
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The rear axle locks when:
Rthe engine is not running
Rthe engine stalls while the vehicle is being
towed
Rthere is a malfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system
There is a risk of an accident.
In the event of a breakdown, you should
always have the vehicle transported.
GWARNING
If the brake system or power steering is mal-
functioning and your vehicle is then towed
away, significantly more effort may be
required to steer and brake than is normally
required. There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate (
Ypage 282).
!Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button when towing the vehicle.
Start the engine and keep it running. The
SmartKey is in position 2in the ignition lock.
Set the transmission to iusing the E-
SELECT selector lever. Make sure that you
then leave the SmartKey in position 2.Check the transmission position in the instru-
ment cluster.
!Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty,
visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the towing
eye only. Otherwise, the vehicle could
become damaged.
!When Active Brake Assist, Distance Pilot
DISTR ONIC or the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle brakes automatically in certain
situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery pur-
poses 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.
!Shift the automatic transmission to position
i and do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when towing the vehicle
away. Otherwise, the automatic transmission
may shift to position jwhich can cause
damage to both vehicles.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
!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.
!Observe the transmission fluid temperature
(AMG menu) in the on-board computer when
towing. The transmission fluid temperature
must not exceed 250 ‡ (
120 †). If this
occurs, you must stop towing immediately.
!Tow-starting the vehicle is not permitted.
The transmission may otherwise be damaged.
254Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

Important safety notes
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of th ewrong siz eare used,
th ewhee lbrakes or suspension component s
may be damaged. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires wit hthose
that fulfill th especification sof th eoriginal
part .
When replacing wheels, mak esur eto use th e
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmodel
When replacing tires ,mak esur eto use th e
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmanufacturer
Rmodel
GWARNIN G
A flat tire severely impairs th edriving ,steer -
ing and braking characteristics of th evehicle.
Ther eis aris kof accident.
Tires without run-flat characteristics :
Rdo notdriv ewit h a flat tire.
Rimmediately replace th eflat tire wit hyour
emergenc yspar ewhee lor spar ewheel, or
consult aqualified specialist workshop.
Tires wit hrun-flat characteristics :
Rpay attention to theinformation and warn -
ing notice son MOExtended tires (tire swit h
run-flat characteristics).
Accessories that are no tapprove dfor your vehi-
cle by Mercedes-Ben zor are no tbein gused cor-
rectl ycan impair th eoperating safety.
Before purchasing and usin gnon-approve d
accessories, visit aqualified specialist work-
sho pand inquire about :
Rsuitability
Rlegal stipulation s
Rfactory recommendation sInformation on th
esizes and types of wheels and
tires for your vehicl ecan be foun dunder
"Wheel/tire combinations" (
Ypage 280).
Tir epressur einformation can be found:
Ron th eTir eand Loading Information placard
on th eB-pillar on th edriver' sside
(
Ypage 266)
Rin th etire pressur etable in th efuel filler flap
(Ypage 121)
Rin th e"Tir epressure" section
Operation
Information on driving
Chec kth etire pressur ewhen th evehicl eis
heavily laden and adjust prio rto atrip.
While driving ,pay attention to vibrations, noises
and unusual handlin gcharacteristics ,e.g. pull-
ing to on eside .This may indicat ethat th e
wheels or tires are damaged. If you suspec tthat
a tire is defective, reduce your spee dimmedi-
ately. Stop th evehicl eas soo nas possible to
chec kth ewheels and tires for damage. Hidden
tire damag ecould also be causing th eunusual
handlin gcharacteristics .If you fin dno sign sof
damage, hav eth etires and wheels checke dat a
qualified specialist workshop.
When parking your vehicle, mak esur ethat th e
tires do no tget deformed by th ecur bor other
obstacles. If they canno tbe avoided, driv eove r
obstacles suc has curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damag eth ewheels
or tires .
Notes on high performance tires
GWARNIN G
Due to th especial tire tread in combination
wit hth eoptimized rubber compound ,there is
an increased ris kof hydroplaning and skid-
din gon damp or wet road surfaces. In addi-
tion ,tire traction is significantly reduce dat
low outside temperatures and low tire-oper -
ating temperatures .Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Activat eES P
®and adapt your driving style. At
outside temperatures belo w50 ‡(10 †), use
M+S tires.
258Operation
Wheels and tires

Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 5 lbs (2.3 kg). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-volt-
age 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 indicators
Narrow 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 áin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
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 246) contains information and notes on
how to deal with a flat tire.
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 located
in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve. This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
(
Ypage 277).
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 accord-
ing to the intervals in the tire manufacturer's
warranty book in your vehicle documents. 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 rota- ted. Check the tire pressure and reactivate the
tire pressure monitor if necessary.
Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro-planing. These advantages can only be gained if
the tires are installed corresponding to the
direction of rotation.
276Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires

Engine oil
General notes
!Do not use engine oil or an oil filter with
specifications deviating from those expressly
required for the prescribed service intervals.
Do not change the engine oil or oil filter in
order to set replacement intervals longer than those prescribed. This could otherwise cause
damage to the engine or exhaust gas after-
treatment.
Follow the instructions on the service interval
display for changing the engine oil. This could
otherwise cause damage to the engine or
exhaust gas aftertreatment.
When handling engine oil, observe the important
safety notes on service products (
Ypage 283).
The engine oils are matched to the performance
of Mercedes-Benz engines and service intervals.
You should therefore only use engine oils and oil
filters that are approved for vehicles with main- tenance systems.
For a list of approved engine oils and oil filters,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Or visit the website
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
The table shows which engine oils have been
approved for your vehicle.
MB-Freigabe or MB-Approval
All models229.5, 229.51
iMB approval is indicated on the oil contain-
ers.
Filling capacities
The following values refer to an oil change
including the oil filter.
Capacity
All models7.4 US qt (7.0l)
Additives
!Do not use any additives in the engine oil.
This could damage the engine.
Brake fluid
GWARNING
The brake fluid constantly absorbs moisture
from the air. This lowers the boiling point of
the brake fluid. If the boiling point of the brake
fluid is too low, vapor pockets may form in the
brake system when the brakes are applied
hard. This would impair braking efficiency.
There is a risk of an accident.
You should have the brake fluid renewed at
the specified intervals.
Comply with the important safety notes for ser-
vice products when handling brake fluid
(
Ypage 283).
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz in accordance with MB-Freigabe or MB-
Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can be
obtained at any qualified specialist workshop or on the Internet at
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
iHave the brake fluid regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop in accordance
with the replacement intervals and the
replacement confirmed in the service report.
286Service products and filling capacities
Technical data