2021 MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS Owners Manual

De
tails on the permissible gross vehicle weight of
yo ur vehicle can be found on theve hicle identi/ca-
tion plate (/ page 270).
* N
NO OTE
TE Damage totheve hicle due toauto-
matic braking When
thefo llowing functions are activated, the
ve hicle brakes automatically in cer tain situa-
tions:
R Active Brake Assist
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
R HOLD function
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deacti vate
th ese systems in thefo llowing or similar situa-
tions: #
when towing #
in a car wash *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage due 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 hitch. #
Do not use theto wing eyes toreco ver a
ve hicle. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage due topulling forc e being
to o high Pulling
away abruptly can damage theve hicles
if th e tractive forc es are too high. #
Pull away as st raight, slo wlyand
smoo thly as possible. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage due 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 th vehicles. #
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
make other road users awarethat a vehi-
cle is being towe d. #
During the journe y,obser vethe brake
lamps of theto wing vehicle and maintain
th e distance so that theto w rope does
not sag. #
Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
yo ur vehicle. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage due to towing theve hicle at
to o high a speed or toofar To
wing theve hicle at too high a speed or too
fa r can damage the driv etra in. #
Do not exceed a towing speed of
50 km/h. #
Do not exceed a towing dis tance of
50 km. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage tothe automatic transmis-
sion when towing due toshiTing into
transmission position j If
yo u open the driver's or co-driver's door
when towing, it can lead tothe automatic
transmission shiTing toposition jand
becoming damaged. #
ShiT the automatic transmission toposi-
tion i. #
Do not open any doors during theto wing
process. When
towing away,yo u must obser vethe legal
re qu irements forth e country in which you are cur-
re ntly driving.
In theev ent of a breakdown, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you ha vetheve hicle transpor ted
instead of towe d.
Ha ve theve hicle transpor ted on a transpor ter or
trailer if it has transmission damage. 246
246
Breakdown assistance

P
P
er
er missible to
missible towing met
wing met hods
hods Bot
Bot
h axles on t
h axles on t he
he
gr
gr ound
ound F
F
r
ront axle r
ont axle r aised
aised R
R
ear axle r
ear axle r aised
aised
Ve hicles with manual
transmission Ye
s, no fur ther than
50 km at 50 km/h No
Yes, if the steering
wheel is /xed in the
cent reposition with a
steering wheel loc k.
Maximum 50 km at
50 km/h
Ve hicles with automatic
transmission Ye
s, no fur ther than
50 km at 50 km/h No
Yes, if the steering
wheel is /xed in the
cent reposition with a
steering wheel loc k.
Maximum 50 km at
50 km/h
Ve hicles with all-wheel
drive (4MATIC) Ye
s, no fur ther than
50 km at 50 km/h No
No%
Ifth e transmission cannot be shiTed toposi-
tion i, ha vetheve hicle transpor ted
( / page 248). A towing vehicle with liTing
equipment is requ ired forve hicle transport. T T
o
o wing awa
wing away t
y the v
he v ehicle wit
ehicle wit h bot
h both axles on t
h axles on t he
he
gr
gr ound
ound #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). #
Make sure that the battery is connected and
ch arge d.
If th e battery is dischar ged, obser vethefo llowing
points:
R The vehicle cann otbe switched on.
R It is not possible torelease or apply the elec-
tric parking brake.
R The transmission cannot be shiTed toposition
i.
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h manual tr
h manual tr ansmission
ansmission #
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(/ page 108). #
Fitth eto wing eye (/ page 249). #
Secure theto wing device. #
Swit chon theve hicle. #
Deacti vate automatic locking (/ page 55). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assist (/ page 157). #
ShiT the transmission toneutral. #
Release the parking brake (/ page 151).
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h aut
h automatic tr
omatic tr ansmission
ansmission #
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(/ page 108). #
Fitth eto wing eye (/ page 249). #
Secure theto wing device. #
Swit chon theve hicle. #
Deacti vate automatic locking (/ page 55). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate Active Brake Assist (/ page 157). #
Deactivate Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
(/ page 162). #
ShiT the transmission toi (/ page 142). #
Release the parking brake (/ page 151).
R
R ecov
ecov er
ering a v
ing a v ehicle t
ehicle t hat is s
hat is stucktuck
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage due topulling forc e being
to o high Pulling
away abruptly can damage theve hicles
if th e tractive forc es are too high. Breakdown assistance
247
247

#
Pull away as st raight, slo wlyand
smoo thly as possible. If
th e drive wheels gettrapped on loose or muddy
gr ound, reco verth eve hicle with the utmost care,
especially so if theve hicle is laden. #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). #
Never attem pttoreco ver a vehicle that is
stuck when a trailer is attached. #
If possible, pull theve hicle out backwards
using the trac ksit made before it became
stuc k. T
T
o
o wing t
wing t he v
he vehicle wit
ehicle wit h t
h the axle r
he axle r aised
aised &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due to towing
when theve hicle is switched on
When theve hicle is being towe dawa y and is
swit ched on with the front axle raised, ASR can
brake there ar axle wheels in an er ratic man-
ner.
The vehicle can lose directional stability. #
Switch o. theve hicle before towing it
with the front axle raised. *
N NOOTE
TE Damage tothe transmission due to
to wing with an axle raised on vehicles with
4MATIC The transmission can be damaged
bytowing
with the front or rear axle raised. #
Only tow vehicles equipped with 4MATIC
with bo thaxles on thegr ound, or load
th em onto ano ther vehicle for transport. W
W
it
ith t
h t he r
he r ear axle r
ear axle r aised
aised #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). #
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(/ page 108). #
Deactivate tow- awa y protection (/ page 69). #
Movethe front wheels tothe straight-ahead
position. #
Fixth e steering wheel in the centre position
with a steering wheel loc k.#
Release the parking brake (/ page 151). #
Turn theke yto position ginthe ignition lock
and remo vetheke y from the ignition loc k. #
Take theke y with you when leaving theve hicle.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 50 km/h. Loading t
Loading t
he v
he vehicle f
ehicle f or tr
or transport
ansport *
N NOOTE TE Damage due toincor rect attach-
ment The
vehicle may be damaged when lashing to
ch assis components. #
Only lash theve hicle at the wheels. #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). #
Toload theve hicle onto a trailer or transpor ter,
use the trailer tow hitch or theto wing eye.
Bef
Bef or
ore loading t
e loading t he v
he vehicle
ehicle #
Switch on theve hicle. #
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h manual tr
h manual tr ansmission:
ansmission: shiTthe
transmission toneutral. #
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h aut
h aut omatic tr
omatic tr ansmission:
ansmission: shiTthe
transmission toposition i. #
Release the parking brake (/ page 151). #
Load theve hicle onto the transpor ter.
* N
NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe drive train due to
incor rect positioning of theve hicle #
Do not position theve hicle abo vethe
connection point of the transport vehicle. #
Make sure that the front and rear axles come
to rest on the same transpor tation vehicle.
ATer
ATer loading t
loading t he v
he vehicle
ehicle #
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h manual tr
h manual tr ansmission:
ansmission: engage
/rst or reve rsege ar. #
V Vehicles wit ehicles wit h aut
h aut omatic tr
omatic tr ansmission:
ansmission: shiTthe
transmission toposition j. #
Deactivate tow- awa y protection (/ page 69). 248
248
Breakdown assistance

#
Turn theke yto position ginthe ignition lock
and remo veit from the ignition loc k. #
Use the parking brake tosecure theve hicle
against rolling away. #
Secure theve hicle bythe wheels. T
T
o
o wing ey
wing eye st
e st or
orag
ag e location
e location The
towing eye is located in theve hicle tool kit
(/ page 250). F
F
itting/r
itting/r emo
emoving t
ving t heto
he towing eye
wing eye F
F
itting and r
itting and r emo
emoving t
ving t he fr
he frontto
ont towing eye
wing eye
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage totheve hicle due toincor-
re ct use of theto wing eye When a
towing eye is used toreco ver a vehicle,
th eve hicle may be damaged in the process. #
Only use theto wing eyeto to wawa y or
to w start theve hicle. Fi
xture forth e front towing eye in the bumper #
Take theto wing eye and scr ewdriver from the
ve hicle tool kit (/ page 250).
F
F itting
itting #
Press the ar row on co ver1 and remo vecover
1 from the opening.
Yo u will see the /xture forth eto wing eye. #
Screw intheto wing eye clockwise tothe stop. #
Insert the scr ewdriver into theto wing eye and
tighten theto wing eye. #
Stow the scr ewdriver in theve hicle tool kit.
R
R emo
emo ving
ving #
Remo vethe scr ewdriver from theve hicle tool
kit. #
Insert the scr ewdriver into theto wing eye and
turn theto wing eye anti-clockwise. #
Unscr ewand remo vetheto wing eye. #
Insert co ver1 with the lug at theto p and
press it in at the bottom until it engages. #
Stow theto wing eye and the scr ewdriver with
th eve hicle tool kit.
R
R ear to
ear towing eye
wing eye Re
ar towing eye under the bumper #
When towing away or tow- starting a vehicle,
attach theto wing device torear towing eye
2 . #
Ifth eve hicle is equipped with a trailer tow
hitch, attach theto wing device tothe trailer
to w hitch (/ page 279). #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). T
T
o
o w
w -st
-st ar
arting t
ting t he v
he vehicle (v
ehicle (v ehicle emerg
ehicle emerg ency st
ency st ar
art)
t) V
V
ehicles wit
ehicles wit h aut
h automatic tr
omatic tr ansmission
ansmission
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage tothe automatic transmis-
sion due to tow-starting The au
tomatic transmission may be damaged
in the process of tow- starting vehicles with
automatic transmission. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow- star ted. #
Obser vethe no tes and information on starting
assis tance (/ page 240).
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h manual tr
h manual tr ansmission
ansmission #
Obser vethe no tes on permissible towing me th-
ods (/ page 245). Breakdown assistance
249
249

Before
tow- starting, ensure thefo llowing:
R make sure that the battery is connected and
ch arge d. The vehicle cann otbe switched on
ot herwise and there will be no steering and
braking assistance.
R use a towing bar and attach it tothe front tow-
ing eye (/ page 249) onl y.
R ifth eve hicle does not start aTer a fewsec-
onds, try a jump-starting procedure using the
battery of ano ther vehicle (/ page 240).
T
T o
o w
w -st
-st ar
arting pr
ting pr ocedure
ocedure #
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(/ page 108). #
If necessar y,allow the engine and theex haust
system tocool down. #
Swit chon theve hicle. #
ShiT to2nd or 3rd gear. #
Release the parking brake. #
Keep the clutch pedal fully depressed when
to w- starting theve hicle. #
Release the clutch pedal slo wly. #
Immediately shiT toneutral if theve hicle
starts. #
Stop in accordance with the tra1c conditions. #
Use the parking brake tosecure theve hicle
against rolling away. #
Remo vetheto wing device. #
Remo vetheto wing eye. #
Switch o. the hazard warning lamps
(/ page 108). Electr
Electr
ical fuses
ical fuses N
No
ot
t es on electr
es on electr ical fuses
ical fuses *
N
NOOTE
TE Electrical fuses #
Obser vethe information in the supple-
ment. You may otherwise failto recog-
nise dangers. The fuse allocation
chart and the information on
th e fuses can be found in the "Fuse allocation
ch art" Supplement. V
V
ehicle t
ehicle t ool kit
ool kit Inf
Inf
or
ormation on t
mation on t he v
he vehicle t
ehicle t ool kit
ool kit The
vehicle tool kit is in there ar st owage compart-
ment.
Apart from some countr y-speci/c variants, vehi-
cles without a spare wheel are not equipped with a
tyre-changing tool.
If yo ur vehicle is equipped with a tyre-change tool
kit, you can /nd it in theve hicle tool kit in there ar
st ow age compartment.
Some tools forch anging a wheel are speci/c to
th eve hicle. For more information on which tyre-
ch ange tool kits are requ ired and appr ovedfo r per-
fo rm ing a wheel change on your vehicle, consult a
qu ali/ed specialist workshop.
Re quired tyre-change tool kits may include thefo l-
lowing, forex ample:
R Jack
R Wheel spanner
R Ratchet ring spanner
% The jack has a maximum weight of 7.5 kg
depending on theve hicle's equipment.
Yo u will /nd the maximum load capacity of the
jack stated on the adhesive label attached to
th e jac k.
The jack is maintenance-free. If there is a mal-
function, please contact a quali/ed specialist
wo rkshop. S S
t
to
o w
w ag
ag e com
e com par
partment in t
tment in t he r
he rear
ear Opening t
Opening t
he stow
he st owag
age com
e com par
partment
tment St
ow age compartment in there ar on theright-
hand side of theve hicle 250
250
Breakdown assis
tance

#
If necessar y,fold up there ar seat. #
Turn topro tary catch 1clockwise and bottom
ro tary catch 1anti-clockwise. #
Remo vecover2.
R
R emo
emo ving t
ving t he v
he vehicle t
ehicle t ool kit and jac
ool kit and jac k fr
k from t
om t he
he
t
t ool holder
ool holder St
ow age compartment with tool holder #
Remo veclamping st rap4. #
LiT o. tool holder co ver3. #
Carefully pull theve hicle tool kit and jack
upwards out of the st owage compartment. LiT
th e jack slightly before removing it and turn it
to a diagonal position in the st owage compart-
ment.
S
S t
to
o wing t
wing t he v
he vehicle t
ehicle t ool kit and t
ool kit and t he jack
he jack #
Before st owing, wind the jack tothe fully
closed position and place it so that the hand-
wheel is facing forw ards and the plate is facing
in wa rds. #
Place the jack and vehicle tool kit into theto ol
holder. #
Replace co ver3 oftheto ol holder. #
Tighten cla mping strap 4.
Closing t
Closing t he stow
he st owag
ag e com
e com par
partment
tment #
Put on co ver2. #
Turn topro tary catch 1anti-clockwise and
bottom rotary catch 1clockwise. #
Fold down there ar seat. Breakdown assis
tance
251
251

Inf
Inf
or
ormation on noise or unusual dr
mation on noise or unusual dr iving c
iving char
harac-
ac-
t
t er
er is
istics
tics
While driving, pay attention tovibrations, noises
and unusual driving characteristics, e.g. pulling to
one side. This may indicate damage tothe wheels
or tyres. If you suspect that a tyre is defecti ve,
re duce your speed. Stop theve hicle as soon as
possible tocheck if wheels and tyres ha vebeen
damaged or are no longer functioning proper ly.
Hidden tyre dama gecould also be causing the
unusual driving characteristics. If no signs of dam-
age can be de tected, ha vethe tyres and wheels
ch ecked at a quali/ed specialist workshop. N
No
ot
tes on r
es on r egularl
egularly inspecting wheels and tyr
y inspecting wheels and tyr es
es&
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due todamaged
tyres
Damaged tyres can cause tyre pressure loss. #
Check the tyres regular lyfor signs of
damage and replace any damaged tyres
immediatel y. Check
the wheels and tyres of your vehicle for
damage regular ly, i.e. at least everytwo weeks, as
we ll as aTer driving o.- road or on rough roads.
Damaged wheels can lead toa loss of tyre pres-
sure.
Look out forth efo llowing types of damage, for
ex ample:
R cuts in the tyres
R punctures in the tyres
R tears in the tyres
R bulges on tyres
R deformation or se vere cor rosion on wheels &
W WARNING
ARNING Risk of aquaplaning due to
insu1cient tyre tread
Insu1cient tyre tread will result in reduced tyre
gr ip.
The risk of aquaplaning is increased on wet
ro ads, especially when the speed of theve hicle
is not adap tedto suit the conditions. #
Thus, you should regular lych eck the
tread dep thand the condition of the
tread across the entire width of all tyres. Minimum tread dep
thfor:
R Summer ty res: 3 mm
R M+S tyres: 4 mm #
For saf etyre asons, replace the tyres
before the legall y-prescribed limit forthe
minimum tread dep thisreached. Conduct
thefo llowing checks regular lyon all
wheels, at least once a month or as requ ired, e.g.
before a long journey or when driving o.- road:
R check the tyre pressure (/ page 253)
R check theva lve caps
Va lves must be pr otected from moisture and
dirt with valve caps speci/cally appro vedby
Mercedes-Benz foryo ur vehicle.
R visually inspect the tread dep thand the tyre
tread across the whole tyre width
The minimum tread dep thfor summer tyres is
3 mm and for winter tyres 4 mm. Inf
Inf
or
ormation on dr
mation on dr iving wit
iving with summer tyr
h summer tyr es
es
At temp eratures below 10 °C summer tyres lose
elasticity and therefore traction and braking po wer.
Change the tyres on your vehicle toM+S tyres.
Using summer tyres at very cold temp eratures
could cause tears toform ,th ereby damaging the
tyres permanentl y.Mercedes-Benz cannot accept
re sponsibility forth is type of damage.
Once you ha ve/tted the summer tyres:
R Check the tyre pressures (/ page 253)
R Restart the tyre pressure monitor
(/ page 258) Inf
Inf
or
ormation on M+S tyr
mation on M+S tyr es
es
At temp eratures below 10 °C, use winter tyres or
all-season tyres that are mar ked with M+S.
Only winter tyres bearing thei snow0ake sym-
bol in addition tothe M+S marking pr ovide the
best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tyres allow driving saf ety systems such
as ABS and ESP ®
to also function optimal lyin win-
te r. These tyres ha vebeen de veloped speci/cally
fo r driving in sno w.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread on all
wheels tomaintain safe handling characteristics.
Obser vethe maximum permissible speed speci/ed
fo rth e M+S tyres you ha ve/tted. 252
252
Wheels and tyres

If
yo u /t M+S tyres that ha vea lo wer maximum
permissible speed than the maximum design
speed of theve hicle, a1x an appropriate warning
sign in the driver's /eld of vision. You can obtain
th is at a quali/ed specialist workshop.
Once you ha ve/tted the winter tyres M+S, take
th efo llowing measures:
R check the tyre pressure (/ page 253)
R restart the tyre pressure monitoring system
(/ page 258) N
No
ot
tes on sno
es on sno w c
w chains
hains &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due toincor-
re ctly /tted snow chains
If yo u ha ve/tted snow chains tothe front
wheels, they may drag against theve hicle body
or chassis components. #
Never /t snow chains tothe front wheels. #
Only /t snow chains on there ar wheels
in pairs. Fo
r saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recommends
th at you only use snow chains that ha vebeen
ch ecked and appr oved. You can /nd fur ther infor-
mation on snow chains recommended for
Mercedes-Benz in the wheel and tyre overview at
https://www.mercedes-benz.de. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due tosnow
ch ains breaking
If yo u drive toofast wi thsnow chains, they can
break, injure other persons, and damage the
ve hicle. #
Obser vethe maximum permissible speed
fo r operation with snow chains. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage tothe wheel trim from /t-
ted snow chains If snow
chains are /tted tosteel wheels, the
wheel trims can be damaged. #
Remo vethe wheel trims of steel wheels
before /tting snow chains. Obser
vethefo llowing no tes when using snow
ch ains:
R Snow chains are only permissible for cer tain
wheel/tyre combinations. You can obtain infor- mation on
them at a quali/ed specialist work-
shop.
R For saf etyre asons, only use snow chains that
ha ve been speci/cally appr oved foryo ur vehi-
cle byMercedes-Benz, or snow chains with the
same quality standard.
R The snow chains must be retightened aTer
driving app roximately 1 km. This is the only
wa yto ensure the snow chains are optimal ly
seated with clearance toadjacent compo-
nents.
R Use snow chains only when thero ad sur face is
comple tely sno w-co vered. Re mo vethe snow
ch ains as soon as possible when you come to
a ro ad that is not sno w-co vered.
R Local regulations may restrict the use of snow
ch ains. Obser vethe applicable regulations
before /tting snow chains.
R If snow chains are /tted, the maximum permis-
sible speed is 50 km/h.
% You can deactivate ESP ®
to pull away
( / page 154). This allo ws the wheels tospin,
achieving an increased driving forc e. T
T
yr
yr e pr
e pr essure
essure N
No
ot
tes on tyr
es on tyr e pr
e pressure
essure Driving with tyre pressure
that is too high or too
low can:
R Shor tenth e service life of the tyres
R Cause increased tyre damage
R Adve rsely a.ect handling characteristics and
th us driving saf ety, forex ample, due toaqua-
planing &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due torepea-
te d pressure drop in the tyres
The wheels, valves or tyres could be damaged.
To o low a tyre pressure can lead tothe tyres
bursting. #
Examine the tyres forfo re ign objects. #
Check whe ther the tyre has a puncture
or theva lve has a leak. #
Ifyo u are unable torectify the damage,
contact a quali/ed specialist workshop. Information on
there commended tyre pressure for
th eve hicle's factor y-/tted tyres can be found on Wheels and tyres
253
253