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The essentials
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
●
The tow rope must be taut before you drive
off
.
●
R
el
ease the clutch very carefully when start-
ing the vehicle (manual gearbox), or acceler-
ate gently (automatic gearbox).
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
realise how difficult it is to tow a vehicle. In-
experienced drivers should not attempt to
tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
The towline anchorages are located under
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Switch on the ignition so that the turn sig-
nals, windscreen wipers and windscreen
washer can work. Ensure that the steering
wheel is unlocked and moves freely.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N.
To brake, press the brake pedal firmly. The
brake servo does not work when the engine
is switched off.
The power steering only works when the igni-
tion is switched on and the vehicle is moving,
provided that the battery is sufficiently charg-
ed. Otherwise, it will need more force.
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all
times.
››› page 78
Tow-starting
If the engine will not start, first try starting it
u
s
in
g the battery of another vehicle
››› page 51. You should only attempt to tow-
start a vehicle if charging the battery does
not work. This is done by leveraging wheel
movement.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol en-
gine, do not tow it more than a short dis-
tance, otherwise unburned fuel can enter the
catalytic converter.
●
Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
●
Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
●
Switch the ignition on.
●
Once both vehicles are moving, release the
clutch.
●
As soon as the engine has started, press
the clutch and move the gear lever to neutral.
How to jump start
Jump leads
The jump lead must have a sufficient wire
cro
ss section.
If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
charged battery, the battery can be connec-
ted to the battery of another vehicle to start
the engine.
Both batteries need to have nominal voltage
of 12 V. The capacity (Ah) of the back-up bat-
tery should not be notably less than the
drained battery.
Jump leads must comply with standard DIN
72553 (see cable manufacturer's instruc-
tions). The wire cross section must be at least
25 mm
2
for petrol engines and at least
35 mm
2
for diesel engines.
Jump leads
Positive cable – usually red
Negative cable – usually black
WARNING
●
A flat b
attery can also freeze at tempera-
tures slightly below to 0°C (32°F). Do not at-
tempt to start the vehicle with a frozen bat-
tery. Risk of explosion!
»
51
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