Breakdown assistance, Towing and tow-starting – Mercedes-Benz 2013 CLA Class User Manual
Page 311

!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R
when towing the vehicle
R
in the car wash
!
Only secure the tow cable or tow bar to
the towing eyes or, if available, to the trailer
tow hitch. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle.
!
Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R
Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R
Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope
in the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle is being
towed.
R
Only secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow
hitch.
R
Observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distance a distance so that the tow rope
does not sag.
R
Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
!
Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle.
If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
!
Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
!
You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the front
axle or the entire vehicle must be raised
and transported.
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing and tow-starting.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
when towing a vehicle, the transmission must
be in position
N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R
cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position
2
R
vehicles with automatic transmission:
cannot shift the transmission to position
N
i
Deactivate the automatic locking feature
page 223). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(
page 71) before the vehicle is towed.
Towing and tow-starting
309
Breakdown assistance
Z