2021 MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS MPV tow

#
Check that tie-down eyes 5 are seated cor‐
re ctly.
Ti e-down eyes 5 should not mo ve. #
Clip hooks 4ontensioning stra ps 3 into
tie-down eyes 5. #
Foldtensioning element 2up. #
Pull the loose end of tensioning stra ps 3
down in the direction of the ar row until ten‐
sioning stra ps 3 are tight. #
Foldtensioning element 2down toachie ve
th efinal tension on thest ra ps. #
If necessar y,fit th e luggage compartment
partition (/ page217). #
After tr ave lling a short dis tance, check that
th e load pr otection net is taut, and retighten
it if necessa ry.
Re moving #
Remo vethe luggage compartment partition if
necessary (/ page217). #
Foldtensioning element 2up.
Te nsioning stra ps 3 are slac k. #
Unc lip hooks 4oftensioning stra ps 3 from
tie-down eyes 5 atthe bottom. #
Unclip the load pr otection net from upper
re tainers 1. #
When requ ired, remo vetie-down eyes 5
(/ page 215). #
Ifnecessa ry,fi t th e luggage compartment
partition (/ page217). #
Roll up the load pr otection net and fasten it,
st ill rolled up, using theVe lcro fasteners.
Ad justing the front seat with the load pr otec‐
tion net fitted #
Foldtensioning element 2onstra ps 3
upwards.
The load pr otection net slac kens. #
Correctly adjust the front seat. #
Re-tension the load pr otection net. Using
the luggage compa rtment partition &
WARNING Risk of injury from unsecured
objects in theve hicle
When objects are unsecured or inadequately
secured, they can slip, tip over or be thro wn
about, striking vehicle occupants. This also applies
to:
R luggage or loads
R seats which ha vebeen remo ved and are
being transpor ted in theve hicle in an
exc eptional case
There is a risk of injur y,particularly in the
ev ent of braking manoeuvres or abrupt
ch anges in direction. #
Alwaysstow objects in such a wayth at
th ey cannot be tossed about. #
Before tr avelling, secure objects, lug‐
ga ge or load topreve ntthem slipping or
tipping over. #
When a seat is remo ved, keep it prefera‐
bly outside theve hicle. &
WARNING Risk of accident or injury
when the luggage compartment partition
is not loc ked in position
The luggage compartment partition can come
loose when driving and be throw n about the
ve hicle interior. #
Fitthe luggage compartment partition
as described. #
Afterfitting the luggage compartment
partition, alw ays make sure that the lug‐
ga ge compa rtment partition is loc ked
and folded down. *
NO
TEDama getothe luggage compart‐
ment partition due toheavy loads If
th e luggage compartment partition is loa‐
ded with too much weight, thefixture points
and the luggage compartment partition may
be damaged. #
Do not load more than 50 kgon the lug‐
ga ge compa rtment partition. The lugga
gecompa rtment partition is only
secured cor rectly when bo thleve rs are loc ked. #
Comply with the loading guidelines
(/ page 212). Tr
ansporting 217

#
Pull cap 1upwards bytheta b. #
Top up thewa sher fluid. #
Push cap 1onto thefiller opening until it
audibly engages. Cleaning and care
Note
s onwashing theve hicle in an automatic
car wash &
WARNING Risk of an accident due to
re duced braking po wer af terwa shing the
ve hicle
Braking ef ficiency is reduced af terwa shing
th eve hicle. #
Afterth eve hicle has been washed,
brake carefully while paying attention to
th e traf fic conditions until braking
po we r has been fully restored. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due toauto‐
matic braking When
thefo llowing functions are activated,
th eve hicle brakes automatically in cer tain sit‐
uations:
R Active Brake Assi st
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R HOLD function
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations: #
when towing #
in a car wash *
NO
TEDama gedue tounsuitable car
wa sh #
Before driving into a car wash make
sure that the car wash is suitable forthe
ve hicle dimensions. #
Ensure there is suf ficient ground clear‐
ance between the underbody and the
guide rails of the car wash. #
Ensure that the clearance width of the
car wash, in particular the width of the
guide rails, is suf ficient. To
avo id damage to yourvehicle, obser vethefo l‐
lowing before using an automatic car wash:
R Active Brake Assi stis deactivated.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti va‐
te d.
R the HOLD function is switched off.
R the side windo wsand roof are comple tely
closed.
R the outside mir rors are folded in and an addi‐
tional antenna is remo ved, if present.
R the climate cont rol blo wer is switched off.
R the windscreen wiper switch is in position 005A.
If th eve hicle is very dirty, wash off excess dirt
before cleaning theve hicle in an automatic car
wa sh.
Af ter leaving the car wash, pay attention tothe
fo llowing:
R the outside mir rors are fully folded out again
and an additional antenna is mounte d again.
R waxre sidues on the windscreen and wiper
ru bbers are remo vedto preve nt smearing and
re duce wiper noise.
Re mo ve wa xre sidues from the camera lens in
ve hicles with a reve rsing camera (/ page 229). Note
s on use of a high-p ressure cleaner &
WARNING Risk of an accident when
using high-pressu recleaners wi thround-
spr aynozzles
The water jet can cause extern ally invisible
damage.
Components damaged in this wa y may unex‐
pec tedly fail. #
Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with
round-spr aynozzles. #
Have damaged tyres or chassis parts
re placed immediatel y. *
NO
TEDama getocomponent pa rts due
to improper high-pressure cleaning Components can be damaged if
the dis tance
of the high-pressure nozzle is too small. #
Maintain a minimum dis tance of about
30 cm between the high-pressure noz‐
zle and car parts. Maintenance and care
227

Emer
gency Re
moving the saf etyve st The saf
etyve st is located in the door stowage
compartment in the driver's door. #
Take the saf etyve st out of the door stowage
compartment.
% Saf
etyve sts can also be stored in the door
stow age compartment of the co-driver's
door. 1
Maximum number of washes
2 Maximum wash temp erature
3 Do not bleach
4 Do not iron
5 Do not tumble dry
6 Do not dr y-clean
7 This is a class 2 vest
The saf etyve st only fulfils the legally required
st andards if it is the cor rect size and is com‐
ple tely closed.
Re place the saf etyve st inthefo llowing cases:
R if damaged or if there flex strips are dirty
R ifth e maximum permitted number of washes
is exc eeded
R ifth e saf etyve st's fluorescence has faded Wa
rning triangle Re
moving the warning triangle
The warning triangle is located in thestow age
compartment in the driver's door. #
Take warning triangle out of thestow age com‐
partment. Setting up
thewa rning triangle #
Fold side reflectors 1upwards toform a tri‐
angle and lock them at theto p using upper
press-stud 2. #
Foldstand 3down and out tothe side.
% When using
thewa rning triangle you must
obse rveth e legal requ irements forth e coun‐
try in which you are cur rently driving. Re
moving the firs t-aid kit (soft sided) The
firs t-aid kit (soft sided) is located in thestow‐
age compartment in the co-driver door. #
Remo vefirs t-aid (soft sided) kit from the
stow age compartment.
Check theex piry date on thefirs t-aid kit (soft
sided) at least once a year. Replace any expired
or missing con tents.
Obser vethe legal requ irements of the count ryin
which you are cur rently driving. Re
moving the fire extinguisher &
WARNING Risk of accident due toan
incor rectly secu redfire extinguisher in
th e driver's foot we ll
A fire extinguisher may impede pedal tr avel or
block a depressed pedal.
This jeopardises the operating and road
saf ety of theve hicle.
The fire extinguisher can be flung around and
injure the driver or other vehicle occupants. #
Alwaysst ore and secure thefire extin‐
guisher in the brac ket. #
Do not remo vethefire extinguisher
while driving. 232
Breakdown assi stance

R
Further information on ABS (/ page154)
R Further information on ESP ®
(/ page 154)
Fo r saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recommends
th at you only use bat teries that ha vebeen tested
and appr oved foryo ur vehicle byMercedes-Benz.
These batteries pr ovide inc reased impact pr otec‐
tion toprev ent vehicle occupants from suf fering
acid bu rns should the battery be damaged in an
accident. &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion due toelec‐
tros tatic charge
Electros tatic charge can igni tethe highly
ex plosive gas mixture in the batter y. #
Todischar geany electrostatic charge
th at may ha vebuilt up, touch the me tal
ve hicle body before handling the bat‐
te ry. The highly
flammable gas mixture is created while
th e battery is charging and when jump-s tarting.
Make sure that nei ther you nor the battery is
electros tatically charge d.
Elect rostatic charge can occur in thefo llowing
cases, forex ample:
R You are wearing synthetic clo thing.
R There is friction between your clo thing and
th e seat.
R You drag or push the battery across a carpet
or other synthetic materials.
R Youru bth e battery with clo ths or towe ls. &
WARNING Danger of chemical burns
from the battery acid
Battery acid is caustic. #
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or
clo thing. #
Do not lean overth e batter y. #
Do not inhale battery gases. #
Keep children away from the batter y. #
Immedia tely rinse battery acid off thor‐
oughly with plenty of clean water and
seek medical attention immediately. +
ENVIRONMENTAL
NOTEEnvironmental
damage due toimproper disposal of bat‐
te ries Batteries contain pollutants. It is
illegal todispose of them with the household
ru bbish. #
Dispose of batteries in an
environmen tally responsible manner.
Ta ke dischar ged batteries toaqu alified
specialist workshop or toa collection
point for used batteries. Obser
vethe saf ety no tes and pr otective meas‐
ures when handling batteries. Risk of
explosion Fire, naked
flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the batter y.
Av oid creating spar ks. Electrolyte
or battery acid is cor ro‐
sive. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes
and clo thing. Wear suitable pr otective
clo thing, in particular glove s, an apron
and a saf ety mas k.Immedia tely rinse
electrolyte acid splashes off wi th
clean water.If necessar y,seek medi‐
cal advice. We
areye pr otection. Ke
ep children at a safe dis tance. Obser
vethese Operating Instructions. 236
Breakdown assis tance

When jump-s
tarting, obser vethefo llowing points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If
th eot her vehicle's battery is not accessible,
st arting assis tance is tobe pr ovided using a
donor battery or a starting assis tance device.
R You may only jump-s tart theve hicle when the
engine and exhaust sy stem are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is fro‐
zen. Let the battery thaw firs t.
R Starting assis tance may only be pr ovided
using batteries with a nominal voltage of 12V.
R Only use jump leads that ha vea suf ficient
cross-section and insulate dte rm inal clamps.
R Ifth e battery is fully dischar ged, attach the
donor battery for a few minutes before
attem pting tostart. This charge sth e dis‐
ch arge d battery a little.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Jump leads and fur ther information rega rding
st arting assis tance can be obtained at any quali‐
fi ed specialist workshop.
Ensure thefo llowing before connecting the jump
lead:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Parts of thete rm inal clamps which are not
insulated do not come into conta ct withother
me tal parts while the jump leads are connec‐
te dto the batter y.
R The jump leads do not touch moving parts
when the engine is star ted and while it is run‐
ning, su chastheV- belt pulley or thefa n. #
Apply the parking brake. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission toposition 005D. #
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral. #
Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. audio
device, bl ower. #
Switch off the ignition immediately and
re mo vethekey. #
Open the bonn et (/ page 221). Connecting and disconnecting
the ju mp lead Example: jump-s
tart connection point #
Push contact pr otection co ver1 ofthe
jump-s tart connection point towa rdsth ere ar
of theve hicle against the spring pressure as
fa r as it will go.
The jump-s tart connection point is visible. Te
rm inal connection diagram #
Remo vethe co ver from positive term inal 3
of the donor batter y. #
Connect the positive term inal clamp of the
jump lead topositive term inal 3ofthe
donor batter y,and then topositive term inal
5 ofthe jump-s tart connection point. #
Connect the negative term inal clamp of the
jump lead tonegati ve terminal 2ofthe
donor batter y,and then toear thcontact 4
of your ow nve hicle. #
Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run
it at idling speed. 238
Breakdown assis tance

#
Make sure that the positive term inal of
th e connected battery does not come
into contact with vehicle parts. #
Never place me tal objects or tools on a
batter y. #
The described order of the battery
clamps must be obser ved when con‐
necting and disconnecting the batter y. #
When giving starting assistance, alw ays
make sure that you on lyconnect battery
te rm inals with identical polarity. #
During starting assis tance, you must
obse rveth e described order for con‐
necting and disconnecting the jump
lead. #
Do not connect or disconnect the bat‐
te ry cla mp s while the engine is running. &
WARNING Danger of chemical burns
from the battery acid
Battery acid is caustic. #
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or
clo thing. #
Do not lean overth e batter y. #
Do not inhale battery gases. #
Keep children away from the batter y. #
Immedia tely rinse battery acid off thor‐
oughly with plenty of clean water and
seek medical attention immediately. *
NO
TEDama getoelectronic components
due towo rkcar ried out incor rectly on the
battery If
th est ar ter battery is disconnected before
th eke y is remo ved from the ignition loc k,
electronic components or assemblies, such
as the alternator, can be damaged. #
Switch off the engine and remo vethe
ke y from the ignition loc k. #
Check tosee that there are no indicator
lamps lit in the instrument clus ter. #
Alwaysre mo vethe negative term inal
clamp firs t and then the positive term i‐
nal clamp. #
Do not inter change the battery clamps. Alw
ays ha vewo rkon the battery car ried out at a
qu alified specialist workshop. If, in
exceptional circums tances, you must dis‐
connect the battery yourself, pay attention tothe
fo llowing:
R Obser vethe no tes on the12 V battery
(/ page 235).
R Secure theve hicle toprev ent it from rolling
aw ay.
R Afterth e battery has been disconnected, the
parking brake is automatically applied. Yo u
can then no longer mo vetheve hicle.
R Forve hicles with an automatic transmission,
th e transmission is loc ked in position 005Dafter
disconnecting the batter y.Yo u can then no
longer mo vetheve hicle.
R The battery and the co ver of the positive ter‐
minal clamp must be fitted securely du ring
ope ration. Seat base (e
xamp le:right-hand front seat)
The following description on connecting and fit‐
ting the battery uses theex ample of thest ar ter
battery in the seat base of theright-hand front
seat. #
Switch off all electrical consumers. #
Switch off the engine and remo vethekey
from the ignition loc k. #
Open the front right-hand door. #
Press bo thcatch springs 1down and
re mo vecover2 upwards from the seat
base. #
Remo vecover2 bypulling upwards at an
angle from the seat base. 240
Breakdown assis tance

#
Connect positive term inal clamp 2toposi‐
tive term inal 1. The positive lead must be
ro uted parallel tothe side of the battery hous‐
ing in the connection area, as shown. #
Place the positive term inal clamp co ver on
positive term inal 1. #
Fold bo thhandles 3down onto the batter y. #
Push the battery into the seat base until the
negati ve terminal clamp can be connec ted. #
Connect the negative term inal clamp tonega‐
tive term inal 4. #
Push the battery into the seat base as far as
it will go. Open seat base with
fitted battery (e xamp le:
ri ght-hand front seat) #
Connect vent hose 5tothe battery connec‐
tion at theto p, beside negative term inal 4. #
Place holder 7over the lo wer edge of the
battery housing and theth re aded holes for
scr ews6. #
Screw on holder 7with scr ews6.
The battery is secured topreve nt slipping. Seat base (e
xamp le:right-hand front seat) #
Insert co ver9 in front of the battery com‐
partment down into the seat base and close
it.
Catch springs 8of co ver9 should engage
audibly. Car
ryout thefo llowing workafte r connecting the
battery: #
Reset the side windo ws (/page 63). #
Reset the outside mir rors ( / page 118). #
Reset the electric sliding doors (/ page57). #
Reset the EASY -PAC Ktailgate (/ page 60). To
wing or tow- starting Overview of permissible
towing me thods &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d saf ety-re lated functions during the
to wing process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon‐
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R the ignition is switched off.
R the brake sy stem or po werst eering sys‐
te m is malfunctioning.
R the energy supply or the on-board electri‐
cal sy stem is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is then towe daw ay, signifi‐
cantly more ef fort may be requ ired tosteer
and brake than is normally required. #
Use a tow bar. #
Make sure that thesteering wheel can
mo vefreely before towing theve hicle
aw ay. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
with steering wheel lock
Yo u will no lon ger be able tosteer theve hicle
if th esteering wheel lock is engaged. #
Always switch on the ignition when tow‐
ing theve hicle with a tow cable or a tow
bar. &
WARNING Risk of accident due to towing
aw ay ave hicle that is too heavy
If th eve hicle being tow star ted or towe daw ay
is heavier than the permissible gross weight
of your vehicle, thefo llowing situations may
arise:
R The towing eye may become de tach ed.
R The vehicle/trailer combination may even
tip ove r. 242
Breakdown assis tance

#
Before tow starting or towing away a
ve hicle, check that it does not exceed
th e permissible gross weight. De
tails on the permissible gross vehicle weight of
yo ur vehicle can be found on theve hicle identifi‐
cation plate (/ page 268).
* NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due toauto‐
matic braking When
thefo llowing functions are activated,
th eve hicle brakes automatically in cer tain sit‐
uations:
R Active Brake Assi st
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R HOLD function
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations: #
when towing #
in a car wash *
NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion of theto w bar or improper use of the
to wing device #
Only connect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes or the trailer tow hit ch. #
Do not use theto wing eyes toreco ver a
ve hicle. *
NO
TEDama gedue topulling forc e being
to o high Pulling
away abruptly can damage theve hi‐
cles if the tractive forc es are too high. #
Pull away as stra ight, slowly and
smoo thly as possible. *
NO
TEDama gedue toimproper towing
with a tow rope If
yo u ignore saf ety and pr otective measures
when towing with a tow rope, this can result
in damage totheve hicle.
Obser vethefo llowing points: #
Secure theto w rope on the same side
on bo thvehicles. #
Secure theto w rope totheto wing eyes. #
Do not exceed the legally prescribed
length of theto w rope. #
Mark theto w rope in the middle, e.g.
with a white clo th(30 x 30 cm). This will
ma keother road users aware that a
ve hicle is being towe d. #
During the journe y,obser vethe brake
lamps of theto wing vehicle and main‐
ta in the dis tance so that theto w rope
does not sag. #
Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
yo ur vehicle. *
NO
TEDama gedue to to wing theve hicle
at too high a speed or toofar To
wing theve hicle at too high a speed or too
fa r can dama gethe driv etra in. #
Do not exceed a towing speed of
50 km/h. #
Do not exceed a towing distance of
50 km. *
NO
TEDama getothe automatic trans‐
mission when towing due toshifting into
transmission position 005D If
yo u open the driver's or co-driver's door
when towing, it can lead tothe automatic
transmission shifting toposition 005Dand
becoming damaged. #
Shift the automatic transmission to
position 005C. #
Do not open any doors during theto w‐
ing process. When
towing away,yo u must obse rveth e legal
re qu irements forth e count ryin which you are
cur rently driving.
In theeve nt of a breakdown, Mercedes-Benz rec‐
ommends that you ha vetheve hicle transpor ted
ins tead of towe d.
Ha ve theve hicle transpor ted on a transpor ter or
trailer if it has transmission dama ge. Breakdown assis
tance 243