Get Breakdown assistance -> Tow starting or towing away Guide for Mercedes CLA 4 Door Third Generation (2025-2026)

Disconnect the charging cable from the posi-

tive terminal of the charger.

Aer removing the charging cable, close cover

1 of positive contact 2.

Replacing the 12 V battery

Observe the notes on the 12 V battery

(/ page 299).

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the

12 V battery replaced at a qualied specialist

workshop, e.g. at an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

Observe the following notes if you want to replace

the battery yourself:

Always replace a faulty battery with a battery

that meets the specic vehicle requirements.

The vehicle is equipped with an AGM (Absorb-

ent Glass Mat) technology battery or a lithium-

ion battery. Full vehicle functionality is guaran-

teed only with an AGM or lithium-ion battery.

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-

mends that you use only batteries that have

been tested and approved for your vehicle by

Mercedes-Benz.

Use detachable parts such as vent hoses,

elbow ttings or terminal covers from the bat-

tery to be replaced.

Make sure that the vent hose is always con-

nected to the original opening on the side of

the battery.

Install any existing or supplied cell caps.

Otherwise, gases or battery acid could

escape.

Make sure that detachable parts are recon-

nected in the same way.

Tow starting or towing away

Overview of permitted towing methods (not plug-

in hybrid)

NOTE Damage from automatic braking

If one of the following functions is activated,

the vehicle will brake automatically in certain

situations:

Active Brake Assist

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC

HOLD function

Active Parking Assist

To avoid damage to the vehicle, switch o

these systems, e.g. when towing or using a car

wash.

Mercedes-Benz recommends transporting your

vehicle in the case of a breakdown, rather than

towing it away.

For towing with both axles on the ground, use a

tow rope or tow rod. Do not use tow bar systems.

Breakdown assistance

305

WARNING Risk of accident when towing

with steering wheel locking

When the steering wheel locking is engaged,

you can no longer steer the vehicle.

Always switch on the vehicle when tow-

ing with a tow rope or tow bar.

NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to tow-

ing away incorrectly

Observe the instructions and notes on

towing away.

Permitted towing methods

Vehicle equipment/towing method

Both axles on the ground Front axle raised Rear axle raised

Vehicles with automatic transmis-

sion

Yes, for a maximum of 31 miles

(50 km) at 31 mph (50 km/h)

Yes, for a maximum of 31 miles

(50 km) at 31 mph (50 km/h)

Yes, for a maximum of 31 miles

(50 km) at 31 mph (50 km/h)

4MATIC vehicles Yes, for a maximum of 31 miles

(50 km) at 31 mph (50 km/h)

No No

Towing with a raised axle: towing should be per-

formed by a towing company.

Towing the vehicle with both axles on the ground

Observe the notes on the permitted towing

methods.

Make sure that the battery is connected and

charged.

306

Breakdown assistance

Observe the following points when the battery is

discharged:

the vehicle cannot be started.

the electric parking brake cannot be released

or applied

Vehicles with automatic transmission: the

transmission cannot be shied to position i

or j.

Vehicles with automatic transmission: if the

transmission cannot be shied to position i

or if the display does not show anything,

transport the vehicle (/ page 308). A towing

vehicle with liing equipment is required for

vehicle transportation.

NOTE Damage due to towing away at

excessively high speeds or over long dis-

tances

The drivetrain could be damaged when towing

at excessively high speeds or over long distan-

ces.

A towing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h)

must not be exceeded.

A towing distance of 30 miles (50 km)

must not be exceeded.

WARNING Risk of accident when towing a

vehicle which is too heavy

If the vehicle to be tow-started or towed away

is heavier than the permissible gross mass of

your vehicle, the following situations can

occur:

The towing eye may become detached.

The vehicle/trailer combination may

swerve or rollover.

Before tow-starting or towing away,

check if the vehicle to be tow-started or

towed away exceeds the permissible

gross mass.

If a vehicle has to be tow-started or towed away,

its permissible gross mass must not exceed the

permissible gross mass of the towing vehicle.

Information on the permissible gross mass of

the vehicle can be found on the vehicle identi-

cation plate (/ page 348).

Vehicles with automatic transmission: do not

open the driver's door or front passenger

door; the transmission otherwise automati-

cally shis to position j.

Install the towing eye (/ page 309).

Fasten the towing device.

NOTE Damage due to incorrect connec-

tion of the tow bar

Only connect the tow rope or tow bar to

the towing eyes.

Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism

(/ page 76).

Do not activate the HOLD function.

Deactivate the tow-away alarm (/ page 90).

Deactivate Active Brake Assist (/ page 192).

Vehicles with automatic transmission: shi to

position i.

Release the electric parking brake.

Breakdown assistance

307

WARNING Risk of accident due to limited

safety-related functions during the towing

process

Safety-related functions are limited or no lon-

ger available in the following situations:

The vehicle is switched o.

The brake system or power steering sys-

tem is malfunctioning.

The energy supply or the on-board electri-

cal system is malfunctioning.

When your vehicle is towed away, signicantly

more eort may be required to steer and

brake than is normally required.

Use a tow bar.

Make sure that the steering wheel can

move freely before towing the vehicle

away.

NOTE Damage due to excessive tractive

power

If you pull away sharply, the tractive power

may be too high and the vehicles could be

damaged.

Pull away slowly and smoothly.

Loading the vehicle for transport

Observe the notes on towing away

(/ page 306).

Connect the towing device to the towing eye

in order to load the vehicle.

Vehicles with automatic transmission: shi the

automatic transmission to position i.

Vehicles with automatic transmission: the

automatic transmission may be locked in posi-

tion j in the event of damage to the electri-

cal system. To shi to i, provide the on-

board electrical system with power

(/ page 303).

Load the vehicle onto the transporter.

Vehicles with automatic transmission: shi the

automatic transmission to position j.

Use the electric parking brake to secure the

vehicle against rolling away.

Only secure the vehicle by the wheels.

Vehicles with adaptive damping adjustment

WARNING Risk of an accident when trans-

porting vehicles with adaptive damping

adjustment

When transporting vehicles with adaptive

damping adjustment, the vehicle/trailer com-

bination may begin to rock and start to skid.

Load the vehicle correctly onto the

transporter.

Secure the vehicle on all four wheels

with suitable tensioning straps.

308

Breakdown assistance

NOTE Damage to the vehicle from secur-

ing it incorrectly

Aer loading, the vehicle must be

secured on all four wheels. Otherwise,

the vehicle could be damaged.

A minimum distance of 8 in (20 cm)

upwards and 4 in (10 cm) downwards

must be kept to the transport platform.

Secure the vehicle at all four wheels aer

4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with automatic trans-

mission

Make sure that the front and rear axles come

to rest on the same transportation vehicle.

NOTE Damage to the drive train due to

incorrect positioning of the vehicle

Do not position the vehicle above the

connection point of the transport vehi-

cle.

Towing eye storage location

The towing eye is located under the trunk oor.

Depending on the vehicle version, the towing

eye may be located in a dierent position in

the trunk.

Installing and removing the towing eye

Press the mark on cover 1 inwards and

remove.

Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it

will go and tighten.

Aer removing the towing eye, engage cover

1 in the bumper.

Breakdown assistance

309

NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to incor-

rect use of the towing eye or trailer hitch

When a towing eye or trailer hitch is used to

recover a vehicle, the vehicle may be damaged

in the process.

Only use the towing eye or trailer hitch to

tow away or tow start the vehicle.

Do not use the towing eye or trailer hitch

to tow the vehicle during recovery.

Tow-starting the vehicle

Vehicles with automatic transmission

NOTE Damage to the automatic transmis-

sion due to tow starting

The automatic transmission may be damaged

in the process of tow starting vehicles with

automatic transmission.

Vehicles with automatic transmission

must not be tow started.

Vehicles with automatic transmissions must

not be tow-started.

Electrical fuses

Notes on electrical fuses

WARNING Risk of accident and injury due

to overloaded lines

If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if

you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-

age, the electric line could be overloaded.

This could result in a re.

Always replace faulty fuses with speci-

ed new fuses containing the correct

amperage.

NOTE Damage due to incorrect fuses

Using incorrect fuses can result in damage to

electrical components or systems or their

functions being considerably restricted.

Use only fuses approved for Mercedes-

Benz with the respective specied fuse

rating.

Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of the

same rating, which you can recognize by the color

and the label. The fuse ratings and further infor-

mation to be observed can be found in the fuse

assignment diagram.

Fuse assignment diagram: on the fuse box in the

engine compartment (/ page 311).

NOTE Damage or malfunctions caused by

moisture

Moisture may cause damage to the electrical

system or cause it to malfunction.

When the fuse box is open, make sure

that no moisture can enter the fuse box.

When closing the fuse box, make sure

that the seal of the lid is positioned cor-

rectly on the fuse box.

310

Breakdown assistance

Breakdown assistance -> Tow starting or towing away for Your Mercedes CLA 4 Door Third Generation (2025-2026)

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