Tow-Starting And Towing Away - Mercedes-Benz V-Class Operating Instructions Manual

G
WARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
towing eye may be torn off
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car/trailer combination may swerve or
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even overturn
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per-
missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Information on the permissible gross vehicle
weight can be found on the vehicle identification
Y
plate ( page 386).
! When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
vehicle brakes automatically in certain situa-
tions. To avoid damage to the vehicle, deac-
tivate DISTRONIC PLUS in the following or
similar situations:
when towing away
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in a car wash
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! Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty,
visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the towing
eye or trailer tow hitch only. The vehicle may
otherwise be damaged.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
secure the tow rope on the same side on
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both vehicles.
make sure that the tow rope is not longer
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than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope in
the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This makes other road users
aware that a vehicle is being towed.
only secure the tow rope to the towing eye.
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observe the brake lamps of the towing vehi-
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cle while driving. Always maintain a dis-
tance so that the tow rope does not sag.
do not use steel cables or chains to tow
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your vehicle. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery, this
could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover
the vehicle with a crane.

Tow-starting and towing away

! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power is
too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! Shift the automatic transmission to N and
do not open the driver's or front passenger's
door during towing. The automatic transmis-
sion may otherwise shift to position P, which
could damage the transmission.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum of
50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
When towing away, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed.
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer if it has transmission damage.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: when
towing a vehicle, the automatic transmission
must be in position N. If the automatic trans-
mission cannot be shifted to position N, have
the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
cannot turn the key to position 2 in the igni-
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tion lock
cannot release the parking brake
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cannot shift the transmission to position N on
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vehicles with automatic transmission
Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the auto-
matic locking feature (
otherwise become locked out when pushing or
towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection before the vehi-
Y
cle is towed away ( page 73).
Y
page 81). You could
Z
361