The essentials
● Do not t
o
w further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must
be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 50.
Situations in which a vehicle should not be
towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle: ● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied. ●
If the v
ehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbox and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).
››› in Introduction on page 87
››› page 87 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t
owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ››› page 51.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● Vehicles with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition syst
em, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that
it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear. ●
Keep the clut
ch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel
ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar
ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before
starting, check the magic eye on the battery
››› page 284.
For starting assistance, jump lead cables con-
forming to the standard DIN 72553 are re-
quired (see the cable manufacturer instruc-
tions). The jump lead cable must be at least
25 mm 2
in section (0.038 inches 2
) for petrol
engines, and 35 mm 2
(0.054 inches 2
) for die-
sel engines.
For vehicles whose battery is not in the en-
gine compartment, the jump leads should
only be connected to the starting assistance
connection points in the engine compart-
ment. » 51
The essentials
2. Connect one end of the re
d jump lead to
the positive + terminal of the vehicle
w ith the fl
at
battery A
› ››
Fig. 76
.
3.
Connect the other end of the red
jump
lead to the positive terminal + in the ve-
hic l
e pr
oviding assistance B .
4. For vehicles without Start-Stop system:
connect
one end of
the black jump lead to
the negative terminal – of the vehicle
pr o
v
iding the current B
› ››
Fig. 76
.
– F
or vehicles with Start-Stop system: con-
nect one end of
the black jump lead X to a
s uit
ab
le ground terminal, to a solid piece of
metal in the engine block, or to the engine
block itself ››› Fig. 77.
5. Connect the other end of the black
jump
lead X to a solid metal component bolted
t o the en
gine b
lock or to the engine block
itself of the vehicle with the flat battery.
Do not connect it to a point near the bat-
tery A .
6. Position the leads in such a way that they cannot
c
ome into contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
Starting
7. Start the engine of the vehicle with the boostin
g battery and let it run at idling
speed. 8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the flat
batter
y and wait for 2 or 3 minutes until
the engine is running.
Removing the jump leads
9. Before you remove the jump leads, switch off the dipped be
am headlights if they are
switched on.
10.Turn on the heater blower and heated rear window in the
vehicle with the flat battery.
This helps minimise voltage peaks which
are generated when the leads are discon-
nected.
11.When the engine is running, disconnect the lea
ds in reverse order to the details
given above.
Make sure the battery clamps have sufficient
metal-to-metal contact with the battery termi-
nals.
If the engine fails to start, switch off the start-
er after about 10 seconds and try again after
about 1 minute. WARNING
● Ple a
se note the safety warnings referring to
working in the engine compartment
››› page 272.
● The battery providing assistance must have
the same v
oltage as the flat battery (12V) and
approximately the same capacity (see imprint on battery). Failure to comply could result in
an exp
lo
sion.
● Never use jump leads when one of the bat-
teries
is frozen. Danger of explosion! Even af-
ter the battery has thawed, battery acid could
leak and cause chemical burns. If a battery
freezes, it should be replaced.
● Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes
awa
y from batteries, danger of explosion.
Failure to comply could result in an explo-
sion.
● Observe the instructions provided by the
manufact
urer of the jump leads.
● Do not connect the negative cable from the
other vehic
le directly to the negative terminal
of the flat battery. The gas emitted from the
battery could be ignited by sparks. Danger of
explosion.
● Do not attach the negative cable from the
other vehic
le to parts of the fuel system or to
the brake line.
● The non-insulated parts of the battery
clamp
s must not be allowed to touch. The
jump lead attached to the positive battery
terminal must not touch metal parts of the ve-
hicle, this can cause a short circuit.
● Position the leads in such a way that they
cannot c
ome into contact with any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
● Do not lean on the batteries. This could re-
sult
in chemical burns. » 53