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256Vehicle careIncorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify drive axle and body style.
2. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 286.
3. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all possible tyre combinations 3 293.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
9 Warning
For specific tyres the
recommended tyre pressure as
shown in the tyre pressure table may exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Never exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
After adjusting tyre pressure, select
the according tyre loading setting on
the page Tyre load in the Driver
Information Centre 3 111.
Temperature dependency The tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase. Tyre pressure
values provided on the tyre
information label and tyre pressure
chart are valid for cold tyres, which means at 20 °C.
The pressure increases by nearly
10 kPa for a 10 °C temperature
increase. This must be considered
when warm tyres are checked.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the Driver Information Centre shows
the real tyre pressure. A cooled down tyre will show a decreased value,
which does not indicate an air leak.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
The tyre pressure monitoring system
checks the pressure of all four wheels once a minute when vehicle speed
exceeds a certain limit.Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns just about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.
Page 273 of 315

Vehicle care271Towing
Towing the vehicle
Wrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage.
Insert the screwdriver in the slot at the
edge of the cap. Release the cap by
levering it out carefully.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 253.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Caution
Deactivate the driver assistance
systems like active emergency
braking 3 194, otherwise the
vehicle may automatically brake during towing.
Switch the selector lever to neutral.
Release the parking brake.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with manual transmission
and All-wheel drive: If the vehicle is
towed with all four wheels on the
ground then there are no technical
Page 274 of 315

272Vehicle carelimitations for speed and distance. If
only one axle has been raised, the
maximum speed is 50 km/h. There is
no distance limitation.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
and All-wheel drive: The vehicle must
be towed facing forwards. If the
vehicle is towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the maximum speed is 50 km/h and for a maximum of
50 km. If the front axle has been
raised, the maximum speed is
50 km/h. There is no distance
limitation.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Iinsert cap with the outer flange into
the recess and fix cap by pushing.Towing another vehicle
Wrap a cloth around the tip of a flat
screwdriver to prevent paint damage. Insert the screwdriver in the slot at the
edge of the cap. Release the cap by
levering it out carefully.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 253.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.
Page 275 of 315

Vehicle care273Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap with the upper flange into
the recess and fix cap by pushing.
Appearance care
Exterior care LocksThe locks are lubricated at the factoryusing a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use a de-icing agent only
when absolutely necessary, as this
has a degreasing effect and impairs
lock function. After using a de-icing
agent, have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
WashingThe paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences.
Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned
off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's instructions. The windscreen wiperand rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.
Clean bright metal mouldings with a
cleaning solution approved for
aluminium to avoid damages.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of four to nine.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Do not clean the engine compartmentwith a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.