Operation
sea level. With increasing altitude the engine
power and therefore the vehicle climbing
ability are impaired because of the reduced
air density. The maximum trailer weight has
to be reduced accordingly. The weight of the
vehicle and trailer combination must be re-
duced by 10% for every further 1000 m (or
part thereof). The gross combination weight
is the actual weight of the laden vehicle plus
the actual weight of the laden trailer. When
possible, operate the trailer with the maxi-
mum permitted drawbar load on the ball joint
of the towing bracket, but do not exceed the
specified limit.
sure of the trailer tyres in accordance with the
trailer manufacturer's recommendations.
Towing bracket device
Trailer towing
Exterior mirrors
Check whether you can see enough of the
road behind the trailer with the standard rear
vision mirrors. If this is not the case, you
should have additional exterior mirrors fitted.
Both exterior mirrors should be mounted on
hinged extension brackets. Adjust the mirrors
to give sufficient vision to the rear.
What do you need to bear in mind
when towing a trailer?
Your vehicle may be used to tow a trailer
when fitted with the correct equipment.
If the car is supplied with a factory-fitted tow-
ing bracket it will already have the necessary
technical modifications and meet the statuto-
ry requirements for towing a trailer. If you
wish to retrofit a towing bracket, consult
››› page 153.
WARNING
Never transport people in a trailer. This could
result in fatal accidents.
The figures for trailer weights and drawbar
loads that are given on the data plate of the
towing bracket are for certification purposes
only. The correct figures for your specific
model, which may be lower than these fig-
ures for the towing bracket, are given in the
vehicle documentation or in ››› chapter Tech-
nical Data.
Note
Connectors
●
Towing a trailer places additional demands
Your vehicle is fitted with a 12-pin connector
for the electrical connection between the
trailer and the vehicle.
on the vehicle. We recommend additional
services between the normal inspection inter-
vals if the vehicle is used frequently for tow-
ing a trailer.
If the trailer has a 7-pin plug you will need to
use an adapter cable. It is available at any
Technical Service.
●
Find out whether special regulations apply
Distributing the load
to towing a trailer in your country.
Distribute loads in the trailer so that heavy
objects are as near to the axle as possible.
Loads carried in the trailer must be secured
to prevent them moving.
Trailer weight/drawbar load
Ball coupling of towing bracket*
Never exceed the authorised trailer weight. If
you do not load the trailer up to the maxi-
mum permitted trailer weight, you can then
climb correspondingly steeper slopes.
The ball coupling is provided with instruc-
tions on fitting and removing the ball cou-
pling of the towing bracket.
Tyre pressure
Set tyre pressure to the maximum permissi-
ble pressure shown on the sticker on the in-
side of the fuel tank flap. Set the tyre pres-
The maximum trailer weights listed are only
applicable for altitudes up to 1000 m above
152
English 
