Page 180 of 251

178Driving and operating
Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
■ Green marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
■ There must be no gap between the
rotary handle and the coupling ball
bar.
■ The coupling ball bar must be firmly
engaged in the opening.
■ The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball
bar
Page 182 of 251

180Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................180
Vehicle checks ........................... 181
Bulb replacement .......................188
Electrical system ........................196
Vehicle tools .............................. 202
Wheels and tyres .......................203
Jump starting ............................. 218
Towing ....................................... 219
Appearance care .......................221General 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 the vehicle. Wax painted parts of the vehicle. Exterior care
3 221.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
■ Fill up fuel tank completely.
■ 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 set selector lever to P . Prevent the vehicle from rolling.
■ Do not apply the parking brake.
Page 204 of 251
202Vehicle careVehicle toolsTools
Vehicles with spare wheel
Open the load floor cover. The jack,
the tools and a strap for securing a
damaged wheel are in the tool box
below the spare wheel in the load
compartment. The wheel wrench and the towing eye are in the tool bag
located in the spare wheel well near
the tool box. Spare wheel 3 215.
Vehicles with tyre repair kit
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box in the load
compartment below the floor cover.
Vehicles with tyre repair kit and
flat load compartment floor
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a bag, which is fixed at the front left lashing eye in the load
compartment.
Page 217 of 251

Vehicle care215
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.
If mounting a spare wheel, which is
different from the other wheels, this
wheel might be classified as a
temporary spare wheel and the
corresponding speed limits apply,
even though no label indicates this.
Seek the assistance of a workshop to
check the applicable speed limit.
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.
Removing the spare wheel and
stowing a damaged wheel in the load compartment
The spare wheel is located in the
spare wheel well beneath the floor
cover.
The spare wheel well is not designed
for other tyre sizes than spare wheel.
To remove: 1. Close the soft top and fold in the load compartment partition by
pushing at the loop area upwards
to the inside 3 72.
2. Remove the floor cover.
3. The spare wheel is secured with a
wing nut in the well. Untwist nut,
Page 219 of 251

Vehicle care217
Stowing the spare wheel back inthe well after replacing the
damaged wheel
1. Close the soft top and fold in the load compartment partition.
2. Remove floor cover, untwist and remove wing nut and conus.
3. Stow the tools in the tool box and the bag.
4. Place spare wheel outside up in the well.
5. Insert and turn the excentric conus in the recess of the spare
wheel so that the wheel is
positioned as far as possible to
the front. Secure the wheel by
turning the wing nut clockwise.
6. Insert and close floor cover.9 Warning
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, loose
equipment could strike someone.
Store jack and tools always in the
respective storage compartments
and secure them by fixing.
Damaged wheel placed in the load
compartment must always be
secured by the strap.
Temporary spare wheel
Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have thedefective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
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.
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 3 209.
Spare wheel with directional tyre Fit directional tyres such that they rollin 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.
Page 221 of 251

Vehicle care219
3. Connect the black lead to thenegative terminal of the booster
battery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point,
such as the engine block 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.
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. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower part of the cap. Release the cap
by carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 202.
Page 222 of 251

220Vehicle care
Screw in the towing eye anticlockwise
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, when soft top is closed.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 50 mph nor further than 60 miles. In all other
cases and when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye
clockwise.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Towing another vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
lower bend of the cap. Release the
cap by carefully moving the
screwdriver downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 202.
Page 223 of 251

Vehicle care221
Screw in the towing eye anticlockwise
as far as it will go until it stops in a
horizontal position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye clockwise.
Insert cap at the top and engage
downwards.
Appearance care
Exterior care
Locks The locks are lubricated at the factory
using a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use de-icing agent only when absolutely necessary, as this has a
degreasing effect and impairs lock
function. After using a de-icing agent,
have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
Washing The paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences,
therefore wash your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, prefer one with textile
brushes and select a programme
without wax additives.
When doing hand wash, use clear
water and a soft brush, cleaning in
grain direction of the textile hood.
Never use a a steam-jet or high-
pressure jet cleaner for the soft top
and the engine compartment.