2021 MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS towing

P
P
ar
ar king
king P
P
ar
ar king t
king t he v
he vehicle
ehicle &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re caused byhot
ex haust system parts
Flammable materials such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite. #
Park theve hicle so that no 0ammable
material can come into contact with hot
ve hicle components. #
In particular, do not park on dry grass-
land or har vested grain /elds. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to leaving children unattended in theve hi-
cle
If ch ildren are leT unattended in theve hicle,
th ey could, in particular:
R open doors, thereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R getout and be struck byoncoming tra1c.
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion by,fo rex ample:
R releasing the parking brake.
R changing the transmission position.
R starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of there ach of
ch ildren. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage totheve hicle or the drive-
train due torolling away #
Always park your vehicle safely and
according tolegal requ irements. #
Always proper lysecure theve hicle
against rolling away. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Transmission damage due torollers
in neutral position If
th eve hicle is switched o. and rolling in neu-
tral position (e.g. when towing), this can dam- age
the driv etra in and lead totransmission
damage. #
Only allow theve hicle toroll in neutral
position for a short time. Depending on
the transmission, the automatic
transmission switches totransmission position j
(9-speed automatic transmission) or i(7-speed
automatic transmission) when switching o. the
ve hicle. The po wer transmission between the
engine and transmission is inter rupted in transmis-
sion position i. Inthis case, shiT the automatic
transmission totransmission position jbefore
switching o. theve hicle when theve hicle is sta-
tionar y.Obser vethe messages in the display of the
inst rument cluster. Apply the parking brake topre-
ve nt theve hicle from rolling away.
Obser vethefo llowing points toensure that the
ve hicle is proper lysecured against rolling away
unintentionall y. #
Always apply the parking brake. #
On uphill or do
On uphill or do wnhill inclines:
wnhill inclines: Turn the front
wheels towa rdsth eke rb. #
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: Engage
transmission position j. #
Turn theke yto position g. Electr
Electr
ic par
ic parking br
king br ake
ake Inf
Inf
or
ormation on t
mation on t he electr
he electric par
ic parking br
king br ake
ake &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to leaving children unattended in theve hi-
cle
If ch ildren are leT unattended in theve hicle,
th ey could, in particular:
R open doors, thereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R getout and be struck byoncoming tra1c.
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion by,fo rex ample:
R releasing the parking brake.
R changing the transmission position.
R starting theve hicle. 150
150
Driving and parking

In
theStandard setting, no warning vibration
occurs in thefo llowing situations:
R you operate the turn signal in the cor respond-
ing direction. In this event, thewa rnings are
suppressed for a cer tain period of time.
R a driving saf ety system in tervenes or regulates,
such as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
In theAdaptive setting,there will also be no warn-
ing vibration in thefo llowing situations:
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer activel y,e.g. swer vetoavo id an
obstacle or change lane quickl y.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend. T
T
r
railer oper
ailer oper ation
ation N
No
ot
tes on tr
es on tr ailer oper
ailer oper ation
ation &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury if
th eto ngue weight is exceeded
The car rier system may de tach from theve hi-
cle, thereby endangering other road users. #
Always comply with the permissible
to ngue weight when using a car rier. Yo
u can /n dspeci/cations rega rding the ball neck
on the trailer's identi/cation plate. You can /nd
speci/cations rega rding the trailer on theto wing
ve hicle's identi/cation plate and in theTe ch nical
Data (/ page 279).
Yo u can attach car rier systems such as a bicycle
ra ck or load-bearing implement tothe ball nec k.
When using car rier systems on the ball nec k, the
maximum load capacity is 75 kg.
If th e trailer coupling is de tach able, it is essential
to comply with the operating inst ructions of the
trailer coupling manufactu rer.
Place your vehicle/trailer combination on sur faces
th at are as even as possible and secure it against
rolling away (/ page 150). Couple and uncouple
th e trailer carefull y. No
tethefo llowing rega rding theto ngue weight:
R Make full use of the maximum tongue weight,
where possible.
R Neverfa ll below a legally prescribed minimum
to ngue weight; theto ngue weight must alw ays
be positive.
R Do not exceed or fall below the permissible
to ngue weights – this must be obser ved during
loading and unloading of the trailer.
Do not exceed thefo llowing values:
R Perm itted braked or unbraked towing capacity
The maximum permissible towing capacity for
unbraked trailers is 750 kg.
R Perm issible rear axle load of theto wing vehicle
R Perm issible gross weight of theto wing vehicle
R Perm issible gross weight of the trailer
R Perm issible gross combination weight
R Maximum permissible speed of the trailer
The releva nt permitted values, which must not be
ex ceeded, can be found in thefo llowing places:
R Inyour vehicle documents
R Onthe identi/cation plate of the trailer hitch
R Onthe trailer's identi/cation plate
R Ontheve hicle identi/cation plate
If th ere are discrepancies between theva lues, the
lo we st one shall appl y.
Before driving o., ensure thefo llowing:
R The tyre pressure on there ar axle of theto w-
ing vehicle has been set forth e maximum load.
R The headlamps ha vebeen set cor rectl y.
Comply with the maximum permissible speed of
80 km/h or 100 km/h, even in countries in which
higher speeds are permitted forve hicle/trailer
combinations.
% During trailer operation, remember that
PA RKTRONIC is available only toa limi ted
ex tent, if at all.
% The height of the ball head will change
depending on theve hicle's load. In this case,
use a trailer with a height-adjustable dr awbar. Driving and parking
177
177

Please no
tethat Mercedes me connect is a
Mercedes-Benz service. In emer gencies, call the
national eme rgency services /rst using the stand-
ard national emer gency service phone numbers. In
eme rgencies, you can also use the Mercedes-Benz
emer gency call system (/ page 236).
Obser vethe conditions of use for Mercedes me
connect and other services. These can be
obtained in the Mercedes me por tal: https://
me.secure.mercedes-benz.com
Fu rther information about Mercedes me connect,
th e pr ovided service scope and operation:
https://moba.i.daimler.com/mar kets/ece-r ow/
baix/cars/connectme/en_GB/#emotions/
St artsei te.html Inf Inf
or
or mation on Mer
mation on Mer cedes me connect A
cedes me connect A ccident
ccident
and Br
and Br eakdo
eakdown Manag
wn Manag ement
ement The
Accident and Breakdown Management can,
amongst others, include thefo llowing functions:
R Supplement tothe Mercedes-Benz emer gency
call system (/ page 236)
If necessar y,the contact person at the
Mercedes-Benz eme rgency call centre for-
wa rdsth e call toMercedes me connect Acci-
dent and Breakdown Management. Ho wever,
call forw arding is not possible in all countries.
R Breakdown assis tance on location byate ch ni-
cian and/or towing away of theve hicle tothe
nearest Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
Yo u may be charge dfo rth ese services.
R Supplement tothe emer gency guide aTer auto-
matic accident or breakdown de tection
(/ page 191)
In theeve nt of a breakdown or accident, exten-
ded vehicle data is sent, enabling optimum
support from the Mercedes-Benz customer
centre and the appointed service partner or
breakdown mechanic.
R Supplement tothe Mercedes me connect tele-
diagnostics service
Wi th th ete lediagnostics function, cer tain we ar
and failure message s, insofar asthey can be
clear lyinterpr eted and are available bymoni-
to ring diagnosable components, are recorded
by the service pr ovider.
If yo ur vehicle de tects a breakdown or impend-
ing breakdown, you may be prom pted via the
multimedia system tocontact the Mercedes-
Benz customer centre for fur ther assistance. This prom
ptinthe multimedia system only
appears when theve hicle is stationar y.
% These services are subject to technical restric-
tions su chas mobile co verage and mobile net-
wo rkquality and the interpr etability of the
transmitted data in the processing systems.
Under cer tain circumstances, this may result
in dela ysor omission of the message in the
multimedia system.
Fu rther information about Mercedes me connect
services can be obtained in the Mercedes me Por-
ta l: https://me.secure.mercedes-benz.com T T
r
ransmitt
ansmitt ed dat
ed data wit
a with t
h the Mer
he Mer cedes me connect
cedes me connect
call ser
call ser vices
vices The data transfer
red during the Mercedes me con-
nect call depends on:
R The reason forth e initiation of the call
R The service selected in thevo ice dialogue sys-
tem
R The activated Mercedes me connect services
Yo u can /nd out which data is transfer red during
th e services in the cur rently valid Mercedes me
connect term s of use and the data pr otection
information for Mercedes me connect. You can
/nd these in your Mercedes me user account. Mer
Mer
cedes me and apps
cedes me and apps Inf
Inf
or
ormation about Mer
mation about Mer cedes me
cedes me When
you log in with a user account tothe
Mercedes me Portal, then services and o.ers from
Mercedes-Benz will be available toyou.
Av ailability is countr y-dependent.
Fo r more information consult a Mercedes-Benz
service centre or visit the Mercedes me por tal:
https://me.secure.mercedes-benz.com
% Make sure that you alw ayske ep the Mercedes
me apps up todate. Calling up a Mer
Calling up a Mer
cedes me user account
cedes me user account Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Mercedes me & Apps
V
V ehicle is link
ehicle is link ed t
ed to user account
o user account #
Select Mercedes me.
Information about the connected user account
appears. 194
194
Mercedes me

#
Push cap 1onto the /ller opening until it
audibly engages. Cleaning and care
Cleaning and care
N
No
ot
t es on w
es on w ashing t
ashing t he v
he vehicle in an aut
ehicle in an aut omatic car
omatic car
w
w ash
ash &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of an accident due to
re duced braking po wer aTer washing the
ve hicle
Braking e1ciency is reduced aTer washing the
ve hicle. #
ATer theve hicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention tothe
tra1c conditions until braking po wer has
been fully restored. *
N
NOOTE
TE Dama getotheve 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 tounsuitable car wash #
Before driving into a car wash make sure
th at the car wash is suitable forth eve hi-
cle dimensions. #
Ensure there is su1cient 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 su1cient. To
avo id damage toyour vehicle, obser vethefo l-
lowing before using an automatic car wash:
R Active Brake Assist is deactivated.
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-
te d. R
The HOLD function is switched o..
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 control blo wer is switched o..
R The windscreen wiper switch is in position g.
If th eve hicle is very dirty, wash o. excess dirt
before cleaning theve hicle in an automatic car
wa sh.
ATer leaving the car wash, pay attention tothefo l-
lowing:
R The outside mir rors are fully folded out again
and an additional antenna is mounted again, if
present.
R Remo vewaxre sidues on the windscreen and
wiper rubbers toprev ent smearing and reduce
wiper noise.
Re mo vewaxre sidues from the camera lens in
ve hicles with a reve rsing camera (/ page 232). N
No
ot
tes on use of a high-pr
es on use of a high-pr essur
essure cleaner
e cleaner &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of an accident when using
high-pressure cleaners with round-spr ay
nozzles
The water jet can cause extern ally invisible
damage.
Components damaged in this wa y may un ex-
pectedly fail. #
Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with
round-spr aynozzles. #
Have damaged tyres or chassis parts
re placed immediatel y. *
N NO
OTE
TE Damage tocomponent parts due to
improper high-pressure cleaning Components can be damaged if
the distance
of the high-pressure nozzle is too small. #
Maintain a minimum distance of about
30 cm between the high-pressure nozzle
and car parts. #
Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with
aro und-spr aynozzle. #
Keep thewa ter jet moving constantly
while cleaning. 230 230
Maintenance and care

parallel
tothe side of the battery housing in
th e connection area, as shown. #
Place the positive term inal clamp co ver on pos-
itive term inal 1. #
Fold bo thhandles 3down onto the batter y. #
Push the battery into the seat base until the
negative term inal clamp can be connected. #
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 /t
tedbattery (e xample:right-
hand front seat) #
Connect vent hose 5tothe battery connec-
tion at theto p, beside negative term inal 4. #
Place holder 7overth e 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 toprev ent slipping. Seat base (e
xample: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
audibl y.
Car ryout thefo llowing workaTer connecting the
batter y: #
Reset the side windo ws (/page 64). #
Reset the outside mir rors ( / page 120). #
Reset the electric sliding doors (/ page 59). #
Reset the EAS Y-PA CK tailgate (/ page 61). T
T
o
o wing or tow
wing or tow-st
-star
arting
ting Ov
Ov
er
ervie
vie w of per
w of per missible to
missible towing met
wing met hods
hods &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due tolimited
saf ety-re lated functions during theto wing
process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon-
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R theve hicle is switched o..
R the brake system or po wer steering system
is malfunctioning.
R the energy supply or the on-board electri-
cal system is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is towe dawa y,signi/cantly
more e.ort may be requ ired tosteer and brake
th an is normally requi red. #
Use a tow bar. #
Make sure that the steering wheel can
mo vefreely before towing theve hicle
awa y. &
W
WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of accident when towing
with steering wheel lock
If th e steering wheel lock is engaged, you will
not be able tosteer theve hicle. #
When towing with a tow rope or tow bar,
alw ays switch on theve hicle. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident when towing a
ve hicle which is too heavy
If th eve hicle tobe tow- star ted or towe daway
is heavier than the permissible gross mass of
yo ur vehicle, thefo llowing situations can
occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R theve hicle/trailer combination may
swer veoroverturn. #
Before tow- starting or towing away,
ch eck if theve hicle tobe tow- star ted or
to we dawa yex ceeds the permissible
gr oss mass. Breakdown assistance
245
245

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