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Towing a trailer
Driving Tips
–
Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the trailer laden.
–
Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in particular to
downhill sections.
–
Apply the brakes in good time.
–
Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temperature is
high.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h for safety reasons. This also applies for countries
in which higher speeds are allowed.
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near acci-
dent black spots.
You must always reduce your speed immediately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer
from "swaying" by accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting
from the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating
a downhill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
Engine overheating
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature
is very high ⇒ p age 11.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately. Stop and switch
off the engine if the warning light
Wait a few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒ p age 154, Inspecting the coolant level.
in the instrument cluster begins flashing.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ p age 23, Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity
.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independ-
ent of the engine speed. One should also not drop a gear for this reason when
towing a trailer as long as the engine can manage the slope without any drop in
speed.
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