Page 225 of 327

Driving and operating223Trailer towingTrailer loads
The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to 12%.
The permissible trailer load applies
up to the specified incline and at sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross train weight also decreases by 10%for every 1000 metres of altitude. The
gross train weight does not have to be reduced when driving on roads with
slight inclines (less than 8%, e.g.
motorways).The permissible gross train weight must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 279.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (85 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by 90 kg for the 5-door Hatchback/4-
door Saloon and 85 kg for the Sports
Tourer/Country Tourer, the gross
vehicle weight rating may be
exceeded by 65 kg for the 5-door
Hatchback/4-door Saloon and 60 kg for the Sports Tourer/Country Tourer. If the permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
100 km/h applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
The folding coupling ball bar
cannot be removed from the
vehicle. When driving without a
trailer, fold in the coupling ball bar.
Page 226 of 327
224Driving and operating9Warning
Make sure that no one is in the
pivot zone of the coupling ball bar. Risk of body injury.
When releasing the stowed
coupling ball bar, make sure to
stand left of the grip.
Release stowed coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left to the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
A buzzing tone sounds as a warning
when the release handle is pulled out and the ball neck is disengaged.
Take the released coupling ball bar
and raise it up until it engages.
Ensure the coupling ball bar is
correctly engaged and the released
handle is guided back to its hidden
initial position, otherwise the buzzing tone will not stop.
Stow/hide coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left of the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
Page 227 of 327

Driving and operating225A buzzing tone sounds as a warning
when the release handle is pulled out
and the ball neck is disengaged.
With the flat of the hand, swivel the
released coupling ball bar to the right
until it engages under the floor. Make sure that the release handle is back inits hidden initial position, otherwise
the buzzing tone will not stop.
9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when the coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bar
does not engage correctly or if the
release handle is impossible to guide to its hidden initial position in the housing or if the buzzing tone
sounds after engaging the
coupling ball bar, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach break-away stopping cable to
eye.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assistant is a function
of the Electronic Stability Control
3 177.
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226Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................227
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 227
Vehicle storage ........................227
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....228
Vehicle checks ........................... 228
Performing work ......................228
Bonnet ..................................... 228
Engine oil ................................. 229
Automatic transmission fluid ....230
Engine coolant ......................... 231
Power steering fluid .................232
Washer fluid ............................ 232
Brakes ..................................... 233
Brake fluid ............................... 233
Vehicle battery ......................... 233
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....235
Wiper blade replacement ........235
Bulb replacement .......................236
Halogen headlights ..................237
Xenon headlights .....................239
Fog lights ................................. 241
Tail lights ................................. 242
Side turn signal lights ..............244
Number plate light ...................245Interior lights ............................ 246
Instrument panel illumination ...246
Electrical system ........................246
Fuses ....................................... 246
Engine compartment fuse box . 248
Instrument panel fuse box .......250
Load compartment fuse box ....251
Vehicle tools .............................. 253
Tools ........................................ 253
Wheels and tyres .......................254
Winter tyres ............................. 254
Tyre designations ....................254
Tyre pressure .......................... 254
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 256
Tread depth ............................. 257
Changing tyre and wheel size . 258
Wheel covers ........................... 258
Tyre chains .............................. 259
Tyre repair kit .......................... 259
Wheel changing .......................262
Spare wheel ............................ 264
Jump starting ............................. 267
Towing ....................................... 268
Towing the vehicle ...................268
Towing another vehicle ...........270Appearance care .......................272
Exterior care ............................ 272
Interior care ............................. 274
Page 248 of 327

246Vehicle care4. Pull bulb from bulb holder andreplace it.
5. Insert bulb holder into lamp housing and turn clockwise.
6. Insert lamp into bumper and let engage.
Interior lights Courtesy light, reading lights
Have bulbs replaced by a workshop.
Load compartment light
1. Prise the lamp out with a screwdriver.
2.Press bulb slightly towards spring
clip and remove.
3. Insert new bulb.
4. Install lamp.
Instrument panel illumination
Have bulbs replaced by a workshop.
Electrical system
Fuses Data on the replacement fuse must
match the data on the defective fuse.
There may be up to three fuse boxes
in the vehicle:
● in the front left of the engine compartment
● on the left side of the instrument panel
● behind a cover on the left side of the load compartment
Depending on the vehicle equipment
the configuration of fuses in the fuse
boxes are different, indicated by type
A and type B in the tables.
Type A means all 5-door hatchback
and 4-door saloon variants, and also
Sports Tourer or Country Tourer with
power tailgate or trailer hitch or rear
power outlets.
Type B means Sports Tourer or
Country Tourer without power
tailgate, without trailer hitch and
without rear power outlets.
Page 255 of 327
Vehicle care253No.Circuit26–27–28–29Trailer module/Transportation
fuse (type A)30Side obstacle detector31–32–33–34Sunroof35–36–37–Vehicle tools
Tools
Vehicles with tyre repair kit
The tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box below the floor cover
in the load compartment.
Vehicles with spare wheel
The jack with wheel wrench, the tools,
an extension bolt for securing a
damaged wheel and the towing eye
are placed in the tool box below the
spare wheel in the load compartment. Spare wheel 3 264.
Page 262 of 327
260Vehicle care
3. Remove the electrical connectioncable and air hose from the
stowage compartments on the
underside of the compressor.
4. Screw the compressor air hose to
the connection on the sealant
bottle.
5. Fit the sealant bottle into the retainer on the compressor.
Set the compressor near the tyre
in such a way that the sealant
bottle is upright.
6. Unscrew valve cap from defective
tyre.
7. Screw the filler hose to the tyre valve.
8. The switch on the compressor must be set to J.
9. Connect the compressor plug to
the power outlet or cigarette
lighter socket.
To avoid discharging the battery,
we recommend running the
engine.
10. Set the rocker switch on the compressor to I. The tyre is filled
with sealant.
11. The compressor pressure gauge briefly indicates up to 6 bar whilstthe sealant bottle is emptying
(approx. 30 seconds). Then the
pressure starts to drop.
12. All of the sealant is pumped into the tyre. Then the tyre is inflated.
Page 263 of 327

Vehicle care26113. The prescribed tyre pressureshould be obtained within
10 minutes. Tyre pressure
3 295 . When the correct pressure
is obtained, switch off the
compressor.
If the prescribed tyre pressure is
not obtained within 10 minutes,
remove the tyre repair kit. Move
the vehicle one tyre rotation.
Reattach the tyre repair kit and
continue the filling procedure for
10 minutes. If the prescribed tyre
pressure is still not obtained, the
tyre is too badly damaged. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Drain excess tyre pressure with
the button over the pressure indicator.
Do not run the compressor longer
than 10 minutes.
14. Detach the tyre repair kit. Push catch on bracket to remove
sealant bottle from bracket. Screw tyre inflation hose to the free
connection of sealant bottle. This
prevents sealant from escaping.
Stow tyre repair kit in load
compartment.
15. Remove any excess sealant using a cloth.
16. Take the label indicating maximum permitted speed from
the sealant bottle and affix in the
driver's field of view.
17. Continue driving immediately so that sealant is evenly distributedin the tyre. After driving approx.
10 km (but no more than
10 minutes), stop and check tyre
pressure. Screw compressor air
hose directly onto tyre valve and
compressor when doing this.
If tyre pressure is more than 1.3 bar , set it to the correct value.
Repeat the procedure until there
is no more loss of pressure.
If the tyre pressure has fallen
below 1.3 bar, the vehicle must
not be used. Seek the assistance
of a workshop.
18. Stow away tyre repair kit in load compartment.