2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS ignition

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

Transporting the vehicle
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles Transportation of the vehicle should only be car-
ried out by professional recovery companies.
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 can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
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 ignition
lock and remove it. X
Secure 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 loaded 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 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 376).
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 otherwise dam-
age the automatic transmission.
i Information on "Jump-starting"
( Y
page 376).
Fuses
Important safety notes
G WARNING
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 the
color and value. The fuse ratings are listed in the
fuse allocation chart.
The fuse allocation chart is on the fuse box in the
trunk ( Y
page 381). Fuses 381
Breakdown assistance Z

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

Fuse box in the engine compartment
G WARNIN G
When th e hoo d is open and th e windshield
wiper s are set in motion , you can be injured by
th e wiper linkage. Ther e is a ris k of injury.
Always switch off th e windshield wiper s and
th e ignition before opening th e hood.
! Mak e sure that no moisture can ente r th e
fus e box when th e cover is open .
! When closin g th e cover , mak e sure that it is
lyin g correctly on th e fus e box . Moistur e seep -
ing in or dirt could otherwise impair th e oper -
ation of th e fuses.
X
Open th e hoo d ( Y
page 352).X
To open : release retaining clamps C and
remove cover D .
X
Use a dry cloth to remove any moisture from
th e fus e box .X
Undo screws

the information on display messages
( Y
page 306).
It may take up to ten minutes for a malfunction
of the tire pressure monitor to be indicated. A
malfunction will be indicated by the tire pres-
sure warning lamp flashing for approximately
one minute and then remaining lit. When the
malfunction has been rectified, the tire pressure
warning lamp goes out after a few minutes of
driving.
The tire pressure values indicated by the on-
board computer may differ from those meas-
ured at a gas station with a pressure gauge. The
tire pressures shown by the on-board computer
refer to those measured at sea level. At high
altitudes, the tire pressure values indicated by a
pressure gauge are higher than those shown by
the on-board computer. In this case, do not
reduce the tire pressures.
The operation of the tire pressure monitor can
be affected by interference from radio transmit-
ting equipment (e.g. radio headphones, two-way
radios) that may be being operated in or near the
vehicle.
Checking the tire pressure electroni-
cally X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock ( Y
page 162).X
Use

X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock. X
Use

Restarting the tire pressure loss warn-
ing system Restart the tire pressure loss warning system if
you have: R
changed the tire pressure R
changed the wheels or tires R
mounted new wheels or tires X
Before restarting, make sure that the tire
pressures are set properly on all four tires for
the respective operating conditions.
The recommended tire pressure can be found
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side. Addition-
ally, a tire pressure table is attached to the
fuel filler flap. The tire pressure loss warning
system can only give reliable warnings if you
have set the correct tire pressure. If an incor-
rect tire pressure is set, these incorrect val-
ues will be monitored. X
Also observe the notes in the section on tire
pressures ( Y
page 387).X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock ( Y
page 162).X
Use