170 Towing a trailer
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear.
Distribution of weight
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Headlights
Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights.
Alter the setting as necessary with the aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 48.
Driving speed
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h for safety reasons. This also applies for countries
in which higher speeds are allowed.
Detachable ball head
The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with
increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when
there are unfavourable road, weather or wind conditions, particularly near accident
black spots.
The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device.
It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment of the vehicle.
Further information on the towing device ⇒ page 171.
You must always reduce your speed immediately as soon as you detect even just
the slightest swaying of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by accelerating.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have your vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.
The handbrake on the towing vehicle must be put on when coupling and
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a trailer brake, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake.
•
decoupling the trailer.
Engine overheating
Driving Tips
Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a
lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is
very high ⇒ page 12.
Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.
–
Do not, as far as possible, drive with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or
even the red area of the scale, reduce your speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light in the instrument cluster begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle
⇒ page 190, “Inspecting the coolant level”.
–
Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
–
–
Apply the brakes in good time.
Please refer to the following guidelines ⇒ page 26, “Coolant temperature, Coolant
quantity ”.
Keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.
Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear
and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
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