
!Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the front axle must be
raised or the entire vehicle raised and
transported.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton. Otherwise, the automatic transmission
may shift to position Pwhen the driver's or
front-passenger door are opened, which
could lead to damage to the transmission.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
If the vehicle can no longer be driven because of an accident or breakdown, you have the
following options:
RTransporting the vehicle
As a rule, you should have the vehicle trans-
ported.
RTowing the vehicle with a tow rope or tow
bar
Only tow the vehicle in exceptional cases. The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the transmission to position N
The function of the electric parking brake and the parking lock is dependent on the on-board
voltage.
If the on-board voltage is low or there is a
system malfunction, it is possible that:
Rthe electric parking brake may not be
applied in certain circumstances, or
Rthe transmission may not be shifted to P
Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. the
radio.
Disarm the automatic locking feature before
the vehicle is towed (
Ypage 230). You could
otherwise be locked out when pushing or
towing the vehicle.
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 :.
334Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tionN.
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(
Ypage 119).
iIn order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
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.
XTurn the SmartKey to position
2in the igni-
tion lock (
Ypage 149).
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 to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
XSecure the vehicle.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
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 only 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
system:
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 (
Ypage 331).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer.
336Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated 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
(
Ypage 322) contains information and notes
on how to deal with a flat tire. Information on driving with MOExtended tires in the event of
a flat tire can be found under "MOExtended
tires (tires with run-flat characteristics"
(
Ypage 323).
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
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 loca-
ted in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used
near the valve. This could damage the elec- tronic components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe the instructions and safety notes in
the "Changing a wheel" section (
Ypage 363).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear wear pattern has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires
in the center.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can rotate the wheels
according to the intervals in the tire manu-
facturer's warranty book in your vehicle docu-
ments. If no warranty book is available, the
tires should be rotated every 3,000 to
6,000 miles (5,000 to 10,000 km). Depending
on tire wear, this may be required earlier. Do
not change the direction of wheel rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is rotated. Check the tire pressure and, if nec-
essary, restart the tire pressure loss warning
system or the tire pressure monitor.
Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydroplaning. These advantages can only
be gained if the tires are installed correspond-
ing to the direction of rotation.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates its correct direction of rotation.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tires from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel.
Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
XApply the electric parking brake manually.
XBring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
Changing a wheel363
Wheels and tires
Z

RBefore raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and inserting wheel chocks. Do not disen-
gage the parking brake while the vehicle is
raised.
RThe jack must be placed on a firm, flat andnon-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.
RDo 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.
RMake sure that the distance between the
underside of the tires and the ground does
not exceed 1.2 in (3 cm).
RNever place your hands and feet under the
raised vehicle.
RDo not lie under the vehicle.
RDo not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
RNever open or close a door or the tailgate
when the vehicle is raised.
RMake sure that no persons are present in
the vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
XUsing lug wrench :, loosen the bolts on
the wheel you wish to change by about one
full turn. Do not unscrew the bolts com-
pletely.
Jacking points
The jacking points are located just behind the front wheel housings and just in front of the
rear wheel housings (arrows).
XTake ratchet wrench ?out of the vehicle
tool kit and place it on the hexagon nut of
jack =so that the letters AUFare visible.
XPosition jack =at jacking point ;.
XMake sure the foot of the jack is directly
beneath the jacking point.
Changing a wheel365
Wheels and tires
Z