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Driving
●
When going do
wn a sl
ope, go into a lower
gear (if using a manual gearbox or the tip-
tronic automatic gearbox mode) to take ad-
vantage of the braking power provided by the
engine. Otherwise, the braking system could
overheat and even fail.
●
The trailer weight, as well as the gross com-
bination weight of the towing vehicle and
trailer, change the centre of gravity and the
properties of the vehicle.
●
If the towing vehicle is empty and the trailer
is loaded, then the load distribution is incor-
rect. Under these conditions, drive slowly and
with extra caution.
Hill starts with a trailer
Depending on the slope of the hill and the
combination weight of the towing vehicle and
trailer, the vehicle might start rolling back-
wards slightly when you first start up.
For hill-starting with a trailer, do the following:
●
Press and hold the brake pedal.
●
If the vehicle is equipped with a manual
gearbox, push the clutch pedal all the way
down.
●
Put the vehicle into first gear or turn the se-
lector lever to position D/S
›››
page 197.
●
Apply the handbrake.
●
Release the brake pedal.
●
Start driving slowly. To do this, in the case of
a manual gearbox, slowly release the clutch
pedal.
●
Do not release the hand brake until the en-
gine has sufficient power to start driving
WARNING
If a trailer is pulled incorrectly, this may
lead t
o loss of control of the vehicle and
serious injury.
●
Driving with a trailer and transporting
heavy or large objects will change the ve-
hicle handling and braking distances.
●
Always drive cautiously and carefully.
Brake earlier than usual.
●
Adapt your speed and driving style at all
times to suit visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. Slow down, especially
when driving down hills or slopes.
●
Accelerate with particular care and cau-
tion. Avoid sudden braking and manoeu-
vres.
●
Take great care when overtaking. Reduce
speed immediately if you notice that the
trailer is swaying, however slightly.
●
Never attempt to “straighten” the towing
vehicle and trailer while accelerating.
●
Take into account the speed limit for vehi-
cles with a trailer, as it could be lower than
for vehicles without a trailer.
Stabilisation of the towing vehicle
and tr
ail
er combination
The stabilisation of the vehicle and trailer
combination is an additional function of the
electr
onic stability control (ESC).
If the system detects that the trailer is weav-
ing, it intervenes to reduce the swaying of the
trailer.
Vehicle and trailer combination stabilisa-
tion requirements
●
The vehicle is factory-equipped with a tow-
ing brack
et or has been retro-fitted with a
compatible towing bracket.
●
The ESC and ASR are active. The control
lamp or is not lit up on the instrument
cluster.
●
The trailer is connected to the towing vehi-
cle through the trailer power socket.
●
The vehicle is travelling at over 60 km/h
(approx. 37 mph).
●
The maximum vertical load technically per-
missible is not being exceeded on the cou-
pling device.
●
The trailer has a rigid draw bar.
●
If the trailer has brakes, it must be equipped
with a mechanical overrun brake.
260
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