2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS Door

Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if: R
the engine is not running. R
the brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning. R
there 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.
G WARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the: R
the towing eye could detach itself R
the 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.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate ( Y
page 426).
! When COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, DISTRONIC PLUS 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 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. ! 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 pur-
poses as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recove r the vehicle with 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 N and
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.
! 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 damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
N when the vehicle is being towed.
If the automatic 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 SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock R
cannot release the electric parking brake R
cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the
vehicle is towed ( Y
page 87). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles:Towing and tow-starting 379
Breakdown assistance Z

PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles may not be towed
away but must instead be transported, if: R
the multifunction display is not working or R
the á Towing Not Permitted See
Operator's Manual message appears in the
multifunction display.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous area, it can be
towed out of that area with both axles on the
ground. In this case, the towing distance must
not be greater than 165 ft (50 m) and must not
exceed a towing speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). For
longer distances, have the vehicle loaded and
transported.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the rear and
at the front, under covers C .X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit/stowage tray ( Y
page 367).X
Press the mark on cover C inwards in the
direction of the arrow. X
Remove cover C from 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 to the bumper and press until
it engages. X
Place 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
( Y
page 379).
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position P when you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position N when towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points: X
You must use the SmartKey instead of the
Start/Stop button ( Y
page 162).X
Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 0 in the ignition lock.X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock. X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
N . X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Leave the SmartKey in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 132).
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 indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After resetting
the combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts f lashing again.380
Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified special-
ist workshop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
! 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.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo-
nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Before changing a fuse X
Switch off the engine. X
Switch off all electrical consumers. X
Make sure that the ignition is switched off
( Y
page 162).
or X
When using the SmartKey, turn the SmartKey
to position 0 in the ignition lock and remove it
( Y
page 162).X
Secure the vehicle against rolling away
( Y
page 189).
All indicator lamps in 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
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed in
the direction of travel R
Fuse box in the trunk
Dashboard fuse box
! Do not use a pointed object such as a screw-
driver to open the cover in the dashboard. You
could damage the dashboard or the cover.
! 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. X
Open the driver's door. X
To open: pull cover C outwards in the direc-
tion of the arrow and remove it. X
To close: clip in cover C on the front of the
dashboard. X
Fold cover C inwards until it engages.
Fuse box in the front-passenger foot-
well
! 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.
X
Open the front-passenger door. X
Fold cover C down and remove it.382
Fuses
Breakdown assistance

Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
Eac h tire, includin g th e spar e (if provided),
should be checke d at least once every two
week s when cold and inflated to th e pressur e
recommended by th e vehicl e manufacturer
on th e Tir e and Loading Information placard
on th e driver' s door B-pillar or th e tire pres-
sur e label on th e inside of th e fuel filler flap . If
your vehicl e has tires of a differen t siz e than
th e siz e indicated on th e Tir e and Loading
Information placard or, if available, th e tire
pressur e label, you should determine th e
proper tire pressur e for those tires .
As an added safet y feature, your vehicl e has
been equipped wit h a tire pressur e monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminate s a low tire pres-
sur e telltale when on e or mor e of your tires
are significantly underinflated. Accordingly,
when th e low tire pressur e telltale lights up,
you should stop and chec k your tires as soo n
as possible , and inflat e them to th e proper
pressure. Drivin g on a significantly underin-
flated tire causes th e tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduce s fuel efficiency
and tire tread life , and may affec t th e vehicle's
handlin g and stopping ability. Pleas e note that
th e TPM S is no t a substitut e for proper tire
mainte
nance , a nd it is th e d river' s responsi-
bilit y to maintai n correc t tire pressure, eve n if
underinflation has no t reached th e level to
trigge r illumination of th e TPM S low tire pres-
sur e telltale.
Your vehicl e has also been equipped wit h a
TPM S malfunction indicator to indicat e when
th e system is no t operating properly. The
TPM S malfunction indicator is combined wit h
th e low tire pressur e telltale. When th e sys-
te m detects a malfunction , th e warning lamp
will flas h for approximately a minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequenc e will be repeated every time th e vehi-
cle is started as lon g as th e malfunction
exists. When th e malfunction indicator is illu- minated, th e system may no t be able to detec t
or signal low tire pressur e as intended.
TPM S malfunction s may occur for a variet y of
reasons, includin g th e installation of incom-
patible replacemen t or alternate tires or
wheels on th e vehicl e that preven t th e TPM S
from functioning properly. Always chec k th e
TPM S malfunction telltale after replacing on e
or mor e tires or wheels on your vehicl e to
ensur e that th e replacemen t or alternate Tires
and wheels allow th e TPM S to continue to
function properly.
It is th e driver' s responsibilit y to set th e tire
pressur e to that recommended for cold tires
whic h is suitable for th e operating situation
( Y
page 387). Not e that th e correc t tire pressur e
for th e curren t operating situation must first be
taught-in to th e tire pressur e monitor. If there is
a substantial loss of pressure, th e warning
threshold for th e warning message is aligned to
th e referenc e value s taught-in . Restart th e tire
pressur e monitor after adjusting th e pressur e of
th e cold tires ( Y
page 392). The curren t pres-
sures are saved as ne w referenc e values. As a
result , a warning message will appear if th e tire
pressur e drops significantly.
The tire pressur e mon ito r does no t w
arn you of
an incorrectl y set tire pressure. Observ e th e
note s on th e recommended tire pressur e
( Y
page 387).
The tire pressur e monitor is no t able to warn you
of a sudde n loss of pressure, e.g. if th e tire is
penetrated by a foreign object. In th e event of a
sudde n loss of pressure, brin g th e vehicl e to a
halt by braking carefully. Avoid abrup t steering
movements.
The tire pressur e monitor has a yellow warning
lamp in th e instrumen t cluste r for indicating
pressur e loss or a malfunction . Whether th e
warning lamp flashes or lights up indicates
whether a tire pressur e is to o low or th e tire
pressur e monitor is malfunctioning :R
if th e warning lamp is lit continuously, th e tire
pressur e on on e or mor e tires is significantly
to o low. The tire pressur e monitor is no t mal-
functioning . R
if th e warning lamp flashes for aroun d a
minute and then remain s lit constantly, th e
tire pressur e monitor is malfunctioning .
In addition to th e warning lamp , a message
appear s in th e multifunction display. Observ eTire pressure 391
Wheels and tires Z

Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground. 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
Make sure that "normal" level is selected for
AIRMATIC ( Y
page 212) or Active Body Con-
trol (ABC) ( Y
page 210).X
Switch off the engine. X
Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0 .
This is the same as the SmartKey having been
removed. X
Remove Start/Stop button from ignition lock
( Y
page 162).
or, if the SmartKey is inserted in the ignition
lock: X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Make sure that the engine cannot be started
via your smartphone ( Y
page 164).X
If included in the vehicle equipment, remove
the tire-change tool kit from the vehicle. X
Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away.
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 367).
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

inserting wheel chocks. Do not disengage 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. rubber mats. 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 tires and the ground does not
exceed 1.2 in (3 cm). R
Never place your hands and feet under the
raised vehicle. R
Do not lie under the vehicle. R
Do not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised. R
Do not open or close a door or the trunk lid
when the vehicle is raised. R
Make sure that no persons are present in the
vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
Vehicles with AMG wheels and hub caps: the
hub cap covers the wheel bolts. Before you can
unscrew the wheel bolts, you must remove the
hub cap. Two different variants can be installed.
Vehicles with AMG wheels and plastic hub
caps: X
To remove: turn the center cover of hub
cap C counter-clockwise and remove.X
To install: before installing, ensure that hub
cap C is in the open position. To do this, turn
the center cover counter-clockwise. X
Position hub cap C and turn the center cover
clockwise until hub cap C engages physically
and audibly. X
Make sure that hub cap C is installed
securely. Vehicles with AMG wheels and aluminum
hub caps: X
To remove: take socket D and lug wrench

radio frequency transmitting equipment).
Observe the legal requirements for retrofittings.
If your vehicle has installations for two-way radio
equipment, use the power supply or antenna
connections intended for use with the basic wir-
ing. Be sure to observe the manufacturer's addi-
tional instructions when installing.
Deviations with respect to wavebands, maxi-
mum transmission outputs or antenna positions
must be approved by Mercedes-Benz.
The maximum transmission output (PEAK) at the
base of the antenna must not exceed the fol-
lowing values:
Waveband Maximum
transmission
output
Short wave
3 - 54 MHz 100 W
4 m waveband
74 - 78 MHz 30 W
2 m waveband
144 - 174 MHz 50 W
Trunked radio/Tetra
380 - 460 MHz 10 W
70 cm waveband
400 - 460 MHz 35 W
Mobile communications
(2G/3G/4G) 10 W
The following can be used in the vehicle without
restrictions: R
RF transmitters with a maximum transmis-
sion output of up to 100 mW R
RF transmitters with transmitter frequencies
in the 380 - 410 MHz waveband and a maxi-
mum transmission output of up to 2 W
(trunked radio/Tetra) R
Mobile telephones (2G/3G/4G)
There is no restriction for antenna positions on
the outside of the vehicle for the following wave-
bands: R
Trunked radio/Tetra R
70 cm waveband R
2G/3G/4G Identification plates
Vehicle identification plate with vehi-
cle identification number (VIN)
Location of vehicle identification plate (exam-
ple, left-hand-drive vehicle) X
Open the front left-hand door.
You will see vehicle identification plate C .
Example: vehicle identification plate (USA only)
D
VIN

i The data shown on the vehicle identification
plate is used only as an example. This data is
different for every vehicle and can deviate
from the data shown here. You can find the
data applicable to your vehicle on the vehicle
identification plate.
Vehicle identification number (VIN) X
Open the front right-hand door. X
Fold cover C down and remove it.
You will see the VIN.
The VIN can also be found in the following loca-
tions: R
on the lower edge of the windshield
( Y
page 427) R
on the vehicle identification plate
( Y
page 426)
Engine number
C
Engine number (stamped into the crank-
case)
D
VIN (on the lower edge of the windshield)