Page 150 of 217
148Driving and operating
Remove sealing plug from the hole for
the coupling ball bar and stow it in the load compartment.
Confirm that the colour marking on
the lever is red.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert the coupling ball bar into the
coupling housing and push firmly
downwards until the coupling ball bar
audibly engages. If it does not
engage, repeat fitting procedure.
Do not swing the coupling ball bar to
the left or right, or upwards and
downwards, to avoid disrupting
correct fitting.
Lock coupling ball bar by turning the supplied key in the lock cylinder of the coupling ball bar. Remove key.
Check that the coupling ball bar is
correctly attached:
■ Green marking must be visible on lever.
■ Coupling ball bar must be seated firmly in coupling housing.
Coupling ball bar must be locked and key must be removed.
Page 151 of 217

Driving and operating1499Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when the coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bar
cannot be properly attached, seek the assistance of a workshop.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
In the case of trailers with brakes,
attach the break-away stopping cable
to the eye - not to the coupling ball
bar.
Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Unlock coupling ball bar and remove
key. Push lever to the left, towards the
coupling ball bar and turn it
downwards. Pull coupling ball bar out of coupling housing.
Remove any rust or dirt from area
around the coupling housing and
coupling ball bar connection before
inserting sealing plug in the hole.
Place the coupling ball bar in the bag supplied, fasten it with the strap and
stow it below the floor cover in the
load compartment.
Do not use steam-jet cleaners or
other high-pressure cleaners to clean
the coupling ball bar.
Trailer stability assist If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 137.
Page 152 of 217

150Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................150
Vehicle checks ........................... 151
Bulb replacement .......................159
Electrical system ........................165
Vehicle tools .............................. 173
Wheels and tyres .......................175
Jump starting ............................. 187
Towing ....................................... 188
Appearance care .......................190General Information
Accessories and vehicle
modifications
We recommend the use of genuine parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or
guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Do not make any modifications to the electrical system, e.g. changes of
electronic control units (chip tuning).Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps might be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time
If the vehicle is to be stored for several months:
■ Wash and wax the vehicle.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
■ Change the engine oil.
■ Drain the washer fluid reservoir.
■ Check the coolant antifreeze and corrosion protection.
■ Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
■ Park the vehicle in a dry, well ventilated place. Engage first orreverse gear or move selector lever
to P. Prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
■ Do not apply the electrical parking brake.
Page 176 of 217
174Vehicle care
To remove the jack and vehicle tools,open the tailgate.
Push both levers on the floor cover
towards the handle and pull up the
cover by the handle.
Where present, hang the hook to the
upper part of the tailgate opening.
Remove wing bolt from the jack by
rotating it anticlockwise and remove
the jack and wheel wrench bag.
Remove straps holding the bag
containing the wheel wrench.
Remove wheel wrench from the bag.
Vehicles with tyre repair kit
In vehicles with a tyre repair kit, there may not be a jack and vehicle tool kit.
The tyre repair kit is in a storage
compartment below the floor cover in the load compartment.
Page 186 of 217

184Vehicle care
4. Before positioning the jack, set itto the necessary height by
rotating the eye by hand.
Position jack at the jacking point
located nearest to the wheel concerned so that the jack claw
spans the vertical base. Ensure
the jack is positioned correctly.
The jack base must be on the
ground directly below the jacking
point in a manner that prevents it
from slipping.5. Attach wheel wrench to eye of threaded rod and rotate wrench
clockwise to raise vehicle.
If this is not the case, carefully
lower the vehicle immediately and
reposition the jack. Raise the
vehicle until the wheel is just clear of the ground.
6. Unscrew wheel nuts completely and wipe clean with a cloth.
Do not grease the threads. Put
wheel nuts somewhere where the threads will not be soiled.
7. Change the wheel. Notes on spare wheel 3 185.
8. Screw on the wheel nuts and
tighten slightly by hand by turning
clockwise until wheel is held
against the hub.
9. Rotate wrench anticlockwise and lower vehicle to the ground.
10. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it locates securely and tighten
each wheel nut in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
140 Nm.
11. Stow the replaced wheel 3 185
and the vehicle tools 3 173.
12. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre as soon as possible.
Page 188 of 217

186Vehicle care
The temporary spare wheel is locatedin the load compartment below the
floor cover and is secured with a
screw-in retainer.
Push both levers on the floor cover
towards the handle and pull up the
cover by the handle. Hang the hook
to the upper part of the tailgate
opening.
Vehicle tools 3 173.
Remove the retainer by rotating it
anticlockwise and remove temporary
spare wheel from the spare wheel
well.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
50 mph. Take curves slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
When the temporary spare wheel is
fitted, do not take the vehicle through an automatic vehicle wash with guide
rails. The temporary spare wheel may get caught on the rails, causing
damage to the tyre, wheel and other
vehicle parts.
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre chains 3 179.
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 as soon
as possible and have the wheel
balanced and fitted to the vehicle.■ Do not drive faster than 50 mph.
■ Drive particularly carefully on wet and snow-covered road surfaces.9 Warning
Storing a jack, a wheel or other
equipment in the load
compartment could cause injury if they are not fixed in place
properly. During a sudden stop or
a collision, loose equipment could
cause personal injury or damage
to the vehicle.
Always store the jack and vehicle
tools in their respective storage
compartments and secure them properly.
Always place the damaged wheel
in the load compartment, secured
in the spare wheel well with the
screw-in retainer.
Page 190 of 217

188Vehicle care
3. Connect the black lead to thenegative terminal 3 of the booster
battery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point,
such as the engine block 4 or an
engine mounting bolt. Connect as far away from the discharged
battery as possible, however at
least 60 cm.
Route the leads so that they cannot
catch on rotating parts in the engine
compartment.
To start the engine: 1. Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump start.
2. After 5 minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be
made for no longer than
15 seconds at an interval of
1 minute.
3. Allow both engines to idle for approx. 3 minutes with the leads
connected.4. Switch on electrical consumers (e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Operate discharged vehicle for approx. 20 minutes to allow for
adequate battery recharging.
6. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Remove the spoiler lip from the front
left-hand side of the vehicle by
unfastening the six screws located on the underside of the vehicle. Then
attach the towing eye.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 173.
Page 191 of 217

Vehicle care189
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 front towing eye, never to
the bumper or front suspension units.
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear.
The front towing eye must only be
used for towing and not recovering a
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering
wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.
Turn key to ignition switch position
ACC and release the electrical
parking brake before towing the
vehicle.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.
Keep tow rope clear of front bumper, and ensure it is securely fixed to the
towing eye at both ends. Pull on the tow rope to check.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation system 3 115 and
close the windows.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards. The maximum speed is
55 mph. In all other cases, and when
the transmission is defective, the front axle must be raised off the ground.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Do not tow the vehicle using the
towing eye. Towing with a tow rope
could cause severe damage to the
transmission. When towing a vehicle
with automatic transmission, use flat
bed or wheel lift equipment.
Seek the assistance of a workshop.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye
and replace the spoiler lip. Store
towing eye in the storage
compartment below the floor cover in the load compartment.
Vehicle tools 3 173.