trailer MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2017 Owner's Manual

Make sure of
thefo llowing before starting a jour‐
ney:
R the tyre pressure on there ar axle of theto w‐
ing vehicle is set for a maximum load
R the headlamps are adjus ted cor rectly Fo
lding the ball neck in/out &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
ball neck not being engaged
If th e ball neck is not engaged, the trailer
may come loose. #
Alw ays engage the ball neck as descri‐
bed. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom 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:
Before folding the ball neck in ward/outward,
make sure of thefo llowing:
R thera nge of mo vement is clear
R Only when folding in ward: ensure trailer
cables or adap ter plugs ha vebeen remo ved. Fo
lding the ball neck out wards #
Pull release switch 2until the ball neck
unloc ks.
The ball neck folds out from under there ar
bumper.
Indicator lamp 1flashes. Driving and parking
219

#
Pull the ball neck in the direction of the
ar row until it en gage s audibly in a vertical
position.
Indicator lamp 1inthe ball neck release
switch goes out.
If th e ball neck is not securely loc ked in
place, theCheck trailer hitch lock display
message appears in the multifunction dis‐
pla y. #
Remo vethe co ver from the ball head and
st ore it in a safe place.
Make sure that the ball of 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 wards #
Pull release switch 2until the ball neck
unloc ks.
The ball neck folds up under there ar
bumper.
Indicator lamp 1flashes. #
Press the ball neck in the direction of the
ar row until it en gage s audibly behind the
bumper.
Indicator lamp 1goes out and the message
in the multifunction display disappears.
Obser vethe information on the displa ysinthe
instrument clus ter:
R Warning and indicator lamps (→ page 463)
R Display messages (→ page419) Cou
pling up/uncoupling a trailer &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom theve 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. #
Do not initiate the le vel control sy stem
and do not operate theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch. #
The vehicle is not loc ked or unloc ked. Re
quirements:
R The ball neck must be fully extended and
engaged in the securely loc ked position. 220
Driving and parking

Tr
ailers with a 7-pin plug can be connec tedto
th eve hicle with thefo llowing adap ters:
R adap ter plug
R adapt er cable
The trailer will only be cor rectly de tected bythe
ve hicle 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 operation of thefo llowing sy stems depends
on the trailer being connected cor rectly:
R Active Lane Keeping Assist
R ESP ®
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
R Parking Pilot
R Blind Spot Assist or Active Blind Spot Assi stCoupling up a trailer
* NO
TEDama getothe battery due tofull
dischar ge Charging
the trailer battery using the po wer
supply of the trailer can damage the batter y. #
Do not use the po wer supp lyto charge
th e trailer batter y. #
Remo vethe co ver from the ball head and
st ore it in a safe place (→ page102). #
Position the trailer on a le vel sur face behind
th eve hicle and couple it up totheve hicle. #
Open the soc ket co ver. #
Insert the plug connector with lug 1into
groo ve3 onthe soc ket. #
Turn bayonet coupling 2clockwise tothe
st op. #
Let the co ver engage. #
Secure the cable tothe trailer with cable ties
(if you are using an adap ter cable). #
Make sure that cable is alw ays slack for ease
of mo vement when cornering. #
Push the combination switch upwards and
down wards and check whe ther the cor re‐
sponding turn signal light on the trailer is
fl ashing.
A display message may appear in the multifunc‐
tion display even if the trailer has been connec‐
te d cor rectly:
R LEDs ha vebeen ins talled on 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) Driving and pa
rking 221

%
Accessories can be connected tothe perma‐
nent po wer supp lyup to180W, and the
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 wi than 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. &
WARNING Risk of becoming trapped
when disconnecting the trailer cable
Ve hicles with le vel control sy stem: the
ve hicle lo werswhen the trailer cable is dis‐
connected. 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 nobody is underneath the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of
th e wheel ar ches when you disconnect
th e trailer cable. *
NO
TEDama getothere ar bumper from
ins talling adap ter cables or adapte r plugs The
following parts could be damaged when
re tracting the ball neck:
R bumper
R adap ter cable
R adapte r plug #
Alw aysre mo vethe adap ter cable or
adapte r plug before retracting the ball
nec k. #
Safeguard the trailer against rolling away. #
Disconnect the electrical connection
between theve hicle and the trailer. #
Uncouple the trailer. #
Place the co ver on the ball head. Bicycle
rack &
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:
R always adhere tothe permissible load
capacity of the trailer hitch. 222
Driving and parking

R
only use the bicycle rack totranspo rt
bicycles.
R Alw ays proper lysecure the bicycle rack
by attaching it tothe ball head.
R only use bicycle rack s appr ovedby
Mercedes-Benz.
R always obser vethe bicycle rack operating
instructions. *
NO
TEDama getoor crac kson the trailer
hitch due tounsuitable bic ycle rack s or
bicycle rack s being used incor rectly #
Only use bicycle rack s appr ovedby
Mercedes-Benz. Depending on
the bicycle rack 's design, up to
th re e bicycles can be transpor ted on the bicycle
ra ck:
R when moun tedby attaching toball head 1,
th e maximum load capacity is 75kg.Up to
th re e bicycles can be transpor ted.
The load capacity is calculated from thewe ight
of the bicycle rack and the bicycle rack load. The
vehicle's handling characteristics change
when a bicycle rack isfitted. The vehicle:
R is heavier
R isrestricted in its accele ration and gradeabil‐
ity
R has an increased braking di stance
This can impair theve hicle's handling character‐
istics. Adapt your driving style accordingly. Drive
carefully and maintain a safe dis tance.
When using a bicycle rack , set the tyre pressure
fo r maximum load on there ar axle of theve hicle.
Fu rther information on the tyre pressure can be
fo und in the tyre pressure table (→ page 386).
Note s on loads
The larger the dis tance between the load's
cent reof gr avity and the ball head, the greater
th e load on the trailer hitch.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes:
R mount heavy bicycles as close totheve hicle
as possible. Driving and parking
223

R
always distribute the load on the bicycle rack
as eve nly as possible across theve hicle's
longitudinal axis.
Mercedes-Benz recommends removing all
de tach able parts from the bicycles, e.g. bask ets,
ch ild seats or rech arge able bat teries, before
loading them onto the bicycle rack . This
impr ovesth e wind resis tance and centre of gr av‐
ity of the bicycle rack.
Alw ays secure the bicycles topreve ntthem from
moving around and check they are secured at
re gular inter vals.
Do not use tarp aulins or other co vers. The han‐
dling characteristics and rear view may be
impaired. In addition, the wind resis tance and
load on the trailer hitch increase. Distribution of
the load on the bicycle rack
1 Vertical dis tance between the cent reof gr av‐
ity 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 Obser
vethefo llowing information when
loading the bicycle rack: Nu
mber
of bicy‐
cles To
tal
we ight
of bicy‐
cle rack
and load Max. dis‐
tance
1 1Max. dis‐
tance
2 2
3U pto
75 kg 420 mm 300 mm 224
Driving and parking

Information on cleaning and car
eAvoiding vehicle damage
Ta ilpipes
Clean with cleaning agents recommended byMercedes-Benz,
particular lyin the winter and af terwa shing theve hicle. Use acid-free cleaning agents.
Tr ailer hitch R
Remo verust on the ball, e.g. with a wire brush.
R Remo vedirt with a lint-free clo th.
R After cleaning, oil or grease the ball head lightl y.
R Obser vethe cleaning instructions in the operating instruc‐
tions of the trailer hitch manufacturer. Do not clean
the ball neck with solvents or a high-pressure
cleaner. Note
s on care of the interior &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom pla stic
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 inju ryor 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. 360
Maintenance and care

*
NO
TEDama gedue to to wing away at
exc essively high speeds or over long dis‐
ta nces The driv
etra in could be damaged when tow‐
ing at excessively high speeds or over long
dis tances. #
Atowing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exc eeded. #
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 th eve hicle being tow- star ted or towed
aw ay is heavier than the permissible gross
mass, thefo llowing situations can occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R the car/t railer combination may swer ve
or eve nove rturn. #
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 weight must not exceed the permissible gross
mass of theto wing vehicle. #
Information on the permissible gross mass of
th eve hicle can be found on theve hicle iden‐
tification plate . #
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 379). #
Attach theto w bar.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion #
Only connect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes. %
You can also attach theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch. #
Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism
(→ page 67). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate tow- aw ay protection (→ page 86). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assi st (→page 176). #
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. Breakdown assis
tance 377

When
your vehicle is then towe daw ay, signif‐
icantly more ef fort may be requ ired tosteer
and brake than is no rmally requ ired. #
Use a tow bar. #
Make sure that thesteering wheel can
mo vefreely, before towing theve hicle
aw ay. *
NO
TEDama gedue toexcessive tracti ve
po wer If
yo u pull away sharpl y,the tractive po wer
may be too high and theve hicles could be
damaged. #
Pull away slowly and smoo thly. Loading the
vehicle for transport #
Obser vethe no tes on towing away
( → page 376). #
Connect theto w bar totheto wing eyeto
load theve hicle. %
You can also attach theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
i.
% Ve
hicles with automatic transmission:
th e automatic transmission may be loc ked in
position jintheeve nt of dama getothe
electrical sy stem. Toshift toi , pr ovide the
on-board electrical sy stem with po wer
( → page 373). #
Load theve hicle onto the transpor ter. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
j. #
Use the electric parking brake tosecure the
ve hicle and pr event it from rolling away. #
Only secure theve hicle bythe wheels. Ve
hicles with ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping
Sy stem PLUS) &
WARNING Risk of an accident when
transporting vehicles with Adaptive
Damping Sy stem PLUS
The reduced damping forc es on theve hicle
being transpor ted can cause theve hicle/
trailer combination tostart toswing.
As a result, when transporting vehicles with
th eAd aptive Damping Sy stem PLUS, the
ve hicle/trailer combination may start toskid.
Consequentl y,yo u could lose cont rol of your
ve hicle. #
When transporting, ensure that:
R theve hicle has been loaded onto
th e transpor ter cor rectly
R theve hicle is secured at all four
wheels with suitable tensioning
st ra ps
R the maximum permissible speed of
60 km/h is not exceeded when
transporting 378
Breakdown assis tance

*
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle from secur‐
ing it incor rectly #
After loading, theve hicle must be
secured on all four wheels. Otherwise,
th eve hicle could be damaged. #
A minimum dis tance of 20 cm up wards
and 10cm down wards must be kept to
th e transport platform. #
Secure theve hicle on all four wheels af ter
loading.
4MATIC vehicles/ vehicles with automatic
transmission #
Make sure that the front and rear axles come
to rest on the same transport vehicle.
* NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in due to
incor rect positioning #
Do not position theve hicle abo vethe
connection point of the transport vehi‐
cle. To
wing eyesto rage location To
wing eye1 is in a stowage compartment
under the boot floor. Fi
tting the towing eye #
Press the mark on co ver1 inwa rds and
re mo ve. #
Screw intheto wing eyeclockwise tothe
st op.
Ve hicles with a trailer hitch: vehicles with a
trailer hitch do not ha vea brac ket at the back for Breakdown assis
tance 37 9