Towing away and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Safety relevant functions are restricted or no
longer available if:
R the engine is not running
R the brake system or power steering is mal-
functioning
R there is a malfunction in the voltage supply
or the vehicle's electrical system
When your vehicle is towed away or towed
started, you may require considerably more
effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such cases use a rigid towing bar. Before
being towed away or tow started, make sure
the steering moves freely. G
WARNING
If the steering wheel lock is engaged, the vehi- cle can no longer be steered. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always switch on the ignition when towing
with a tow rope or a towing bar. G
WARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible gross weight of your vehicle, the:
R towing eye may be torn off
R car/trailer combination may swerve or
even overturn
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate (Y page 359).
! When Active Brake Assist, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC or the HOLD function is activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in certain
situations. To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
! Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow cable or tow bar to the
towing eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow
hitch. You could otherwise damage the vehi-
cle.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope in
the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle 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 a dis-
tance a distance 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 a vehicle. 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 a maximum of
50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported. 336
Towing away and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed with
both axles on the ground or be loaded and trans- ported.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
car/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even overturn.
! The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the rear axle raised.
Intervention by ESP ®
could otherwise dam-
age the brake system.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 116).
X Move the front wheels to the straight-ahead
position.
X If necessary, turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the key with
you. Towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission automatically shifts to
position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the key
from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N
when the vehicle is being towed, you must
observe the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
N.
Vehicles with manual transmission: X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.
All vehicles:
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition lock.
X Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 116).
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When you reset the
combination switch, the hazard warning lamps
start flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission !
When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles !
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye or trailer tow hitch can be used
to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or transporter if you wish to transport it.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the key to position
2in the ignition lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
N. 338
Towing away and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: fully
depress the clutch pedal and engage first or
reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed away
with both axles on the ground or be loaded up
and transported.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or dam- age to the front or rear axle, have it transportedon a transporter or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem: 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 333).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Do not tow-start vehicles with automatic
transmission. You could otherwise damage
the automatic transmission.
i You can find information on "Jump-starting"
under (Y page 333).
Before tow-starting, the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected
R the engine has cooled down
R the exhaust system has cooled down When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety notes (Y
page 336) and the
legal requirements in each respective country.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 116).
X Fit the towing eye (Y page 337).
X Secure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully, engage 2nd
gear and continue to keep the clutch pedal
fully depressed.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Tow-start the vehicle.
X Release the clutch pedal slowly; do not
depress the accelerator pedal while doing so.
X When the engine has been started, immedi-
ately depress the clutch pedal fully and shift
to neutral.
X Pull over at a suitable place and stop the vehi-
cle safely, paying attention to road and traffic
conditions.
X Use the electric parking brake to secure the
vehicle and prevent it from rolling away.
X Remove the rigid towing bar or towing rope.
X Remove the towing eye (Y page 337).
X Switch off the hazard warning lamps. Fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you manipulate, bridge or replace a faulty
fuse with a fuse of a higher amperage, the
electric cables could be overloaded. This may result in a fire. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with specified newfuses of the correct amperage.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of the same rating, which you can recognise by the
colour and fuse rating. The fuse ratings are listed
in the fuse allocation chart.
The fuse allocation chart is on the fuse box in the boot (Y page 341). Fuses
339Breakdown assistance Z
If the newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified special- ist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
! Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which have the
correct fuse rating for the system concerned.
Otherwise, components or systems could be
damaged.
! Make sure that no moisture can enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
! When closing the cover, make sure that it is
lying correctly on the fuse box. Moisture seep-
ing in or dirt could otherwise impair the oper- ation of the fuses.
The fuses in your vehicle disconnect faulty cir-
cuits. If a fuse blows, all the components on the
circuit and their functions will fail. Before replacing a fuse
Observe the important safety notes
(Y page 339)
X Switch off the engine.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Make sure that the ignition is switched off
(Y page 133).
or X When using the key, turn the key to position 0
in the ignition lock and remove it
(Y page 133).
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 159).
All indicator lamps on the instrument cluster
must be off.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R Fuse box on the driver's side of the dashboard
R Fuse box in the front-passenger footwell
R Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
driver's side
R Fuse box under the boot floor on the right-
hand side of the vehicle, when viewed in the
direction of travel Dashboard fuse box
The fuse box is under a cover on the side of the dashboard. You can obtain further information
from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Fuse box in the front-passenger foot-
well
X
Open the front-passenger door.
X To open: fold cover :out towards the rear
and remove it.
X To close: clip in cover :at the rear.
X Fold cover :forwards until it engages. Fuse box in the engine compartment
G
WARNING
When the bonnet is open, and the windscreen wipers are set in motion, you can be injured by
the wiper linkage. There is a risk of injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
the ignition before opening the bonnet. 340
FusesBreakdown assistance
Securing the vehicle against rolling
away
If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock, it
can be found in the tyre-change tool kit
(Y page 325).
The folding wheel chock is an additional secur-
ing measure to safeguard the vehicle from roll-
ing away, e.g. during a wheel change.
X Fold both plates upwards :.
X Fold out lower plate ;.
X Insert the lugs on the lower plate fully into the
openings in base plate =.X
Place chocks or other suitable items under
the front and rear of the wheel that is diago-
nally opposite the wheel you wish to change.
Raising the vehicle G
WARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate jack-
ing point of the vehicle. The base of the jack must be positioned vertically, directly under
the jacking point of the vehicle.
Observe the following when raising the vehi- cle:
R only use the vehicle-specific jack that has
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
to raise the vehicle. If the jack is used incor-
rectly, it could tip over while the vehicle is
raised.
R the jack is designed only to raise the vehicle
for a short time while a wheel is being
changed. It is not permissible to use it to per-
form maintenance work under the vehicle.
R avoid changing the wheel on uphill and down-
hill slopes.
R before raising the vehicle, secure it from roll-
ing away by applying the parking brake and
positioning wheel chocks. Do not release the parking brake while the vehicle is raised.
R the jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a large,
flat load-bearing underlay must be used. On a
slippery surface, a non-slip underlay must be
used, e.g. use a rubber mat on tiles.
R do not use wooden blocks or similar objects
as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the jack will not
be able to achieve its load-bearing capacity
due to the restricted height.
R make sure that the distance between the
underside of the tyres and the ground does
not exceed 3 cm.
R do not place your hands or feet under the
raised vehicle.
R do not lie under the raised vehicle.
R do not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
R do not open or close a door or the boot lid
when the vehicle is raised.
R make sure that no persons are present in the
vehicle when raising the vehicle.
Vehicles with light-alloy wheels and hub
cap: the wheel bolts are covered by a hub cap.
Before you can unscrew the wheel bolts, you
must remove the hub cap. Two different variants
can be fitted. 352
Changing a wheelWheels and tyres
Vehicles with plastic hub cap:
X To remove: turn the centre cover of hub
cap :anti-clockwise and remove.
X To fit: before fitting, ensure that hub cap :is
in the open position. To do this, turn the
centre cover anti-clockwise.
X Position hub cap :and turn the centre cover
clockwise until you feel and hear the hub
cap :engage.
X Make sure that hub cap :is fitted securely. Vehicles with aluminium hub cap:
X To remove: take socket;and wheel wrench
= from the vehicle tool kit (Y page 325).
X Position socket ;on hub cap :.
X Position wheel wrench =on socket ;.
X Using wheel wrench =, turn hub cap:anti-
clockwise and remove.
X To fit: before fitting, check hub cap :and
wheel area for dirt and clean if necessary.
X Position hub cap :and turn until it is in the
right position.
X Position socket ;on hub cap :.
X Position wheel wrench =on socket ;and
tighten hub cap :.
The tightening torque must be 25 Nm.i
Note
that the hub cap must be tightened to
the specified torque of 25 Nm. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you have the hub cap fitted at a qualified specialist workshop. X
Using wheel wrench =, loosen the bolts on
the wheel you wish to change by about one
full turn. Do not unscrew the bolts completely. The jacking points are located just behind the
front wheel arches and just in front of the rear
wheel arches (arrows).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles and vehicles with
AMG equipment:
to protect the vehicle body,
the vehicle has covers fitted next to the jacking
points on the outer sills. Changing a wheel
353Wheels and tyres Z
When using an emergency spare wheel or spare
wheel of a different size, you must not exceed
the maximum speed of 80 km/h.
Snow chains must not be fitted to emergency
spare wheels. General notes
You can ask for information regarding permitted
emergency spare wheels at a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
You should regularly check the pressure of all
your tyres, including the emergency spare
wheel, particularly prior to long trips, and cor-
rect the pressure as necessary (Y page 345).
The value on the wheel is valid.
An emergency spare wheel may also be fitted
against the direction of rotation. Observe the
time restriction on use as well as the speed lim- itation specified on the emergency spare wheel.
Replace the tyres after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear. This also applies to the
emergency spare wheel.
If you are driving with the emergency spare
wheel fitted, the tyre pressure loss warning sys- tem or the tyre pressure monitor cannot func-
tion reliably. Restart the tyre pressure loss warn-
ing system or tyre pressure monitor only once
the defective wheel has been replaced with a
new wheel.
Vehicles with tyre pressure monitor: after an
emergency spare wheel has been fitted, the sys- tem may still display the tyre pressure of the
removed wheel for a few minutes. The value dis-
played for the position where the emergency
spare wheel is fitted is not the same as the cur- rent tyre pressure of the emergency spare
wheel. Removing the emergency spare wheel
The emergency spare wheel is secured in the
emergency spare wheel bag in the boot.
X Open the boot.
X Detach the securing straps.
X Unhook the spring hooks of the securing
straps from the retainers.
X Remove the emergency spare wheel bag with
the emergency spare wheel.
X Open the emergency spare wheel bag and
remove the emergency spare wheel. Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes under "Changing a wheel"
(Y
page 351). Emergency spare wheel
357Wheels and tyres Z