T rail e r to w ing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primari ly intended for transport-
ing peop le and luggage. Howeve r, if you dr ive
with a tra iler , follow the techn ical requirements ,
the operation and driving tips, and the lega l reg -
ulations.
Driving w ith a trailer affects t he vehicle 's fuel
consumpt ion, performance and wear. It a lso re-
quires higher concentration from the driver .
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trai ler due to
the risk of fatal injury .
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
hitch mount and ball hitch. The tra iler hitc h must
be pe rm itt ed for the vehicle, the tra iler and the
permitted tota l weight of the trailer being
pu lled . Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mo unt a t railer hitch on the bumper. The
trai ler hitc h must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regu larly if the trai ler hitc h is securely
mounted . Always follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If t he tra iler has its own bra ke system, then fol-
low the manufacturer specifica t ions. Howeve r,
the brake system on the trai ler must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
118
Engine cooling system
Driving with a tra ile r means a higher load on t he
engine and the cooling sys t em. The coo ling sys-
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enoug h coo lant ¢ @ .
@ Note
Longer incl ines cannot be driven wit ho ut a
suitab le cooling system, especia lly if the out -
side temperatures are high . ot herwise, this
increases the risk of eng ine damage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
Your vehicle can only be ope rat ed with class 1 or
class 2 trai lers.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distr ibut ion can negatively
impact vehicle handling . To have the lowest im-
pact as poss ible, load the tra iler according to
t hese crite ria :
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle should a lways carry
the heaviest poss ible load and the trailer
should have t he lightest poss ible load .
- Dist ribute the load in the t railer so that the
heavy objects a re as close to the axle as poss i-
ble.
- Secu re objects from slid ing out of place.
- Utilize the maximum permitted tongue we ight
if poss ible .
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the tire pressure st icker ¢
page 341.
If necessary, also adjust the t ire pressure on the
trailer acco rding to the manufactu rer's recom-
mendat ion.
Winter tires should be mounted on the vehicle
and on the trailer during winter temperatures .
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