Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
Rthe engine is not running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthere is a malfunction in the voltage supply or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steering wheel lock has been engaged. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing the
vehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar.
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
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.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight rating can be found on the vehicle
identification plate (
Ypage 399).
!When COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes auto-
matically in certain situations. To avoid
damage to the vehicle, deactivate these
systems in the following or similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
towing eye only. Otherwise, the vehicle
could become damaged.
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle.
If in doubt, recover the veh icle w
ith a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. 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 passeng-
er's door during towing. The automatic
transmission may otherwise shift to posi-
tion P, which could damage the transmis-
sion.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!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 Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
354Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
If the automatic transmission cannot be shif-
ted to positionN, have the vehicle transpor-
ted on a transporter or trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to position N
iDeactivate the automatic locking feature
(
Ypage 90). You could otherwise be locked
out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
The brackets for the screw-in towing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front
and at the rear under covers :.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit/stowage tray (
Ypage 342).
XPress the mark on cover:inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
XRemove cover :from the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as
it will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XAttach cover :to the bumper and press
until it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit/
stowage tray.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(
Ypage 354).
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:
XYou must use the SmartKey instead of the
Start/Stop button (
Ypage 151).
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in posi-
tion 0.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(
Ypage 126).
iIn 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-
Towing and tow-starting355
Breakdown assistance
Z
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
Only vehicles without 4MATIC can be
towed 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.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be towed with the rear axle raised.
The vehicle/trailer combination may oth-
erwise swerve or even roll over.
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.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
XSecure the vehicle.
Notes 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.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed
away with both axles on the ground or be loa- ded up and transported.
If the vehicle's transmission, front, or rear
axle is damaged, have the vehicle transported
on a truck or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system: if the battery is defective, the auto-
matic transmission will be locked in position
P . To shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N, you must provide power to the vehi-
cle's electrical system in the same way as
when jump-starting (
Ypage 351).
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.
iInformation on "Jump-starting"
(
Ypage 351).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
356Fuses
Breakdown assistance
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the
respective wheel.
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles:during
removal and repositioning of the wheel, the
wheel rim can strike the ceramic-brake disc
and damage it. Therefore, you should pro-
ceed carefully and get a second person
assist to you. Alternatively, you can use a
second alignment bolt.
!To prevent damage to the paintwork, hold
the wheel securely against the wheel hub
while screwing in the first wheel bolt.
XClean the wheel and wheel hub contact
surfaces.
XSlide the wheel to be mounted onto the
alignment bolt and push it on.
XTighten the wheel bolts until they are fin-
ger-tight.
XUnscrew the alignment bolt.
XTighten the last wheel bolt until it is finger-
tight.
Lowering the vehicle
GWAR NING
The wheels could work loose ifthe wheel nuts
and bolts are not tightened to the specifie d
tightening torque. There isa risk of acc ident.
Have the tightening torque immediately
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a wheel ischanged.
XPlace the ratchet wrench onto the hexagon
nut of the jack so that the letters ABare
visible.
XTurn the ratchet wrench until the vehicle is
once again standing firmly on the ground.
XPlace the jack to one side.
XTighten the wheel bolts evenly in a cross-
wise pattern in the sequence indicated ( :
to A). The tightening torque must be
110 lb-f t(150 Nm) .
XTurn the jack back to its initial position.
XStow the jack and the rest of the vehicle
tools in the trunk again.
XCheck the tire pressure of the newly moun-
ted wheel and adjust it if necessary.
Observe the recommended tire pressure
(
Ypage 365).
iVehicles with a tire pressure control sys-
tem: all mounted wheels must be equipped
with functioning tire pressure control sen-
sors.
Wheel and tire combinations
General notes
!
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tires and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle.
388Wheel and tire combinations
Wheels and tires