Towing and tow-starting

WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid towing bar if:
• the engine is not running.
• there is a brake system malfunction.
• 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 the 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.

WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore, deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be towed.

transported It is better to have the vehicle transported than to have it towed.

maximum You may only tow the vehicle a maximum distance of 30 miles (50 km). A towing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles (50 km), the vehicle must loaded onto a transporter.

bar at the Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged.

recovery, Do not use the towing eye for recovery, as this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.

and When towing, pull away slowly and smoothly. If the tractive power is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.

equipment. This could damage the vehicle. Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This could damage the vehicle.

the On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button. Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock and shift the automatic transmission to N. Then, turn the SmartKey back to 0 and leave it in the ignition lock.

The automatic transmission must be in position N when the vehicle is being towed.

The battery must be connected and charged. Otherwise, you:
• cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock
• cannot shift the automatic transmission to position N

Release the selector lever lock manually to move it out of position P.

switch off the Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the automatic locking feature. You could otherwise be locked out when pushing or towing the vehicle.

See also:

Function restrictions
Depending on the DVD, it is possible that certain functions or actions described in this section will be temporarily blocked or may not function at all. As soon as you try to activate these fu ...

Notes on driving
• If the vehicle is heavily laden, check the tire pressures and correct them if necessary. • When parking your vehicle, make sure that the tires do not get deformed by the curb or other obstacle ...

Maximum gradient-climbing capability
If the load on the front axle is reduced when pulling away on a steep uphill slope, the front wheels have a tendency to spin. 4ETS recognizes this and brakes the wheels accordingly. The rear wh ...