towing MERCEDES-BENZ CL CLASS 2013 User Guide

Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain further information from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Care
Notes on care
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents
recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
GWARNING
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the
particular container. Always open your
vehicle's doors or windows when cleaning the
inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and keep
them out of reach of children.
! For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film.
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible
manner.
! Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after
cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and
the brake pads/linings, thus drying them.
The vehicle can then be parked.
Exterior care
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, you must drive particularly
carefully after washing the vehicle until the
brakes have dried.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
! It is preferable to use car washes with
adjustable 19
high-pressure precleaning. In
car washes that use high water pressures,
there is a risk that a small amount of water
may leak into the vehicle.
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock. Do not open the driver's
door or front-passenger door when the
engine is switched off. Otherwise, the
19 Corresponds to the specification for the Cabriolet program.Care427Maintenance and careZ

Useful information ............................436
Where will I find...? ...........................436
Flat tire .............................................. 437
Battery ............................................... 442
Jump-starting .................................... 445
Towing and tow-starting ..................446
Fuses .................................................. 449435Breakdown assistance

Position number A identifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
starting device.
XRemove the cover from positive terminal :.XConnect positive terminal : on your vehicle to positive terminal ; of donor battery A
using the jumper cable, beginning with your own battery.XStart the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.XConnect negative terminal = of donor battery A to ground point ? of your vehicle using
the jumper cable, connecting the jumper cable to donor battery A first.XStart the engine.XBefore disconnecting the jumper cables, let the engine run for several minutes.XFirst remove the jumper cables from ground point ? and negative terminal =, then from
positive terminal : and positive terminal ;, each time disconnecting from the battery on
your own vehicle first.XHave the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition.
i Jumper cables and further information regarding jump starting can be obtained at any
qualified specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if:
R the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the446Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away, make sure that the
steering can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles ( 50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
! Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to position P when
the driver's or front-passenger door are
opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
The automatic transmission must be in
position N when the vehicle is being towed.The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
the ignition lock
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
( Y page 239) You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit ( Y page 436).GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers.
Towing and tow-starting447Breakdown assistanceZ

XPress the mark on cover : inwards in the
direction of the arrow.XTake cover : off the opening.XScrew the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XLoosen the towing eye and unscrew it.XAttach cover : to the bumper and press
until it engages.XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
Only possible on vehicles without
4MATIC.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions ( Y page 446).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 253).XTurn the SmartKey to position 0 in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.XWhen leaving the vehicle, take the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
When having your vehicle towed, observe the
important safety notes ( Y page 446).
GWARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will then need
much more effort to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your style of driving
accordingly.
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position P when you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order
to ensure that the automatic transmission
stays in position N when towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in
position 0.XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y page 273).XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XShift the automatic transmission to
position N.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the electric parking brake.XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 253).XLeave the SmartKey in position 2 in the
ignition lock.
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal a change of
direction. In this case, only the turn signals
for the desired direction flash. When the
combination switch is reset, the hazard
warning lamps start flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XShift the automatic transmission to
position N.448Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Determining the correct load limit
Step-by-step instructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".
XStep 1: Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on
your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information
placard.XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX lbs.XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs and there will be
five 150 lbs passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs (1 400 - 750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs).X Step 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.XStep 6 (if applicable): If your vehicle will
be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle ( Y page 468).466Loading the vehicleWheels and tires

Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 3Permissible load and
trailer load/
noseweight
(maximum
permissible load
rating from the Tire
and Loading
Information placard
minus the gross
weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
750 lbs (340 kg)
= 750 lbs
(340 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
540 lbs (245 kg)
= 960 lbs
(435 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs
(612 kg)
The higher the weight of all the occupants, the smaller the maximum load for luggage.
Further information can be found under "Towing a trailer" ( Y page 468).
Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total load
carefully, you should still make sure that the
gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle
weight rating are not exceeded. Details can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
( Y page 464).
Permissible gross vehicle weight: the
gross weight of the vehicle, all passengers,
load and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross axle weight rating: the maximum
permissible weight that can be carried by one
axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross
vehicle weight and maximum gross axle
weight rating), have your loaded vehicle
(including driver, occupants, cargo, and full
trailer load if applicable) weighed on a
suitable vehicle weighbridge.
Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached,
the trailer load/noseweight is included in the
load along with occupants and luggage. The
trailer load/noseweight is usually
approximately 10% of the gross weight of the
trailer and its load.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
luggage. Mercedes-Benz does not
recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Maximum load rating
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum
permissible load can be found on the
vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard on the B-pillar on the driver's side
( Y page 464).
468Maximum load ratingWheels and tires