Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL 1988, Owner'S Manual

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1490
Tow-starting and Towing the
Vehicle
The front towing eye is located on the
passenger side behind a flap in the
bumper panel and the rear towing eye
on the passenger side below the
bumper.
Caution!
For tow-starting your vehicle we re­
commend using a tow bar only. Se­
rious damage can resuit when using
chains, steel cables, ropes or similar
devices.
Only tow-start vehicle with the battery
cables connected and the key in
steering lock position 2.
Warning!
When the engine is not running,
the brakes and the steering are
without power assistance. Under
these circumstances, a much grea­
ter effort is necessary to stop or
steer the vehicle.
Tow-starting a Vehicle
Shift selector lever to position “ N” .
Turn key to steering lock position 2
and have vehicle towed.
After attaining a towing speed of
30 km/h (18 mph) (with cold trans­
mission) or 50 km/h (30 mph) (with
warm transmission), shift selector
lever to position “2” to tow-start the
engine. Touch the accelerator only
when the engine starts running. As
soon as the engine has started, im­
mediately return selector lever to “ N” .
If the engine fails to fire within a few
seconds, return the selector lever
from “2” to “ N” as otherwise the
transmission may be damaged.
For another starting attempt bring the
car to a full stop first, wait for a short
while and with selector lever in posi­
tion “ N” repeat the tow-starting pro­
cedure.
Towing a Vehicle
We recommend that the vehicle be
transported using flat bed equipment.
This method is preferable to other
types of towing.
The vehicle may be towed with
all wheels on the ground and the
selector lever in position “ N” for
distances up to 120 km (75 miles)
and at a speed not to exceed
50 km/h (30 mph).
To positively avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission,
however, we recommend to discon­
nect the drive shaft at the rear axle
drive flange on any towing beyond a
short tow to a nearby garage.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment
over bumpy roads will damage
radiator and supports.
Use wheel lift or flat bed equipment.
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