2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET Owners Manual

G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
If the warning and indicator lamps do not light up on the instrument cluster when temperatures are low, it is probably because the discharged battery has frozen. In this case, you may neither jump-
start the vehicle nor charge the battery. The service life of a battery that has been thawed may be
reduced. The starting characteristics may be impaired, especially at low temperatures. Have the
thawed battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
All vehicles:
! Vehicles with a petrol engine:
avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the
non-combusted fuel may damage the catalytic converter.
Do not use a rapid charging device to start the vehicle. If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jump leads.
Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible, jump-
start the vehicle using a donor battery or a jump-starting device.
R Vehicles with a petrol engine: jump-start the vehicle only when the engine and exhaust system
are cold.
R All vehicles except vehicles with a lithium-ion battery: do not start the engine if the battery
is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may be performed only using batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Use only jump leads that have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected for
a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery a little.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps do not come into contact with other metal parts while
the jump leads are connected to the battery.
R The jump leads cannot come into contact with parts that can move when the engine is running,
such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Automatic transmission: shift the transmission to position P.
X Manual transmission: depress the clutch pedal fully and engage neutral.
X Make sure that the ignition is switched off . All indicator lamps on the instrument cluster must be
off. When using the key, turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it (Y page 133).
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.
X Open the bonnet. 334
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

Position number
Cidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-starting
device.
X Lift up panel B.
X Slide cover Aof positive terminal :in the direction of the arrow.
X Connect positive terminal :on your vehicle to positive terminal ;of donor battery Cusing the
jump lead, Always begin with positive terminal :on your own vehicle.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal =of donor battery Cto earth point ?of your vehicle using the jump
lead, connecting the jump lead to donor battery Cfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Before disconnecting the jump leads, let the engines run for several minutes.
X First, remove the jump leads from earth point ?and negative terminal =, then from positive
terminal :and positive terminal ;. Each time, begin at the contacts on your own vehicle.
X Close cover Aof positive terminal :after removing the jump leads.
X Fold panel Bshut.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Jump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition.
i Jump-starting cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any
qualified specialist workshop. Jump-starting
335Breakdown assistance Z

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

Observe the legal requirements in each individ-
ual country 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 a transporter or trailer.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission must be in position N
when the vehicle is being towed. If the auto-
matic transmission cannot be shifted to position
N, have the vehicle transported on a transporter
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 G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be extremely hot.
There is a risk of burning when removing the
rear cover.
Do not touch the exhaust tail pipe. Use
extreme caution when removing the rear
cover. The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are located at the
rear and at the front, under covers :.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit (Y page 325).
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 a trailer tow hitch do not have a
bracket at the rear for the screw-in towing eye.
Connect the towbar to the trailer tow hitch
(Y page 214).
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover :to the bumper and press until
it engages. Towing the vehicle away with the rear
axle raised
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the important safety notes
(Y page 336).
Only vehicles without 4MATIC can be towed
with the rear axle raised.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged. Towing away and tow-starting
337Breakdown assistance Z

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

X
Open the bonnet (Y page 309).
X To open: press safety clips :on the
cover ;together.
X Remove fuse box cover ;upwards. X
Remove any existing moisture from the fuse
box using a dry cloth.
X Loosen screws =, fold up fuse box lid ?and
remove it.
X To close: check whether the seal is posi-
tioned correctly in lid ?.
X Insert lid ?into the bracket at the rear of the
fuse box.
X Fold down lid ?of the fuse box and tighten
screws =.
X Insert cover ;on both sides and engage
safety clips :.
X Close the bonnet. Fuse box in the boot
X
Open the boot lid.
X Swing the boot floor upwards (Y page 300).
X To open: swing cover :upwards in the
direction of the arrow. X
To close: fold down cover :in the opposite
direction to the arrow.
Make sure that the cover is in the recess pro- vided for it.
i The fuse allocation chart is in a recess on the
side of the fuse box. You can find the corre-
sponding fuse rating and fuse type on the fuse
allocation chart. Fuses
341Breakdown assistance Z