Mercedes-Benz 1985 380SE Owner's Manual page 88

Tow-starting and Towing the Vehicle
Warning!
When the engine is not running,
both the service brake and the steer­
ing are without power assistance.
Under these circumstances, a much
greater effort is necessary to steer
or stop the vehicle.
Emergency Engine Start
(Tow-starting)
Shift selector lever to position "N".
Turn key in steering lock to position
2
" " and have vehicle towed.
After attaining a towing speed of
30 km/h/18 mph (with cold trans­
mission) or 50 km/h/30 mph (with
warm transmission), shift selector
2
lever to position " " to tow-start the
engine. Only touch the accelerator
when the engine is turning. As soon
as the engine has started, quickly
return selector lever to "N".
If the engine fails to fire within a few
seconds, return the selector lever
from "2" to "N" as otherwise the
transmission may be damaged.
For another starting attempt, tow car
again for a short while with the
selector lever in position "N" and
then repeat starting procedure.
The same procedure may be used
for starting the engine while rolling
downhill.
Towing a Vehicle
The vehicle may be towed with the
all of wheels on the ground and the
selector lever in position "N" for
distances up to 120 km/75 miles
and at a speed not to exceed
50 km/h/30 mph.
To positively avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission,
however, we recommend to discon­
nect the drive shaft at the rear axle
drive flange on any towing beyond a
short tow to a nearby garage.
Front towing: Attach J-hooks to the
subframe crossmember. Position
towbar under the radiator support.
Attach safety chains to the lower
control arms, between the springs
and shock absorbers.
Rear towing: Attach T-hooks to the
tie-down slots. Position towbar
under rear of trunk floor. Attach
safety chains to the lower control
arms.