hitch. You could otherwise damage the vehi-
cle.
! Observe the following points when towing
with atow rope:
R Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legallyp ermitted. Mark the tow rope in
the middle, e.g. with awhite cloth
(30 x30c m).This will make other road
users aware that avehicle is being towed.
R Only secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow hitch.
R Observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain adis-
tance adistance so that the tow rope does
not sag.
R Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
! Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recovery
or towing. Do not use the towing eye for
recovery. This could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, have the vehicle recovered using a
crane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting avehicle. 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 passenger's
door during towing. The automatic transmis-
sion may otherwise shift to position P,which
could damage the transmission.
! You may tow the vehicle for
amaximum of
50km.At owing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
Observe the legal requirements for the relevant countries when towing.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on atransporter or trailer.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: when
towing avehicle, the automatic transmission
must be in position N.Ifthe automatic trans-
mission cannot be shifted to position N,have the vehicle transported on
atransporter or
trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key to position 2in the igni-
tion lock
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the transmission to position Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
Deactivate the automatic locking feature before towing the vehicle (Y page 88). You could oth-
erwise be locked out when pushing or towing
the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection before the vehi- cle is towed away (Y page 79). Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the rear
and at the front,u nder covers:.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit (Y page 336).
X Press the mark on cover :inwards and
remove.
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Vehicles with atrailer tow hitch do not have a
bracket at the back for the screw-in towing eye. Connect the towbar to the trailer tow hitch
(Y page 227). 348
Towing away and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
