Trailer towing*
Folding out the ball coupling
Before you can tow
a trailer with your vehicle, you must fit the ball coupling.
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 | Telescopic lever |
 | Indicator
lamp |
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 | Risk of accident |
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Make sure that the ball coupling is fully engaged both when it is folded in and when it is folded out. The indicator lamp is not lit.
Do not pull the telescopic lever if a trailer is attached. The trailer could otherwise come loose.
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Pull telescopic
lever out
forwards.
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Pull telescopic
lever
upwards.
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The ball coupling
disengages and folds out from under the rear bumper.
Indicator lamp
flashes. The
trailer power socket folds away automatically.
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Guide telescopic
lever back
again.
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Press the ball
coupling in the direction of the arrow by hand until it engages in a vertical
position.
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Indicator lamp
goes out.
The Trailer tow hitch
Check locking mech. message is
shown in the multi-function display until the ball coupling is
engaged.
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Remove the
protective cap from the ball
coupling.
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Coupling up and uncoupling a trailer
Coupling up a trailer
Steel-spring vehicles
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Make sure the selector lever is set to P.
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Depress the parking brake.
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Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
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Couple up the trailer.
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Establish the electrical connection between the vehicle and the trailer.
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Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*
| Risk of injury |
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Never lock, unlock, open or close a vehicle door or tailgate when coupling up or decoupling a trailer. The vehicle level could change and you could endanger yourself or others.
Never press the ADS button* or operate the level control* while you are coupling up or decoupling a trailer.
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Make sure the DIRECT SELECT selector lever is set to P.
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Depress the parking brake.
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Start the engine.
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Set the vehicle to highway level more.
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Set the adaptive damping system (ADS) setting to AUTO or COMF more.
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Switch off the engine.
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Close the doors and tailgate.
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Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
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Couple up the trailer.
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Establish the electrical connection between the vehicle and the trailer.
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If you have coupled a trailer, the vehicle will remain at highway level.
The vehicle automatically lowers to highway level if you drive faster than 8 km/h with a trailer. The vehicle is not lowered to the high-speed level even if you are travelling at higher speeds.
This also applies when using accessories that are plugged into the socket of the trailer coupling (e.g. a bicycle rack).
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Decoupling a trailer
| Risk of injury |
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Do not connect a trailer with an engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your hand could become trapped between the bumper and drawbar.
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Do not uncouple a trailer with overrun brake between the bumper and drawbar, otherwise your vehicle could be damaged by the spring action of the overrun brake.
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Steel-spring vehicles
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Make sure the selector lever is set to P.
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Depress the parking brake.
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Secure the trailer against rolling away.
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Remove the trailer cable and decouple the trailer.
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Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*
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Make sure the DIRECT SELECT selector lever is set to P.
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Depress the parking brake.
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Start the engine.
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Close the doors and tailgate.
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Secure the trailer against rolling away.
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| Risk of injury |
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The vehicle is lowered as soon as you disconnect the trailer cable. Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the underbody. You could otherwise trap yourself or others.
As soon as you decouple the trailer, the unladen vehicle rises slightly. Make sure that you or others are not injured in the process.
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Remove the trailer cable and decouple the trailer.
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Switch off the engine.
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Notes on towing a trailer
| Risk of accident |
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When reversing the
vehicle towards the trailer, make sure there is nobody between the trailer and
the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you do not couple
the trailer to the towing vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make
sure that the following values are not exceeded:
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The permitted
trailer drawbar noseweight
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The permitted
trailer load
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The permitted rear
axle load of the towing vehicle
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The maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of both the towing vehicle and the trailer
You
will find the applicable permissible values which must not be exceeded in the
vehicle documents.
You will find the
values approved by the manufacturer on the vehicle identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle in the "Technical data" section.
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You will find installation dimensions and loads in the "Technical
data" section
more.
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar noseweight on the ball
coupling is 140 kg. However, the actual noseweight must not exceed the
value given on the trailer coupling and trailer identification plates. The
lowest weight applies.
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Use a noseweight as close as possible to the maximum permissible noseweight. Do not use a noseweight of less than 50 kg, otherwise the trailer may come loose.
Bear in mind that the payload and the rear axle load are reduced by the actual noseweight.
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On vehicles without
level control, the height of the ball coupling will alter according to the load
placed on the vehicle. In this case, you should use a trailer with a
height-adjustable drawbar.
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Driving
tips
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Observe the notes
on ESP® trailer stabilisation
more.
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In Germany, the
maximum permitted speed for vehicle/trailer combinations is
80 km/h.
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A maximum speed of
80 km/h should not be exceeded, even in countries where higher speeds are permitted for vehicle/trailer combinations.
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When towing a
trailer, your vehicle's handling characteristics will be different in
comparison to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer
combination:
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is heavier
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is restricted in
its acceleration and gradient-climbing capability
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has an increased
braking distance
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is affected more by
strong crosswinds
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demands more
sensitive steering
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consumes more
fuel
On long and steep downhill
gradients you must select the shift range 1, 2 or 3
in good time.
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This also applies
if you have activated cruise control, Distronic* or Speedtronic.
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This uses the
braking effect of the engine and you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather than
continuously.
| Risk of accident |
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Never depress the brake pedal continuously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes the brake system to overheat, increases the braking distance and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
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Driving
tips
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Maintain a greater
distance from the vehicle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
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Avoid braking
abruptly. If possible, brake gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
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The values given
for gradient-climbing capabilities from a standstill refer to sea level. When
driving in mountainous areas, note that the power output of the engine, and
consequently the vehicle's gradient-climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude.
If the trailer
swings from side to side:
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Do not
accelerate.
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Do not
counter-steer.
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Brake if
necessary.
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| Risk of accident |
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On no account should you attempt to draw the vehicle/trailer combination out by increasing speed.
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Trailer power supply
When it leaves the factory, your vehicle's trailer socket outlet is equipped with a permanent power supply and a power supply that is switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanent power supply is supplied via trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin 10.
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You can connect consumers with a power rating of up to 240 W to the permanent power supply and up to 180 W to the power supply that is switched on via the ignition lock.
You must not charge a trailer battery using the power supply.
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You can obtain further information about installing the trailer electrics from a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
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To switch the switched power supply on or off: turn the key in the ignition lock to position 2 or 0, respectively.
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