User's Manual

Self-help 269
Controls Safety Driving tips General maintenance Self-help Technical data
Rear towline anchorage
Vehicles which do not have a factory-fitted towing
bracket* have a towline anchorage on the right side of the
rear bumper.
Vehicles with towline anchorage
– Take the towline anchorage out of the vehicle's tool kit.
– To detach the cover cap from the bumper, firmly press
the lower part of the cap inwards to release it ⇒ fig. 252.
– Screw the towline anchorage firmly all the way into the
screw connection.
Vehicles with towing bracket*
– Fit the towing bracket if it is not already in place.
– Attach the towbar or the towrope to the towing bracket.
After use, unscrew the towline anchorage and put it back in the
toolbox. Replace the cap in the screw connection. The towline
anchorage should always be kept in the vehicle.
Vehicles which have a factory-fitted towing bracket* do not have a
screw connection at the rear for the towline anchorage.
WARNING
• If the towline anchorage is not screwed in as far as the stop,
there is a risk of the screw connection shearing off during towing
(accident risk).
• If your car has a towing bracket*, please use only special tow
bars with suitable attachments (i.e. tow bars which are specially
designed for use with towing brackets) to avoid damage to the
coupling equipment.
• If your car has a towing bracket*, please use only special
towing ropes (risk of accident).
Tow-sta r t ing
As a general rule, tow-starting is not recommended.
– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
– Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
– Switch on the ignition.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts: press the clutch and put the
gear lever in neutral.
If the engine will not start, it is best to try starting it using the
battery of another vehicle ⇒ page 265 before attempting to tow
start. You should only try to tow-start the engine if jump-starting is
not successful. Tow-starting is an attempt to start the engine via the
movement of the wheels.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol engine, do not tow it more
than a short distance, otherwise unburnt fuel can enter the catalytic
converter and cause damage.
For technical reasons, it is not possible to tow-start a vehicle with
automatic gearbox.
Fig. 252 Rear bumper:
Fitting the towing eye
document_0900452a8179700c.book Seite 269 Donnerstag, 22. März 2007 10:19 10