MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE 2021 Owners Manual

All vehicles*NOTE Damage caused by numerous or
extended attempts to start the engine
Numerous or extended attempts to start the
engine may damage the catalytic converter
due to non-combusted fuel.
Avoid numerous and extended attempts
to start the engine.
Observe the following points during starting assis-
tance and when charging the battery:
= Only use undamaged jump lead/charging
cables with a suPcient cross-section and
insulated terminal clamps.
= Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps
must not come into contact with other metal
parts while the jump lead/charging cable is
connected to the battery/jump-start connec-
tion point.
= The jump lead/charging cable must not come
into contact with any parts which may move
when the engine is running.
= Always make sure that neither you nor the bat-
tery is electrostatically charged.
= Keep away from Nre and naked Oames.
= Do not lean over the battery.
Observe the additional following points when
charging the battery:
= Only use battery chargers tested and
approved for Mercedes-Benz.
= Read the battery charger's operating instruc-
tions before charging the battery.
Observe the additional following points during
starting assistance:
= Starting assistance may only be provided
using vehicles, batteries or other jump start
devices with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
= The vehicles must not touch.
= Vehicles with a petrol engine: jump-start the
vehicle only when the engine and exhaust sys- tem are cold.Starting assistance and charging the 12 V battery
Preparing starting assistance/charging
Secure the vehicle by applying the electricparking brake.Shis the transmission to position 005D.Switch oM the ignition and all electrical con-
sumers.Open the bonnet.Fold cover 1 up in the direction of the arrow.Breakdown assistance339

Slide cover 2 of positive clamp 3 on the
jump-starting connection point in the direction
of the arrow.
Starting assistance
Connect positive contact 3 on your vehicle
to the positive terminal of the donor battery using the jump lead. Always begin with posi-tive clamp 3 on your own vehicle Nrst.Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run
it at idling speed.Connect the negative terminal of the donor
battery to earth point 4 of your vehicle using
the jump lead. Begin with the donor battery
Nrst.Start the engine of your own vehicle.Let the engines run for several minutes.Before disconnecting the jump leads, switch
on an electrical consumer in your own vehicle,
e.g. the rear window heater or the lighting.
When the starting assistance procedure is com-
plete:
First, remove the jump leads from earth point 4 and the negative terminal of the donor bat-
tery, then from positive contact 3 and the
positive terminal of the donor battery. Begin
each time with the contacts on your own vehi- cle Nrst.Aser removing the jump leads, close cover 2
of positive contact 3.Close cover 1.Further information can be obtained at a qualiNed
specialist workshop.
ChargingConnect positive contact 3 of the vehicle to
the positive terminal of the charger using the charging cable. Always begin with positivecontact 3 of the vehicle.Connect the negative terminal of the charger
and earth point 4 on the vehicle with the
charging cable. Start with the charger.Start the charging process.
When the charging process is complete:
First, remove the charging cable from earth point 4 and the negative terminal of the
charger, then from positive contact 3 and
the positive terminal of the charger. Begin
each time with the contacts of the vehicle.Aser removing the charging cable, close cover
2 of positive contact 3.Close cover 1.340Breakdown assistance

Further information can be obtained at a qualiNed
specialist workshop.
Replacing the 12 V battery
Observe the notes on the 12 V battery (  page 336).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
12 V battery replaced at a qualiNed specialist
workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
Observe the following notes if you want to replace
the battery yourself:
= Always replace a faulty battery with a battery
which meets the speciNc vehicle require-
ments.
The vehicle is equipped with an AGM technol-
ogy battery (Absorbent Glass Mat) or a lith-
ium-ion battery. Full vehicle functionality is
only guaranteed with an AGM battery or lith- ium-ion battery. For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use batteries
which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
= Carry over detachable parts, such as vent
hoses, elbow Nttings or terminal covers from
the battery being replaced.
= Make sure that the vent hose is always con-
nected to the original opening on the side of
the battery.
Fit any existing or supplied cell caps.
Otherwise, gases or battery acid could
escape.
= Make sure that detachable parts are recon-
nected in the same way.
Tow-starting or towing away
Permitted towing methods
*NOTE Damage from automatic braking
If one of the following functions is switched
on, the vehicle brakes automatically in certain
situations:
= Active Brake Assist
= Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
=
HOLD function
= Active Parking Assist
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar situa-
tions:During towingIn a car wash
Mercedes-Benz recommends transporting your vehicle in the case of a breakdown, rather than towing it away.
For towing, use a tow rope or tow bar with both
axles on the ground. Do not use tow bar systems.
*NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to tow-
ing away incorrectlyObserve the instructions and notes on
towing away.Breakdown assistance341

Vehicles with rear wheel drivePermitted towing methodsBoth axles on
the groundYes, maximum 50 km at
50 km/hFront axle
raisedNoRear axle
raisedYes, if the steering wheel is
Nxed in the centre position
with a steering wheel lock
4MATIC vehicles
Permitted towing methodsBoth axles on
the groundYes, maximum 50 km at
50 km/hFront axle
raisedNoRear axle
raisedNo
Towing with a raised axle: towing should be per-
formed by a towing company.
Towing the vehicle with both axles on the groundObserve the notes on the permitted towing methods (  page 341).Make sure that the battery is connected and
charged.
Observe the following points when the battery is
discharged:
= the engine cannot be started
= the electric parking brake cannot be released
or applied
= vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission cannot be shised to
position 005C or 005D
%Vehicles with automatic transmission: if the
automatic transmission cannot be shised to
position 005C, or the multifunction display in
the instrument cluster does not show any- thing, have the vehicle transported
(  page 343). A towing vehicle with lising
equipment is required for vehicle transporta-
tion.*NOTE Damage due to towing away at
excessively high speeds or over long dis-
tances
The drivetrain could be damaged when towing
at excessively high speeds or over long distan-
ces.
A towing speed of 50 km/h must not be
exceeded.A towing distance of 50 km must not be
exceeded.&WARNING Risk of accident when towing a
vehicle which is too heavy
If the vehicle to be tow-started or towed away
is heavier than the permissible gross mass of
your vehicle, the following situations can
occur:
= the towing eye may become detached.
= the vehicle/trailer combination may
swerve or overturn.
Before tow-starting or towing away,
check if the vehicle to be tow-started or342Breakdown assistance

towed away exceeds the permissible
gross mass.If a vehicle must be tow-started or towed away, its
permissible gross mass must not exceed the per- missible gross mass of the towing vehicle.Information on the permissible gross mass of
the vehicle can be found on the vehicle identi-
Ncation plate ( page 449).Vehicles with automatic transmission: do not
open the driver's door or front passenger
door; the automatic transmission otherwise
automatically shiss to position 005D.Fit the towing eye (  page 345).Fasten the towing device.*NOTE Damage due to incorrect connec-
tion of the tow barOnly connect the tow rope or tow bar to
the towing eyes.Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism .Do not activate the HOLD function.Deactivate tow-away protection (  page 92).Deactivate Active Brake Assist (  page 219).Vehicles with automatic transmission: shis the
automatic transmission to position 005C.Release the electric parking brake.&WARNING Risk of accident due to limited
safety-related functions during the towing
process
Safety-related functions are limited or no lon-
ger available in the following situations:
= The ignition is switched oM.
= The brake system or power steering sys-
tem is malfunctioning.
= The energy supply or the on-board electri-
cal system is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is towed away, signiNcantly
more eMort may be required to steer and
brake than is normally required.
Use a tow bar.Make sure that the steering wheel can
move freely before towing the vehicle
away.*NOTE Damage due to excessive tractive
power
If you pull away sharply, the tractive power
may be too high and the vehicles could be
damaged.
Pull away slowly and smoothly.
Loading the vehicle for transport
Observe the notes on towing away (  page 342).Connect the tow bar to the towing eye in order
to load the vehicle.%You can also attach the tow bar to the trailer
hitch.Shis the automatic transmission to position
005C .Breakdown assistance343

%The automatic transmission may be locked inposition 005D in the event of damage to the
electrics. To shis to 005C, provide the on-board
electrical system with power (  page 339).Load the vehicle onto the transporter.Shis the automatic transmission to position
005D .Use the electric parking brake to secure the
vehicle against rolling away.Only secure the vehicle by the wheels.
Vehicles with ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sys- tem PLUS)
&WARNING Risk of an accident when trans-
porting vehicles with Adaptive Damping
System PLUS
When transporting vehicles with Adaptive
Damping System PLUS, the vehicle/trailer
combination may begin to rock and start to
skid.
When transporting, ensure that:
= the vehicle has been loaded onto the
transporter correctly= the vehicle is secured at all four
wheels with suitable tensioning
straps
= the maximum permissible speed of
60 km/h is not exceeded when
transporting*NOTE Damage to the vehicle from secur-
ing it incorrectlyAser loading, the vehicle must be
secured on all four wheels. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.A minimum distance of 20 cm upwards
and 10 cm downwards must be kept to
the transport platform.Secure the vehicle on all four wheels aser
loading.Make sure that the front and rear axles come
to rest on the same transportation vehicle.*NOTE Damage to the drivetrain due to
incorrect positioningDo not position the vehicle above the
connection point of the transport vehi- cle.344Breakdown assistance

Towing eye storage location
Towing eye 1 is located in the stowage space
under the boot Ooor.
Installing the towing eyePress the mark on cover 1 inwards and
remove.Depending on the vehicle version, use a tool (such as a screwdriver) to prise the cover out
of recess 2.Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten.
Vehicles with a trailer hitch: vehicles with a trailer
hitch do not have a rear bracket for the towing
eye. Fasten the tow bar to the trailer hitch.
Make sure that cover 1 engages in the
bumper when you remove the towing eye.Breakdown assistance345

*NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to incor-
rect use of the towing eye or trailer hitch
When a towing eye or trailer hitch is used to
recover a vehicle, the vehicle may be damaged
in the process.
Only use the towing eye or trailer hitch to
tow away or tow start the vehicle.Do not use the towing eye or trailer hitch
to tow the vehicle during recovery.
Tow starting the vehicle (emergency engine start)
Vehicles with automatic transmission
*NOTE Damage to the automatic transmis-
sion due to tow-starting
The automatic transmission may be damaged
in the process of tow-starting vehicles with automatic transmission.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started.Vehicles with automatic transmission must not
be tow-started.
Electrical fuses
Notes on electrical fuses
&WARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to overloaded lines
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-
age, the electric line could be overloaded.
This could result in a Nre.
Always replace faulty fuses with speci-
Ned new fuses containing the correct
amperage.*NOTE Damage due to incorrect fuses
Electrical components or systems may be
damaged by incorrect fuses, or their function-
ality may be signiNcantly impaired.
Only use fuses that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz and which have the
correct fuse rating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognise by the col-
our and the label. The fuse ratings and further
information to be observed can be found in the
fuse assignment diagram.
*NOTE Damage or malfunctions caused by
moisture
Moisture may cause damage to the electrical
system or cause it to malfunction.
When the fuse box is open, make sure
that no moisture can enter the fuse box.When closing the fuse box, make sure
that the seal of the lid is positioned cor-
rectly on the fuse box.
If the newly inserted fuse also blows, have the cause traced and rectiNed at a qualiNed specialist
workshop.
346Breakdown assistance

Ensure the following before replacing a fuse:= The vehicle is secured against rolling away.
= All electrical consumers are switched oM.
= The ignition is switched oM.
The electrical fuses are located in various fuse
boxes:
= Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
driver's side (  page 347)
= Fuse box on the driver's side of the cockpit
(  page 348)
= Fuse box in the front passenger footwell
(  page 348)
= Fuse box in the boot (  page 348)
Opening and closing the fuse box in the engine
compartment
Requirements: = A dry cloth and a screwdriver are available.
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
Opening&WARNING Risk of injury from using the
windscreen wipers while the engine bon-
net is open
When the engine bonnet is open, and the windscreen wipers are set in motion, you can
be trapped by the wiper linkage.
Always switch oM the windscreen wipers
and ignition before opening the engine
bonnet.Turn both retaining clips 2 on cover 1 on
the driver's side a quarter-turn clockwise.Fold cover 1 upwards.Remove any existing moisture from the fuse
box using a dry cloth.Loosen screws 3 and remove fuse box lid 4
upwards.Breakdown assistance347

ClosingCheck whether the seal is positioned correctly
in lid 4.Insert lid 4 into the bracket at the rear of the
fuse box.Fold down lid 4 of the fuse box and tighten
screws 3.Fold down cover 1.Turn both retaining clips 2 on cover 1 a
quarter-turn anti-clockwise.Close the bonnet.
Opening and closing the fuse box in the cockpit
Requirements: = Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
The fuse box is on the driver's side on the side of
the cockpit under a cover.
Contact a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for
further information.Opening and closing the fuse box in the front
passenger footwell
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
To open: fold out and remove cover 1.To close: reinsert cover 1.Opening and closing the fuse box in the boot
Observe the notes on electrical fuses
(  page 346).
Open cover 1.348Breakdown assistance