2011 Mercedes CL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 433

Towing and tow-starting systems. You will then need considerably more force to steer and to brake and the brake pedal travel will be longer. If necessary, 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. 431 ! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stop button. Otherwise, the automatic transmission may shift to position P when the driver's or front-passenger door are opened, which could lead to damage to the transmission. ! Vehicles with automatic transmission must not be started by tow-starting. This could otherwise damage the transmission. ! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed with the front or rear axle raised. This could otherwise damage the transmission. The automatic transmission must be in position N when the vehicle is being towed. Make sure that the battery is connected and charged. You will otherwise not be able to: Rturn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock. Rshift the automatic transmission to position N. i Switch off the automatic locking feature before the vehicle is towed (Y page 233). Otherwise, you could lock yourself out of the vehicle when pushing or towing the vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye Installing the towing eye X G 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. It is better to have the vehicle transported than to have it towed. ! 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. ! Make sure that the electric parking brake is released. If the electric parking brake is faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for this purpose. ! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged. ! Do not use the towing eye for recovery, as this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane. ! Drive slowly and smoothly when towing. Excessive tractive power could otherwise damage the vehicles. ! Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This could damage the vehicle. Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool kit (Y page 420). G Warning The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be particularly careful when removing the rear cover. The mountings for the removable towing eyes are located in the bumpers. They are at the front and at the rear, under the covers. Z Roadside Assistance