. Disengage wheel nut caps with a screwdriver and remove. Pull off
the wheel cover with the hook.
Vehicle tools 3 239.
Alloy wheels: Disengage wheel
nut caps with a screwdriver and
remove. To protect the wheel,
place a soft cloth between the
screwdriver and the alloy wheel.
2. Fold out the wheel wrench and install ensuring that it locates
securely and loosen each wheel
nut by half a turn.
Page 251 of 321
Vehicle care249
3.Some versions may have covered
the vehicle jacking point. Pull out
the cover sideways.
4. Ensure the jack is correctly positioned under the relevant
vehicle jacking point.
5. Set the jack to the necessary height. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner that
prevents it from slipping.
Attach wheel wrench and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate wheel wrench until wheel is clear of the
ground.
6. Unscrew the wheel nuts. 7. Change the wheel. Spare wheel 3 250.
8. Screw on the wheel nuts.
9. Lower vehicle.
10. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it locates securely and tighten
each nut in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
150 Nm.
Page 252 of 321

250Vehicle care
11. Align the valve hole in the wheelcover with the tyre valve before
installing.
Install wheel nut caps.
12. Install vehicle jacking point cover.
13. Stow the replaced wheel 3 250
and the vehicle tools 3 239.
14. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and the wheel nut
torque as soon as possible.
Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
Jacking position for lifting
platformRear arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Spare wheel Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare
wheel.
The spare wheel can be classified as
a temporary spare wheel depending
on the size compared to the other
mounted wheels and country
regulations.
The spare wheel has a steel rim.
Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering.
To remove:
1. Open the floor cover.
Page 253 of 321

Vehicle care251
2.The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut. Turn wing nut
anticlockwise and remove the
spare wheel.
Under the spare wheel there is the box with vehicle tools.
3. When, after a wheel change, no wheel is placed in the spare wheel
well, secure the tool box by
turning right back the wing nut and close the floor cover.
Stowing the replaced full size wheel in the spare wheel well
The spare wheel well is not designed for all permitted tyre sizes. If a wheel
wider than the spare must be stowed
in the spare wheel well, the thread
bolt for mounting the wheel must be
replaced by an extension bolt, located
in the tool box 3 239. To replace the
bolt:
■ Remove tool box from the spare wheel well.
■Install the hexagon key of the wheel
wrench ensuring that it locates
securely on the bolt.
■ Turn the wheel wrench anticlockwise to loosen the bolt.
Remove the bolt.
■ Take the extension bolt from the tool box 3 239 and screw it in hand-
tight using the hexagon key of the
wheel wrench.■ Store the tool box and the damaged
wheel outside up in the spare wheel
well and secure it by turning the
wing nut clockwise on the bolt.
The floor cover can be placed on the
projecting wheel.
To fit the spare wheel in the well after
renewing the defective wheel use the
short thread bolt again. Exchange the
bolt in the same way.
Page 254 of 321

252Vehicle care9Warning
Storing a jack, a wheel or other
equipment in the load
compartment could cause injury if they are not fixed properly. During a sudden stop or a collision, looseequipment could strike someone.
Store wheel, jack and tools always
in the original storage location and secure them by fixing.
Temporary spare wheel
Caution
The use of a spare wheel that issmaller than the other wheels or in
combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
80 km/h. Take curves slowly. Do not use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre on the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel in the front and the full tyre in the rear.
Tyre chains 3 244.
Directional tyres Fit directional tyres such that they roll
in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
■ Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
■ Drive particularly carefully on wet and snow-covered road surfaces.Jump starting
Do not start with quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains
sulphuric acid which can cause
injuries and damage in the event
of direct contact.
Page 257 of 321

Vehicle care255
OPC: insert screwdriver in the slot at
the upper bend of the cap. Release
the cap by carefully moving the
screwdriver downwards. To prevent
damage it is recommended to place a cloth between the screwdriver and
the frame.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 239.Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with manual transmission
and All-wheel drive: If the vehicle is
towed with all four wheels on the
ground then there are no technical
limitations for speed and distance. If
only one axle has been raised, the
maximum speed is 50 km/h. There is
no distance limitation.
Vehicles with automatic transmission and Front-wheel drive: The vehicle
must be towed facing forwards, not
faster than 80 km/h nor further than
100 km. In all other cases and when
the transmission is defective, the front axle must be raised off the ground.
Page 258 of 321

256Vehicle care
Vehicles with automatic transmissionand All-wheel drive: The vehicle must
be towed facing forwards. If the
vehicle is towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the maximum speed is 50 km/h and for a maximum of
50 km. If the front axle has been
raised, the maximum speed is
50 km/h. There is no distance
limitation.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.5-door Hatchback, 4-door Saloon,
Sports Tourer: insert cap at the
bottom, turn slightly clockwise and
close cap.
Country Tourer: insert cap with the
upper flange into the recess and fix
cap by pushing.
OPC: insert cap with the lower flange
into the recess. Push the cap into the bumper.
Towing another vehicle
5-door Hatchback, 4-door Saloon,
Sports Tourer, OPC: disengage cap
at bottom and remove downwards.
Country Tourer: insert a screwdriver
in the slot at the lower edge of the cap. Release the cap by carefully moving
the screwdriver downwards. To
prevent damage it is recommended to place a cloth between the screwdriver
and the frame.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 239.
Page 260 of 321

258Vehicle care
If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's
instructions. The windscreen wiper and rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Wax painted parts of the vehicle
regularly.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of 4 to 9.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Do not clean the engine compartmentwith a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Thoroughly rinse and leather-off the vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use
separate leathers for painted and
glass surfaces: remnants of wax on
the windows will impair vision.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Do not use hard objects to remove
spots of tar. Use tar removal spray on
painted surfaces.
Exterior lights
Headlight and other light covers are
made of plastic. Do not use any
abrasive or caustic agents, do not use an ice scraper, and do not clean them
dry.
Polishing and waxing Wax the vehicle regularly (at the
latest when water no longer beads).
Otherwise, the paintwork will dry out.
Polishing is necessary only if the paint
has become dull or if solid deposits
have become attached to it.
Paintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.Plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing agents.
Windows and windscreen wiper blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Clean smearing wiper blades with a
soft cloth and window cleaner.
Sunroof Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media
(e.g. paint cleaner, acetone-
containing solutions etc.), acidic or
highly alkaline media or abrasive
pads. Do not apply wax or polishing
agents to the sunroof.