2021 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE Owners Manual

towed away exceeds the permissible
gross mass.If a vehicle must be tow-started or towed away, its
permissible gross mass must not exceed the per- missible gross mass of the towing vehicle.Information on the permissible gross mass of
the vehicle can be found on the vehicle identi-
Ncation plate ( page 449).Vehicles with automatic transmission: do not
open the driver's door or front passenger
door; the automatic transmission otherwise
automatically shiss to position 005D.Fit the towing eye (  page 345).Fasten the towing device.*NOTE Damage due to incorrect connec-
tion of the tow barOnly connect the tow rope or tow bar to
the towing eyes.Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism .Do not activate the HOLD function.Deactivate tow-away protection (  page 92).Deactivate Active Brake Assist (  page 219).Vehicles with automatic transmission: shis the
automatic transmission to position 005C.Release the electric parking brake.&WARNING Risk of accident due to limited
safety-related functions during the towing
process
Safety-related functions are limited or no lon-
ger available in the following situations:
= The ignition is switched oM.
= The brake system or power steering sys-
tem is malfunctioning.
= The energy supply or the on-board electri-
cal system is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is towed away, signiNcantly
more eMort may be required to steer and
brake than is normally required.
Use a tow bar.Make sure that the steering wheel can
move freely before towing the vehicle
away.*NOTE Damage due to excessive tractive
power
If you pull away sharply, the tractive power
may be too high and the vehicles could be
damaged.
Pull away slowly and smoothly.
Loading the vehicle for transport
Observe the notes on towing away (  page 342).Connect the tow bar to the towing eye in order
to load the vehicle.%You can also attach the tow bar to the trailer
hitch.Shis the automatic transmission to position
005C .Breakdown assistance343

%The automatic transmission may be locked inposition 005D in the event of damage to the
electrics. To shis to 005C, provide the on-board
electrical system with power (  page 339).Load the vehicle onto the transporter.Shis the automatic transmission to position
005D .Use the electric parking brake to secure the
vehicle against rolling away.Only secure the vehicle by the wheels.
Vehicles with ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sys- tem PLUS)
&WARNING Risk of an accident when trans-
porting vehicles with Adaptive Damping
System PLUS
When transporting vehicles with Adaptive
Damping System PLUS, the vehicle/trailer
combination may begin to rock and start to
skid.
When transporting, ensure that:
= the vehicle has been loaded onto the
transporter correctly= the vehicle is secured at all four
wheels with suitable tensioning
straps
= the maximum permissible speed of
60 km/h is not exceeded when
transporting*NOTE Damage to the vehicle from secur-
ing it incorrectlyAser loading, the vehicle must be
secured on all four wheels. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.A minimum distance of 20 cm upwards
and 10 cm downwards must be kept to
the transport platform.Secure the vehicle on all four wheels aser
loading.Make sure that the front and rear axles come
to rest on the same transportation vehicle.*NOTE Damage to the drivetrain due to
incorrect positioningDo not position the vehicle above the
connection point of the transport vehi- cle.344Breakdown assistance

Towing eye storage location
Towing eye 1 is located in the stowage space
under the boot Ooor.
Installing the towing eyePress the mark on cover 1 inwards and
remove.Depending on the vehicle version, use a tool (such as a screwdriver) to prise the cover out
of recess 2.Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten.
Vehicles with a trailer hitch: vehicles with a trailer
hitch do not have a rear bracket for the towing
eye. Fasten the tow bar to the trailer hitch.
Make sure that cover 1 engages in the
bumper when you remove the towing eye.Breakdown assistance345

*NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to incor-
rect use of the towing eye or trailer hitch
When a towing eye or trailer hitch is used to
recover a vehicle, the vehicle may be damaged
in the process.
Only use the towing eye or trailer hitch to
tow away or tow start the vehicle.Do not use the towing eye or trailer hitch
to tow the vehicle during recovery.
Tow starting the vehicle (emergency engine start)
Vehicles with automatic transmission
*NOTE Damage to the automatic transmis-
sion due to tow-starting
The automatic transmission may be damaged
in the process of tow-starting vehicles with automatic transmission.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started.Vehicles with automatic transmission must not
be tow-started.
Electrical fuses
Notes on electrical fuses
&WARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to overloaded lines
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-
age, the electric line could be overloaded.
This could result in a Nre.
Always replace faulty fuses with speci-
Ned new fuses containing the correct
amperage.*NOTE Damage due to incorrect fuses
Electrical components or systems may be
damaged by incorrect fuses, or their function-
ality may be signiNcantly impaired.
Only use fuses that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz and which have the
correct fuse rating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognise by the col-
our and the label. The fuse ratings and further
information to be observed can be found in the
fuse assignment diagram.
*NOTE Damage or malfunctions caused by
moisture
Moisture may cause damage to the electrical
system or cause it to malfunction.
When the fuse box is open, make sure
that no moisture can enter the fuse box.When closing the fuse box, make sure
that the seal of the lid is positioned cor-
rectly on the fuse box.
If the newly inserted fuse also blows, have the cause traced and rectiNed at a qualiNed specialist
workshop.
346Breakdown assistance

Ensure the following before replacing a fuse:= The vehicle is secured against rolling away.
= All electrical consumers are switched oM.
= The ignition is switched oM.
The electrical fuses are located in various fuse
boxes:
= Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
driver's side (  page 347)
= Fuse box on the driver's side of the cockpit
(  page 348)
= Fuse box in the front passenger footwell
(  page 348)
= Fuse box in the boot (  page 348)
Opening and closing the fuse box in the engine
compartment
Requirements: = A dry cloth and a screwdriver are available.
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
Opening&WARNING Risk of injury from using the
windscreen wipers while the engine bon-
net is open
When the engine bonnet is open, and the windscreen wipers are set in motion, you can
be trapped by the wiper linkage.
Always switch oM the windscreen wipers
and ignition before opening the engine
bonnet.Turn both retaining clips 2 on cover 1 on
the driver's side a quarter-turn clockwise.Fold cover 1 upwards.Remove any existing moisture from the fuse
box using a dry cloth.Loosen screws 3 and remove fuse box lid 4
upwards.Breakdown assistance347

ClosingCheck whether the seal is positioned correctly
in lid 4.Insert lid 4 into the bracket at the rear of the
fuse box.Fold down lid 4 of the fuse box and tighten
screws 3.Fold down cover 1.Turn both retaining clips 2 on cover 1 a
quarter-turn anti-clockwise.Close the bonnet.
Opening and closing the fuse box in the cockpit
Requirements: = Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
The fuse box is on the driver's side on the side of
the cockpit under a cover.
Contact a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for
further information.Opening and closing the fuse box in the front
passenger footwell
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
To open: fold out and remove cover 1.To close: reinsert cover 1.Opening and closing the fuse box in the boot
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
Open cover 1.348Breakdown assistance

Notes on noise or unusual handling characteris-tics
Make sure there are no vibrations, noises orunusual handling characteristics when the vehicle
is in motion. This may indicate that the wheels or
tyres are damaged. Hidden tyre damage could
also be causing the unusual handling characteris- tics.
If you suspect that a tyre is defective, reduce your speed immediately and have the tyres and wheels
checked at a qualiNed specialist workshop.
Notes on regularly inspecting wheels and tyres
&WARNING Risk of injury due to damaged
tyres
Damaged tyres can cause tyre pressure loss.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of
damage and replace any damaged tyres
immediately.&WARNING Risk of aquaplaning due to
insuPcient tyre tread
*nsuPcient tyre tread will result in reduced
tyre grip.
The risk of aquaplaning is increased on wet
roads, especially when the speed of the vehi-
cle is not adapted to suit the conditions.
Thus, you should regularly check the
tread depth and the condition of the
tread across the entire width of all tyres.
Minimum tread depth for:
= Summer tyres: 3 mm
= M+S tyres: 4 mm
For safety reasons, replace the tyres
before the legally-prescribed limit for the minimum tread depth is reached.
Carry out the following checks on all wheels regu-larly, at least once a month or as required, forexample, prior to a long journey or driving oM-
road
= Check the tyre pressure (  page 350).
=
Visually inspect wheels and tyres for damage.
= Check the valve caps.
= Visual check of the tyre tread depth and the
tyre contact surface across the entire width.
The minimum tread depth for summer tyres is
3 mm and for winter tyres 4 mm.
Notes on snow chains
&WARNING Risk of accident due to incor-
rect snow chain Ntting
If you have Ntted snow chains to the front
wheels, the snow chains may drag against the
vehicle body or chassis components.
This could cause damage to the vehicle or the
tyres.
Never Nt snow chains on the front
wheels.Only Nt snow chains on the rear wheels
in pairs.Wheels and tyres349

*NOTE Damage to components of the vehi-
cle body or chassis due to Ntted snow
chains
If you Nt snow chains to the front wheels of
4MATIC vehicles, you may damage compo-
nents of the vehicle body or chassis.
Only Nt snow chains to the rear wheels
of 4MATIC vehicles.
Observe the following notes when using snow
chains:
= Snow chains are only permissible for certain
wheel/tyre combinations. You can obtain
information about this from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
= For safety reasons, only use snow chains that
have been speciNcally approved for your vehi-
cle by Mercedes-Benz, or snow chains with the same quality standard.
= If snow chains are Ntted, the maximum per-
missible speed is 50 km/h.
= Vehicles with Active Parking Assist: do not use
Active Parking Assist when snow chains are
Ntted.%You can permanently limit the maximum
speed for driving with winter tyres
(  page 200).%You can deactivate ESP n
to pull away
(  page 194). This allows the wheels to spin,
achieving an increased driving force.
Tyre pressure
Notes on tyre pressure
&WARNING Risk of accident due to insuP-
cient or excessive tyre pressure
Tyres with either too low or too high a pres-
sure present the following hazards:
=
the tyres could burst
=
the tyres could wear excessively and/or
unevenly
= the driving characteristics as well as steer-
ing and braking characteristics may be
severely impairedObserve the recommended tyre pres-
sures and check the tyre pressures of all
tyres including the spare wheel:
=monthly
= if altering the load on the vehicle
= prior to long journeys
= if the operating conditions change, for
example when driving oM-road
Adjust the tyre pressure where neces-
sary.
Tyre pressure which is too high or too low can:
= Shorten the service life of the tyres.
= Cause increased tyre damage.
= Adversely aMect driving characteristics and
thus driving safety, e.g. due to aquaplaning.
350Wheels and tyres