2020 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS trailer

X
Remove foreign objects from the vicinity of
contact surfaces ; and contact pins : of
the sliding door.
X Clean contact surfaces ; and contact
pins : with a mild cleaning agent and a
soft cloth.
Do not oil or grease contact plates ; or
contact pins :.
Cleaning the trailer tow hitch H
Environmental note
Dispose of rags soaked in oil and grease in
an environmentally responsible manner.
! Do not clean the ball coupling with a
power washer. Do not use solvents.
! Observe the notes on additional care for
the trailer tow hitch (see the manufacturer's
operating instructions).
You can also have the maintenance work on
the ball coupling and the trailer tow hitch car-
ried out by a qualified specialist workshop. Interior
Cleaning the interior !
When using liquids to clean the vehicle
interior, observe the following points:
R Under no circumstances use power wash-
ers.
R Make sure that no fluids enter or remain
in gaps and cavities.
R Ensure sufficient ventilation when clean-
ing.
R Make sure that the vehicle interior is com-
pletely dry after cleaning. Cleaning the display !
For cleaning, do not use any of the follow-
ing:
R alcohol-based thinner or gasoline
R abrasive cleaning agents
R commercially-available household clean-
ing agents
These may damage the display surface. Do
not put pressure on the display surface
when cleaning. This could lead to irreparable
damage to the display.
X Switch off the display and let it cool down.
X Clean the display surface with a commer-
cially available microfiber cloth and cleaner
for TFT/LCD displays.
X Dry the display surface using a dry micro-
fiber cloth.
Cleaning the plastic trim G
WARNING
Care products and cleaning agents contain-
ing solvents cause surfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. As a result, plastic parts
may come loose in the event of air bag
deployment. There is a risk of injury.
Do not use any care products and cleaning
agents to clean the cockpit.
! Never attach the following to plastic surfa-
ces:
R stickers
R films
R perfume oil container or similar
You could otherwise damage the plastic.
! Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or
sunscreen to come into contact with the
plastic trim. This maintains the high-quality
look of the surfaces.
X Wipe the plastic trim and the cockpit with a
damp, lint-free cloth, e.g. a microfiber cloth.
X Heavy soiling: use mild soapy water or care
products and cleaning agents recommended
and approved by Mercedes-Benz. 268
CareMaintenance and care

X
Push contact protection cover : of the
jump-starting connection point backwards
against the spring force as far as it will go.
The jump-starting connection point is visi-
ble. Terminal connecting plan
X Remove the cover from positive terminal =
of the donor vehicle's battery.
X Connect the positive terminal clamp of the
jumper cable to positive terminal = of the
donor vehicle's battery, and then to positive
terminal A of the jump-starting connection
point.
X Run the donor vehicle's engine at idling
speed.
X Connect the negative terminal clamp of the
jumper cable to negative terminal ; of the
donor vehicle's battery, and then to ground
contact ? of your own vehicle.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock and start
the engine.
You can now switch electrical consumers
back on except the lighting system.
X Before disconnecting the jumper cables, let
the engine run for several minutes.
X Disconnect the negative terminal of the
jumper cable from ground contact ? and
then from negative terminal ; of the donor
vehicle's battery.
X Disconnect the positive terminal clamp of
the jumper cable from positive terminal A
on the jump-starting connection point, and
then from positive terminal = of the donor
vehicle's battery.
Contact protection cover : is automatically
returned forwards to its original position by
the spring force and the jump-starting con-
nection point is closed. X
Position the cover on positive terminal = of
the donor vehicle's battery.
You can now switch on the lighting system.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Tow-starting and towing away
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
R the engine is not running.
R the brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
R there is a malfunction in the voltage sup-
ply or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely. G
WARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steering wheel lock has been engaged.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing
the vehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar. G
WARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissi-
ble gross weight of your vehicle, the:
R the towing eye could detach itself
R the vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehi-
cle, its weight should not be greater than
the permissible gross weight of your vehicle.
Information on the gross vehicle weight can be
found on the vehicle identification plate
(Y page
304).274
Tow-starting and towing away
Breakdown assistance

!
Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the tow-
ing eye or trailer tow hitch only. Otherwise,
the vehicle could become damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,
recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Drive slowly and smoothly when towing.
Excessive tractive power could otherwise
damage the vehicles.
! Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion i and do not open the driver's or front
passenger's door during towing. The auto-
matic transmission may otherwise shift to
position j, which could damage the trans-
mission.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
distance of 30 miles (50 kilometers). A tow-
ing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be
exceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles
(50 kilometers), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
When towing away, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer if it has transmission damage.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion i when the vehicle is being towed away.
If the automatic transmission cannot be shif-
ted to position i, have the vehicle transpor-
ted on a transporter or trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
R cannot shift the transmission to position i.
Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 76). You could otherwise lock yourself out of the vehi-
cle when pushing or towing away the vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
The fixture for the front towing eye is located in
the bumper. The rear towing eye is located under the bumper.
If you tow or tow-start a vehicle, attach the
towing device to rear towing eye
;.
If your vehicle is equipped with a trailer tow
hitch, attach the towing device to the trailer
tow hitch (Y page

168).
Installing the front towing eye
X Take the towing eye and screwdriver from
the vehicle tool kit (Y page

270).
X Press the arrow on the cover : and remove
cover : from the opening.
You will see the fixture for the towing eye.
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
X Insert the screwdriver into the towing eye
and tighten the towing eye.
X Stow the screwdriver in the vehicle tool kit
(Y page

270).
Removing the front towing eye
X Remove the screwdriver from the vehicle
tool kit

(Y page 270).
X Insert the screwdriver into the towing eye
and turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise. Tow-starting and towing away
275
Breakdown assistance Z

X
Unscrew the towing eye.
X Insert cover : with the lug at the top and
press it in at the bottom until it engages.
X Stow the towing eye and the screwdriver
with the vehicle tool kit (Y page
270).Towing with the rear axle raised
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
vehicle/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even roll over.
! The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front or rear
axle raised. Otherwise, ESP ®
may intervene
and damage the brake system.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page

101).
X Turn the front wheels to the straight-ahead
position.
X Release the parking brake.
X If necessary, turn the key in the ignition lock
to position g and remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X Take the key with you when leaving the vehi-
cle.
X Do not exceed the towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h

).
Please observe the important safety instruc-
tions when towing your vehicle with the rear
axle raised

(Y page 274). Towing the vehicle with both axles
on the ground
Important safety notes G
WARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steering wheel lock has been engaged.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing
the vehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar.
! Do not exceed the towing speed of
30 mph

(50 km/h). You could otherwise
damage the transmission. Please observe the important safety notes
before towing your vehicle

(Y page 274).
Towing vehicles with automatic trans-
mission X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
i.
X Leave the key in position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page

101).
X Release the parking brake.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Do not exceed the towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h

). Recovering a vehicle that is stuck
! When recovering a vehicle that has
become stuck, pull it as smoothly and
evenly as possible. If the tractive power is
too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
If the drive wheels get trapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover the vehicle with the
utmost care. This is especially the case if the
vehicle is laden.
Never attempt to recover a vehicle with a
trailer attached.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible,
using the tracks it made when it became
stuck. Transporting the vehicle
! 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.
The towing eye or trailer tow hitch can be used
to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or transporter
if you wish to transport it. 276
Tow-starting and towing away
Breakdown assistance

to the maximum permissible speed of the vehi-
cle.
Tire pressure table Tire pressure table inside the fuel filler flap
(example: Passenger Van)
Tire pressure table inside the fuel filler flap
(example: Cargo Van)
You will find the recommended tire pressure
for various operating conditions on the inside
of your vehicle's fuel filler flap
(Y page 137)
and under "Tire pressure table" (Y page 289).
If a tire size precedes a tire pressure, the fol-
lowing tire pressure information is only valid
for that tire size. Example: Cargo Van vehicle loads
Example: Passenger Van vehicle loads
:
Partially laden vehicle
; Fully laden vehicle
For the Passenger Van, the vehicle loads are
defined in the table as different numbers of
passengers and amounts of luggage. The
actual number of seats may vary – for more
information, please refer to the vehicle's regis-
tration documents.
The tire pressure value given for partly laden
vehicles are minimum values which offer you
good ride comfort. They are not for towing
trailers.
You can also use the tire pressure values for a
fully laden vehicle. These are always permitted
and admissible. However, in a partially laden
vehicle, the ride is not as comfortable and fuel
consumption is only minimally reduced. In
addition, wear is greater in the center of the
tire tread.
For towing trailers, the applicable value for the
rear tires is the maximum tire pressure value
stated in the table inside the fuel filler flap. Tire pressure
283
Wheels and tires Z

fuel and the cargo. You can also find infor-
mation about the maximum Gross Axle
Weight Rating on the front and rear axle.
The maximum Gross Axle Weight Rating is
the maximum weight that can be carried
by one axle (front or rear axle). Do not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or
the maximum Gross Axle Weight Rating
for the front or rear axle. Tire and Loading Information placard
Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating :
Maximum number of seats
; Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
X Specification for maximum Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ; is listed on the Tire and
Loading Information placard: "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs."
The gross weight of all vehicle occupants,
cargo, luggage and trailer load/trailer tongue
load (if applicable) must not exceed the speci-
fied value.
i The details on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard illustration are only an exam-
ple. The maximum Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data shown here. The maximum
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating that applies to
your vehicle can be found on your vehicle's
Tire and Loading Information placard. Number of seats
:
Maximum number of seats
; Maximum permissible gross weight
Maximum number of seats : determines the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
i The details on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard illustration are only an exam-
ple. The number of seats is vehicle-specific
and can differ from the details shown. The
number of seats in your vehicle can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Determining the maximum load Individual steps
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575 in
accordance with the "National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".
(1) Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on your
vehicle's placard. on your vehicle's plac-
ard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX
lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capa-
city. For example, if the "XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs and there will be five290
Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires

150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is
650 lbs. (1400 Ò 750 (5 x
150) = 650 lbs.).
(5) Determine the combined weight of lug- gage and cargo being loaded on the vehi-
cle. That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
The vehicle placard named in Step 1 is the Tire
and loading information placard for your vehi-
cle.
Please note that not all vehicles are approved
for trailer operation. Trailer operation is only
permitted when a trailer hitch is installed
(Y page

315). If in doubt, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop. Example: Steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples of how to calculate total load and cargo capacities with vary-
ing seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use a max-
imum load of

1500 lbs (680 kg). This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you are
using the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard . Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 1 Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo (data from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard)
1500 lbs
(680 kg

) 1500 lbs
(680 kg
) 1500 lbs
(680 kg
) Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 2 Number of people in
the vehicle (driver
and occupants)
5 3 1
Distribution of the
occupants
Front: 2
Rear: 3 Front: 1
Rear: 2 Front: 1
Weight of the occu-
pants
Occupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg

)
Occupant 2:
180 lbs (82 kg)
Occupant 3:
160 lbs (73 kg)
Occupant 4:
140 lbs (63 kg)
Occupant 5:
120 lbs (54 kg) Occupant 1:
200 lbs (91 kg
)
Occupant 2:
190 lbs (86 kg)
Occupant 3:
150 lbs (68 kg) Occupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg
) Gross weight of all
occupants
750 lbs (340 kg) 540 lbs (245 kg) 150 lbs (68 kg)Loading the vehicle
291
Wheels and tires Z

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 3 Permissible load and
trailer load/trailer
tongue load (maxi-
mum permissible
gross weight from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard
minus the gross
weight of all occu-
pants)
1500 lbs
(680 kg
) Ò
750 lbs (340 kg)
= 750 lbs
(340 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg
) Ò
540 lbs (245 kg)
= 960 lbs
(435 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg
) Ò
150 lbs (68 kg)
= 1350 lbs
(612 kg) The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
You can find further information under: "Trailer tow hitch"

(Y page 315).Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total load care-
fully, you should still make sure that the per-
missible gross weight and the gross axle
weight rating of your vehicle are not exceeded.
This data can be found on the vehicle identifi-
cation plate on the B-pillar of your vehicle
(Y page

304).
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): the
gross weight of the vehicle, all occupants, load
and trailer load/trailer tongue load (if applica-
ble) must not exceed the permissible gross
vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the maxi-
mum permissible load that can be carried by
one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross vehi-
cle weight and maximum gross axle weight rat-
ing), have your loaded vehicle (including driver,
occupants, load, and full trailer load if applica-
ble) weighed on a suitable vehicle weigh-
bridge. Trailer load/trailer tongue load
The trailer load/trailer tongue load affects the
gross weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is
attached, the trailer load/trailer tongue load is
included in the load along with occupants and
luggage. The trailer load/trailer tongue load is
usually approximately

10% of the gross weight
of the trailer and its load. What you should know about wheels
and tires
Tire labeling
Tire labeling :
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Y page

294)
; Maximum tire load (Y page
294)
= Maximum tire pressure ( Y page
285)
? Manufacturer
A Tire material ( Y page
295)
B Tire size designation, load-bearing capacity
and speed index

(Y page 293)
C Tire name292
What you should know about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires