trailer MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2012 Owner's Manual

#
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation; do not rely on Drive Away
Assi stalone. #
Be prepared tobrake or swer veas nec‐
essar y,prov ided the tra ffic situation
permits and that it is safe totake eva‐
sive action. Drive
AwayAssi stis only an aid. It is not a sub‐
st itute foryo ur attention tothe sur roundings.
The responsibility for safe manoeuvring and
parking remains with you. Make sure that no
persons, animals or objects etc. are in the
manoeuvring range.
A risk of a collision may arise in thefo llowing sit‐
uations, forex ample:
R Ifth e accelera tor and brake pedals are inter‐
ch anged.
R If an incor rect transmission position is
engaged.
Drive AwayAssi stis active under thefo llowing
conditions:
R IfPa rking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated. R
Ifyo u shift the transmission position tok or
h when theve hicle is stationar y.
R Ifth e de tected obs tacle is less than appr ox.
1. 0 m away.
R Ifth e manoeuvring assis tance function is
acti vated in the multimedia sy stem.
Sy stem limits
The per form ance of Drive AwayAssi stis limited
on inclines.
When driving with a trailer, Drive AwayAssi stis
not available.
% Also obse rveth e sy stem limits of Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC (/ page 227).
Fu nction of Cross Traf fic Alert
% Cross Traf fic Alert is only available forve hi‐
cles with Blind Spot Assist or Active Blind
Spot Assi st.
Cross Traf fic Alert can warndrivers of any cross‐
ing tra ffic when reve rsing and manoeuvring out
of a parking space. The radar sensors in the
bumper also monitor the area adjacent tothe
ve hicle. If a critical situation is de tected, the L
symbol appears inthe media display and
th eve hicle can be braked automatically.
If th era dar sensors are obstructed byvehicles
or other objects, de tection is not possible.
Cross Traf fic Alert is acti veunder thefo llowing
conditions:
R ifth eve hicle is reve rsing at a walking pace.
R manoeuvring assis tance is acti vated
( / page 237).
% Also obser vethe instructions on Blind Spot
Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
( / page 213).
Sy stem limits
Cross Traf fic Alert is not available on inclines.
Cross Traf fic Alert is not available when driving
with a trailer. 236
Driving and parking
Internal use only

Ac
tivating or deactivating manoeuv ring
assistant
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 Camera & Park. Assist
5 Manoeuvring assist. #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
% Manoeuvring assis tance mu stbe active for
th e function of Drive AwayAssi st
( / page 235) and Cross Traf fic Alert
(/ page 236). Tr
ailer hitch Note
s on trailer operation *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. *
NO
TEPlug-in hybrid #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. Obser
vethefo llowing no tes on theto ngue
we ight:
R Do not use a tongue weight that exceeds or
fa lls below the permissible tongue weight
R Use a tongue weight as close as possible to
th e maximum tongue weight
Do not exceed thefo llowing values:
R Perm issible towing capacity
R Perm issible rear axle load of theto wing vehi‐
cle
R Perm issible gross weight of theto wing vehi‐
cle
R Perm issible grossweight of the trailer
R Maximum permissible speed of the trailer Ensure
thefo llowing before starting a journey:
R The tyre pressure on there ar axle of theto w‐
ing vehicle is set for a maximum load
R The lighting of the connected trailer is opera‐
tional
R Vehicles without LED headlamps or MUL‐
TIBEAM LED headlamps: the headlamps
ha ve been set cor rectly
In theeve nt of increased rear axle load, the car/
trailer combination must not exceed a maximum
speed of 100 km/h forre asons concerning the
operating permit. This also applies in countri es
in which the permissible maximum speed for
car/trailer combinations is above 100 km/h. Fo
lding the ball neck out and in &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
ball neck not being engaged
If th e ball neck is not engaged, the trailer
may come loose. Driving and parking
237
Internal use only

#
Alw ays engage the ball neck as descri‐
bed. &
WARNING Risk of injury from ball neck
swinging outwards
The ball neck may swing outwards when
unlo cking or when it has not been properly
engaged.
There is a risk of injury within the ball neck's
ra nge of mo vement! #
Unlock the ball neck only when its
ra nge of mo vement is unobstructed. #
Alw ays be sure the ball neck is engaged
when folding in wards. Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is secured against rolling away.
R The swivel range is clear.
R The trailer cables or adap ter plugs ha vebeen
re mo ved. Fo
lding the ball neck out #
Pull switch 2until the ball neck unloc ks.
The ball neck will fold out from under the
re ar bumper.
Indicator lamp 1will flash. #
Pull the ball neck in the direction of the
ar row until it en gage s audibly in a vertical
position.
Indicator lamp 1onthe ball neck release
switch will go out.
If th e ball neck is not securely loc ked in
place, theCheck trailer hitch lock message
will appear on the multifunction displa y.238
Driving and parking
Internal use only

#
Remo vethe co ver cap from the ball head and
st ore it in a safe place.
Make sure that the ball on the ball neck is clean.
Check that it is either greased or dr y (grease-
free), depending on the instructions forthe
traile r.
Fo lding the ball neck in #
Pull swit ch2 until the ball neck unloc ks.
The ball neck will fold up under there ar
bumper.
Indicator lamp 1will flash. #
Push the ball neck in the direction of the
ar row until it en gage s audibly behind the
bumper.
Indicator lamp 1will go out and the mes‐
sage on the multifunction display will disap‐
pear.
Obser vethe information about the displa yson
th e instrument clus ter:
R Indicator and warning lamps (/ page 498)
R Display messages (/ page445) Coupling/uncoupling a trailer
&
WARNING Risk of injury fromtheve hicle
le ve l being changed
Ve hicles with le vel control sy stem: the
ve hicle le vel may be changed unin tentional ly,
e.g. by ot her persons. You may become trap‐
ped if you couple up or uncouple a trailer
while theve hicle le vel is changing. In addi‐
tion, other people could become trapped if
th eir limbs are between theve hicle body and
th e tyres or underneath theve hicle.
When coupling up or uncoupling a trailer,
make sure that: #
The doors or tailgate are not opened or
closed. #
You do not initiate the le vel control sys‐
te m and do not operate theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch. #
Do not lock or unlock theve hicle. Re
quirements:
R The ball neck is extended and engaged in a
secu rely loc ked position. Tr
ailers with a 7-pin plug can be connec tedto
th eve hicle with thefo llowing adap ters:
R Adapter plug
R Adapter cable
The trailer will be cor rectly de tected bytheve hi‐
cle only if thefo llowing conditions are me t:
R The trailer is connected cor rectl y.
R The trailer lighting sy stem is in working
order.
The functions of thefo llowing sy stems will be
af fected bya cor rectly connected trailer:
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation
R Active Lane Keeping Assist
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
R Active Parking Assist
R Blind Spot Assist or Active Blind Spot Assi st
R Drive AwayAssi st
R Cross Traf fic Alert
R Reversing camera
R 360° camera Driving and parking
239
Internal use only

R
AIRMATIC
Coupling up a trailer
* NO
TEDama getothest ar ter battery due
to full dischar ge Charging
the trailer battery using the po wer
supply of the trailer can damage thest ar ter
batter y. #
Do not use theve hicle's po wer supply
to charge the trailer batter y.#
Remo vethe co ver cap from the ball head and
st ore it in a safe place. #
Position the trailer on a le vel sur face behind
th eve hicle and couple it up totheve hicle. #
Open the soc ket cap. #
Inse rtthe plug with lug 1in groo ve3 on
th e soc ket. #
Turn bayonet coupling 2totheright as far
as it will go. #
Let the cap engage. #
Secure the cable tothe trailer with cable ties
(only if you are using an adap ter cable). #
Make sure that the cable is alw ays slack for
ease of mo vement during cornering. Under
thefo llowing conditions, a message may
appear on the multifunction display even if the
trailer has been connected cor rectly:
R LEDs ha vebeen ins talled in the trailer light‐
ing sy stem.
R The cur rent has fallen below the trailer light‐
ing sy stem's minimum cur rent (50 mA).
% Accessories can be connected tothe perma‐
nent po wer supp lyup to180 W and tothe
po we r supp lythat is swit ched on via the igni‐
tion loc k.
Un coupling a trailer &
WARNING Risk of being crushed and
becoming trapped when uncoupling a
trailer
When uncoupling a trailer with an engaged
ine rtia-activated brake, your hand may
become trapped between theve hicle and the
trailer dr awbar. #
Do not uncouple trailers with an
engaged overrun brake. 240
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

*
NO
TEDama gewhen uncoupling in a
st ate of overrun Uncou
pling in a state of overru n can dama ge
th eve hicle. #
Do not uncouple trailers with an
engaged overrun brake. &
WARNING Risk of becoming trapped
when disconnecting the trailer cable
Ve hicles with le vel control sy stem: The
ve hicle may lo wer when the trailer cable is
disconnected.
This could result in you or other people
becoming trapped if your or their limbs are
between theve hicle body and the tyres or
underneath theve hicle. #
Make sure that nobody is unde rneath
th eve hicle or in the immediate vicinity
of the wheel ar ches when you discon‐
nect the trailer cable. #
Secure the trailer against rolling away. #
Disconnect the electrical connection
between theve hicle and the trailer. #
Uncouple the trailer. #
Place the co ver cap on the ball head. Bicycle
rackfunction &
WARNING Risk of an accident when
using the bicycle rack incor rectly
The bicycle rack may become de tach ed from
th eve hicle in thefo llowing cases:
R the permissible load capacity of the
trailer hitch is exceeded.
R the bicycle rack is used incor rectl y.
R the bicycle rack is secured tothe ball
neck beneath the ball head.
Obser vethefo llowing foryo ur ow n sa fety
and that of other road users: #
always adhere tothe permissible load
capacity of the trailer hitch. #
only use the bicycle rack totranspo rt
bicycles. #
always proper lysecure the bicycle rack
by attaching it tothe ball head. #
only use bicycle rack s appr ovedby
Mercedes-Benz. #
always obser vethe bicycle rack operat‐
ing instructions. *
NO
TEDama geto, or cra cks on, the
trailer hitch due tounsuitable bic ycle
ra ck s or bicycle rack s being used incor‐
re ctly #
use only bicycle rack s appr ovedby
Mercedes-Benz. Driving and parking
241
Internal use only

Depending on
the bicycle rack 's design, up to
th re e bicycles can be transpor ted on the bicycle
ra ck.
When mounted byattaching toball head 1,the
maximum load capacity is 75kg.
The load capacity is calculated from thewe ight
of the bicycle rack and the bicycle rack load.
The vehicle's driving characteristics will change
when a bicycle rack isfitted. Adapt your driving st
yle according ly. Drive carefully and maintain a
sa fe dis tance.
When using a bicycle rack , set the tyre pressure
fo r maximum loading on there ar axle of the
ve hicle. Further information on the tyre pressure
can be found in the tyre pressure table
(/ page 412).
Note s on loading
The lar gerth e dis tance between the load's
cent reof gr avity and the ball head, the greater
th e load on the trailer hitch.
Therefore, obser vethefo llowing no tes:
R mount heavy bicycles as close totheve hicle
as possible
R always distribute the load on the bicycle rack
as evenly as possible across theve hicle's
longitudinal axis
Mercedes-Benz recommends removing all
de tach able parts from bicycles (e.g. bask ets,
ch ild seats, rech arge able bat teries) before load‐
ing them onto the bicycle rack . This will impr ove
th e aerodynamic resis tance and centre of gr avity
of the bicycle rack. Alw
ays secure the bicycles topreve ntthem from
moving around and check them at regular inter‐
va ls to ensure that they are secure.
Do not use tarp aulins or other co vers. The driv‐
ing characteristics and rear view may be
impaired. In addition, aerodynamic resis tance
and the load on the trailer hitch will increase. Load distribution on
the bicycle rack
1 Vertical dis tance between centre of gr avity
and ball head
2 Horizon tal dis tance between centre of gr av‐
ity and ball head
3 The centre of gr avity is on theve hicle's
centre axis 242
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Obser
vethefo llowing information when you are
loading the bicycle rack with up tothre e bicy‐
cles:
Loading the bicycle rack To
tal weight
of bicycle
rack and
load Max. dis‐
tance
1 1 Max. dis‐
tance
2 2
Up to75 kg 420 mm 300 mm Ve
hicle towing instructions
The vehicle is not suitable forth e use of tow bar
sy stems that are used forflat towing or ding hy
to wing, forex ample. Attach ing and using tow bar
sy stems can lead todamage on theve hicle.
When you are towing a vehicle with tow bar sys‐
te ms, safe driving characteristics cannot be
guaranteed forth eto wing vehicle or theto wed
ve hicle. The vehicle-trailer combination may
swer vefrom side toside. Comply with the per‐
mitted towing me thods (/ page 402) and the
instructions forto wing with bo thaxles on the
ground (/ page 403). Driving and parking
243
Internal use only

Wi
per blades
R Movethe wiper arms into there placement
position (/ page139).
R With th e wiper arms folded out, clean the
wiper blades with a damp clo th.
R Do not clean the wiper blades too of ten.
Ex terior lighting
R Clean the lenses with a wet sponge and mild
cleaning agent, e.g. car sha mpoo.
R Only use cleaning agents or cleaning clo ths
th at are suitable for plast ic lenses.
Sensors
R Clean the sensors in the front and rear
bumpers with a soft clo thand car shampoo
(/ page 186).
R When using a high -pressure cleaner,maintain
a minimum dis tance of 30 cm.
Re versing camera and 360° Camera
R Open the camera co ver with the multimedia
sy stem (/ page 227).
R Use clean water and a soft clo thtoclean the
came ralens. R
Do not use a high-pressure cleaner.
Ta ilpipes
R Clean with a cleaning agent recommended
fo r Mercedes-Benz, especially inthe winter
and af terwa shing theve hicle.
R Do not use acidic cleaning agents.
Tr ailer hitch
R Obse rveth e no tes on care in the trailer hitch
manufacturer's operating instructions.
R Do not clean the ball neck with a high-pres‐
sure cleaner or solvent.
R Remo vetraces of rust on the ball, forex am‐
ple, with a wire brush.
R Remo vedirt with a lint-free clo th.
R After cleaning, lightly oil or grease the ball
head.
% Before using trailers with anti- torsional cou‐
pling, obser vethe manufacturer's operating
instructions. Note
s on care of the interior &
WARNING Risk of injury from plastic
parts breaking off af terth e use of sol‐
ve nt-based care products
Ca reand cleaning products con taining sol‐
ve nts can cause su rfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. When the airbags are
deplo yed, plastic parts may break away. #
Do not use any care or cleaning prod‐
ucts containing sol vents toclean the
cockpit. &
WARNING Risk of injury or death from
bleached seat belts
Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can se verely
we aken them.
This can, forex ample, cause seat belts to
te ar or fail in an accident. #
Never blea chor dye seat belts. To
avo id damage totheve hicle, obser vethefo l‐
lowing no tes on cleaning and care: Maintenance and care
385
Internal use only

#
Atowing dis tance of 50 km must not be
exc eeded. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
a ve hicle which is too heavy
If ano ther vehicle is tow- star ted or towed
aw ay, its weight must not exceed the permis‐
sible gross mass of your ow nve hicle, other‐
wise thefo llowing could occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R theve hicle/trailer combination may
swer veoreve nov erturn. #
If ano ther vehicle is tow- star ted or
to we daw ay, its weight must not exceed
th e permissible gross mass of your own
ve hicle. If a
vehicle must be tow- star ted or towe daw ay,
its permissible gross weight must not exceed the
permissible gross weight of theto wing vehicle. #
Information on the permissible gross mass of
th eve hicle can be found on theve hicle iden‐
tification plate (/ page 428). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission: do
not open the driver's door or front passenger
door, otherwise the automatic transmission
automatically shifts toposition j. #
Fittheto wing eye (/ page 406). #
Fasten theto w bar.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion of theto w bar #
Onlyconnect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes. #
Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism
(/ page 79). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate tow- aw ay protection
(/ page 96). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assi st
( / page 210). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
i. #
Release the electric parking brake. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d saf ety-re lated functions during the
to wing process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon‐
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R the ignition is switched off.
R the brake sy stem or po werst eering sys‐
te m is malfunctioning.
R the energy supply or the on-board electri‐
cal sy stem is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is then towe daw ay, signif‐
icantly more ef fort may be requ ired tosteer
and brake than is norm allyrequ ired. #
Use a tow bar. #
Make sure that thesteering wheel can
mo vefreely before towing theve hicle
aw ay. 404
Breakdown assis tance
Internal use only