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 0043.
X Remove the towing eye from the stowage
space.
The towing eye is located in the stowage well
under the cargo compartment floor.
Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: the towing eye is
beneath the tire inflation compressor.
X Press the mark on cover 0043inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover 0043off the opening.
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Place the towing eye in the stowage well
beneath the cargo compartment floor in the
cargo compartment (Y page 241).
X Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: put back the tire
inflation compressor. 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 251). X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: use the Smart-
Key instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 110).
The transmission automatically shifts to posi-
tion Pwhen 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 transmission stays in position Nwhen
towing the vehicle, you must observe the fol-
lowing points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the transmission to position N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 89).
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
If the 12 V battery indicator lamp lights up, you must observe the following points:
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon
as possible, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
i 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 flashing again. Towing the vehicle with the front axle
raised
Observe the important safety notes when tow-
ing your vehicle with the front axle raised
(Y page 251).
! The ignition must be switched off if the vehi-
cle is being towed with the front axle raised.
Otherwise, ESP ®
may intervene and damage
the brake system. Towing
253Breakdown assistance Z
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire width
in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-
ward force to each square inch of the tire's sur-
face. The tire pressure is specified in pounds per
square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be corrected when
the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and
R if the vehicle has not been driven further than
1 mile (1.6 km)
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact with
the road.
BeadThe tire bead ensures that the tire sits securely
on the wheel. There are several steel wires in the
bead to prevent the tire from coming loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-
formance battery, are not included in the curb
weight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number) This is a unique identifier which can be used by
a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for example for a product recall, and thus identify the pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er's identity code, tire size, tire type code and
the manufacturing date. Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a code that contains the maximum load bearing capa-
city of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the tires and the road surface.
Treadwear indicatorsNarrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of 00CDin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Occupant distribution The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at theirdesignated seating positions.
Total load limit Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(150 lbs) multiplied by the number of seats in
the vehicle. Changing a wheel
Flat tire
The "Breakdown assistance" section
(Y page 241) contains information and notes on
how to deal with a flat tire. Information on driv-
ing with MOExtended tires in the event of a flat
tire can be found under "MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat characteristics" (Y page 242). Rotating the wheels
G
WARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
! On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel. Changing a wheel
275Wheels and tires Z
