To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
! Make sure that: R
the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed. R
that the blower of the ventilation/heating
system is switched off (OFF button has
been pressed). R
the windshield wiper switch is at position
Z .
The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is
in transmission position \\ ; otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged. R
Vehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position ] auto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans-
mission to \\ beforehand.R
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position ] auto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position \\ :X
Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off. X
Turn the SmartKey to position in the ignition
lock H ( Y
page 135).
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO. X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
\\ . X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshield and the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on t he windshield.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in all countries
concerned. X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight. X
Use a soft sponge to clean. X
Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz. X
Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a gen-
tle jet of water. X
Do not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlets. X
Use plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently. X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois. X
Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
Power washers
G WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately. Care 327
Maintenance and care Z
X
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that the normal vehicle level is
selected ( Y
page 185).X
Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package: make sure that the normal vehicle
level is selected ( Y
page 179).X
Switch off the engine. X
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the driv-
er's door.
The vehicle electronics are now in position
driver's or front-passenger door, which could
damage the transmission.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
! Vehicles with differential locks: make sure
the differential locks are in automatic mode.
When towing, the differential locks must not
be switched on. The transmission may other-
wise be damaged.
! 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.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
\\ when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
cannot turn the SmartKey to position H in
the ignition lock R
cannot release the electric parking brake R
cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position \\
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the
vehicle is towed ( Y
page 239). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous area, it can be
towed out of that area with both axles on the
ground. In this case, the towing distance must
not be greater than 165 ft (50 m) and must not
exceed a towing speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). For
longer distances, have the vehicle loaded and
transported. 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 front and
rear behind covers C D .X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit ( Y
page 335). X
To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover C inwards in the direction of
the arrow. X
To open the cover at the rear: insert a flat,
blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover D out of the bumper. X
Take cover C or D off the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Position cover C or D in the bumper and
press the cover on until it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
The automatic transmission shifts to position
] automatically when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.346
Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
X
Remove th e SmartKey from th e ignition lock.
Or, on vehicles wit h KEYLESS-GO start function
or KEYLESS ‑ GO:X
Open th e driver' s door .
The vehicl e electronics are no w in ke y posi-
tion
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, if necessary,
restart the tire pressure loss warning system or
the tire pressure monitor ( Y
page 358).
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.
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 X
Vehicle with emergency spare wheel:
when mounting the emergency spare wheel in
the event of a flat tire, follow the additional
notes on vehicle preparation under "Flat tire"
( Y
page 335).X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground. X
Apply the electric parking brake manually. X
Bring the front wheels into the straight-ahead
position. X
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position ] .X
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that the normal vehicle level is
selected ( Y
page 185).X
Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package: make sure that the normal vehicle
level is selected ( Y
page 179).X
Switch off the engine. X
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the driv-
er's door.
The vehicle electronics are now in position
X
Place chocks or other suitable items under
the front and rear of the wheel that is diago-
nally opposite the wheel you wish to change.
Raising the vehicle
G WARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the
appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate jack-
ing point of the vehicle. The base of the jack
must be positioned vertically, directly under
the jacking point of the vehicle.
! Only position the jack at the appropriate
jacking point of the vehicle. Otherwise, you
could damage the vehicle.
Observe the following when raising the vehi-
cle: R
To raise the vehicle, only use the vehicle-spe-
cific jack that has been tested and approved
by Mercedes-Benz. If used incorrectly, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised. R
The jack is designed only to raise and hold the
vehicle for a short time while a wheel is being
changed. It must not be used for performing
maintenance work under the vehicle. R
Avoid changing the wheel on uphill and down-
hill slopes. R
Before raising the vehicle, secure it from roll-
ing away by applying the parking brake and
inserting wheel chocks. Do not disengage the
parking brake while the vehicle is raised. R
The jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-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. R
Do 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. R
Make sure that the distance between the
underside of the tires and the ground does not
exceed 1.2 in (3 cm). R
Do not place your hands or feet under the
raised vehicle. R
Do not lie under the vehicle. R
Do not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised. R
Never open or close a door or the tailgate
when the vehicle is raised. R
Make sure that no persons are present in the
vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
X
Using lug wrench C , loosen the bolts on the
wheel you wish to change by about one full
turn. Do not unscrew the bolts completely.
The jacking points are located just behind the
front wheel housings and just in front of the rear
wheel housings (arrows). X
Take the ratchet wrench out of the vehicle
tool kit and place it on the hexagon nut of the
jack so that the letters AUF are visible.Changing a wheel 373
Wheels and tires Z