Page 400 of 462

To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the 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 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 P when 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.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
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
( Y
page 285). 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 covers398
Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
Page 401 of 462

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. X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit ( Y
page 386).X
To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover C inwards 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 D out of the bumper.X
Take cover C or D off the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as
it will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Attach cover C or D to the bumper and
press until it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
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 397).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position P when 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 N when 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 2 in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y
page 165). 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 2 in the
ignition lock. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 133).
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
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 2 in 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 0 in the igni-
tion lock and remove it. X
Secure the vehicle.Towing and tow-starting 399
Breakdown assistance Z
Page 430 of 462

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 387).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 219). X
Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age: make sure that highway level is selec-
ted ( Y
page 213).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 165). X
If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle. X
Safeguard the vehicle against 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 tire-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 386).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
safety measure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel. X
Fold both plates upwards C .X
Fold out lower plate D .X
Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate