The essentials
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar to the
t o
wline anc
horage or specially designed fit-
ting.
Vehicles with a factory fitted towing device ,
can only be used for towing with a tow bar,
specially designed to fit on a tow hitch ball
››› page 237.
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
Note the following for a towed vehicle: ● Make sure the gear selector lever is in the N
position.
● Do not
drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● Do not tow further than 50 km (30 miles).
● If a breakdown truck is used, the vehicle
must
be towed with the front wheels raised.
Note the following instructions for towing
four all-wheel drive vehicles.
Instructions for towing all-wheel drive vehi-
cles
All-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using a
toolbar or tow rope. If the vehicle is towed
with the front or rear axle raised, the engine
must be turned off to avoid transmission
damage.
For vehicles with a double clutched DSG ®
(di-
rect shift gearbox) the instructions for towing
vehicles with an automatic gearbox apply
››› page 52. Situations in which a vehicle should not be
tow
ed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the vehicle battery is flat and, as a result,
the electronic
steering lock and electronic
parking brake cannot be disengaged if ap-
plied.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbo
x and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles).
››› in Introduction on page 88
››› page 88 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
b
y
t
owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ›››
page 52.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox. ●
Vehicl
es with the Keyless Access locking
and ignition system, since the electronic
steering lock may not unlock.
● Vehicles with an electronic parking brake,
given that
it is possible that the brake will
not be disengaged.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control units do not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel
ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle.
How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
c
h
ar
ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before 52
