
!
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recov-
ery 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.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. Pull the towed vehicle as straight
as possible and not at an acute angle.
Excessive tractive power could damage the
vehicles.
i When towing, it is preferable to use a rigid
towing bar as opposed to a tow rope. A rigid
towing bar helps to keep the tractive power low.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton. 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 per- missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
i Information on your vehicle's gross vehi-
cle weight rating can be found on the vehi-
cle identification plate (Y page 446).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.
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 279).
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
0043 Front cover
0044 Back cover
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. 394
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 382).
X To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover 0043inwards 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 0044out of the bumper.
X Take cover 0043or0044 off the opening.
X Screw in and tighten the towing eye clock-
wise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover 0043or0044 to the bumper and
press until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
Only possible for vehicles without
4MATIC.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 124).
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the Smart-
Key or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 393). 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 393).
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 trans-
mission 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 posi-
tion 0.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 158).
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion 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 124).
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 indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion 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 Towing and tow-starting
395Breakdown assistance Z

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 transporting
purposes.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion 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 posi-
tion P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Information on 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
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 automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to position
N, you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Y page 391).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. You could other-
wise damage the automatic transmission. i
You can find information on "Jump-start-
ing" under (Y page 391). Fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper- age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
! For the fuse boxes in the engine compart-
ment and under the rear bench seat, only
use fuses with the suffix "S". Otherwise,
components or systems could be dam-
aged.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo- nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed in the fuse allocation chart.
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Before changing a fuse
Observe the important safety notes
(Y page 396)
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 182).
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it (Y page 157). On396
FusesBreakdown assistance

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. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-edly. 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 imme-
diately. 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" (Y page 383).
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 AIRMATIC package:
make sure that highway level is selected
(Y page 211).
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 158).
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 varia-
tions, 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 author-
ized 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 If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock,
it can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(Y page 382).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
securing measure to prevent the vehicle from rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel. 424
Changing a wheelWheels and tires

VIN
X
Open the front right-hand door.
X Open cover 0043in the direction of the arrow
and remove it.
You will see the VIN.
The VIN can also be found in the following
locations:
R on the lower edge of the windshield
(Y page 447)
R on the vehicle identification plate
(Y page 446) Engine number
0043
Emission control information plate,
including the certification of both federal
and Californian emissions standards
0044 Engine number (stamped into the crank-
case)
0087 VIN (on the lower edge of the windshield) Service products and filling capaci-
ties
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Service products may be poisonous and haz-
ardous to health. There is a risk of injury.
Comply with instructions on the use, storage
and disposal of service products on the labels of the respective original containers. Always
store service products sealed in their original containers. Always keep service products out
of the reach of children. H
Environmental note
Dispose of service products in an environ-
mentally responsible manner.
Service products include the following:
R Fuels
R Exhaust gas aftertreatment additives, e.g.
DEF
R Lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R Coolant
R Brake fluid
R Windshield washer fluid
R Climate control system refrigerant
Comply with all valid regulations with respect to handling, storing, and disposing of service
fluids.
Components and service products must be
matched. You should therefore only use prod- ucts that have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Information on tested and approved products
can be obtained at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center or on the Internet at
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
You can recognize service products approved by Mercedes-Benz by the following inscrip-
tion on the containers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approval (e.g. MB Approval 229.51) Service products and filling capacities
447Technical data Z