!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.
!If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
iInformation on your vehicle's gross vehi-
cle weight rating can be found on the vehi- cle identification plate; see the printed
Operator's Manual.
iInformation on your vehicle's gross vehi-
cle weight rating can be found on the vehi-
cle identification plate (
Ypage 345).
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
when towing a vehicle, the automatic trans-
mission must be in position N.
The battery must be connected and charged. Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
Rcannot shift the transmission to position N
on vehicles with automatic transmission.
Vehicles with 7G-TRONIC: release the
selector lever lock manually to move it out of
position P(
Ypage 157).
Before the vehicle is towed, deactivate the
automatic locking feature (
Ypage 206). You
could otherwise be locked out when pushing
or towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There is
a risk of burns when removing the rear cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe. Take particular care when removing the rear cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, behind the covers.
XPress the mark on cover :inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
XTake cover :off the opening.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (
Ypage 290).
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
(
Ypage 290).
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
GWARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steering wheel lock has been engaged. There
is a risk of an accident.
302Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
Always switch off the ignition when towing thevehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar.
Vehicles with 9G-TRONIC: the automatic
transmission automatically shifts to position
P when you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the key
from the ignition lock.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: in
order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position Nwhen towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following
points:
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(
Ypage 111).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(
Ypage 140).
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the transmission to position N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XLeave the SmartKey in position2in the
ignition lock.
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 indica-
tor lamps for the direction of travel flash.
When you reset the combination switch, the
hazard warning flashers start flashing again.
It is important that y
ou observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(
Ypage 301).
Towing the vehicle 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 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 transmission to position N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position0and remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
XSecure the vehicle.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. You could other-
wise damage the automatic transmission.
You can find information on "Jump-starting" at
(
Ypage 299).
Before tow-starting:
Rthe battery must be connected
Rthe engine must be cold
Rthe exhaust system must have cooled down
When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety instructions (
Ypage 301).
Towing and tow-starting303
Breakdo wn assis tance
Z
