Jacking Up and Towing

GENERAL INFORMATION

Jacking

To jack up the front of the vehicle, apply the parking brake and, for safety, place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.

When jacking up the rear of the vehicle, engage a gear and place wheel chocks under the front wheels.

Place secure support stands under the body sides. If one side is raised first and then the other, make sure the supports are secure at all times.

Jacking Points

CAUTION

Do not start the engine of a raised vehicle. This is dangerous.

PROCEDURE

Vehicle Jacking Points

Positioning the Jack

Front jack lifting arm position. The center of the jack pad must align with the marking (arrow).

Rear jack lifting arm position. The center of the jack pad must align with the marking (arrow).

To access the front towing eye, remove the cover.

The rear towing eye is located on the right under the bumper.

To raise the vehicle, use a jack positioned under the body support points, which are located on the lower body member 13 cm forward and 22 cm rearward of the respective wheel arch.

CAUTION

If the jack is not positioned under a body support point, the vehicle body may be damaged. In addition, there is a risk of personal injury.

Position the jack under the vehicle

– The jack arm must fit snugly against the vertical rib of the side member so that the jack cannot slip off when the vehicle is raised.

Align the jack and raise the jack arm until it fits snugly against the vertical rib.

CAUTION

If the jack is placed on soft ground, the vehicle may fall off the jack. Therefore, always place the jack on firm ground. If necessary, use a stable support plate with a relatively large surface area.

Use a vehicle lift to support the vehicle.

To avoid damage to the underside of the vehicle, always use suitable rubber pads.

CAUTION

Never lift the vehicle under the oil pan, the transmission case, or the rear or front axle. Otherwise, serious damage to components and assemblies may occur.

The jack support plate must not contact the mounting bracket of the trailing arm, as otherwise the steering system may be damaged.

Before driving onto the lift, make sure there is sufficient clearance between the low-mounted parts of the vehicle and the lift components.

Lifting and jacking points

– At the front, at the vertical stiffening element of the lower sill.

– At the rear, at the vertical stiffening element of the lower sill, in the area of the embossed marking. The stiffening element of the lower sill must rest centrally on the lift pad.

Towing

The vehicle may be towed only by the towing eyes provided for this purpose.

Attaching the tow rope/tow bar

PROCEDURE

1. Remove the grille in the lower part of the bumper. To do this, press the upper edge (arrow in the illustration) downward and at the same time pull out the cover.

2. The towing eye is located under the cover.

3. When installing the cover, insert the lower part into the bumper. Then insert the upper part of the cover into the bumper so that it locks in place.

4. The rear towing eye is located on the right side under the bumper. Towing rules

5. Turn the ignition on so that the steering wheel is unlocked and the turn signals, horn, wipers and washers can be operated.

6. Place the manual transmission in neutral.

7. Switch on the hazard warning lights on both vehicles.

8. The power steering and brake booster operate only when the engine is running. Therefore, with the engine off, turning the steering wheel and pressing the brake pedal require considerably greater effort!

9. When using a tow rope, the driver of the towing vehicle must engage the clutch smoothly. The driver of the towed vehicle must make sure the rope is always taut.

10. Without oil in the manual transmission, and correspondingly in the automatic transmission, the vehicle may be towed only with the drive wheels raised.

11. A tow bar is recommended. The rope must be elastic, which helps protect both the towing and towed vehicles. Use only plastic ropes or ropes with elastic intermediate links. Vehicles with automatic transmission: Set the selector to position “N”. Maximum towing speed 50 km/h! Maximum towing distance 50 km!

12. For long distances, the vehicle must be towed with the front wheels raised or loaded onto a transporter.

CAUTION

To avoid damage to the manual transmission, do not transport the vehicle by partially loading the rear section with the drive wheels rotating.

Vehicles with all-wheel drive: refer to the All-wheel drive subsection. Starting the vehicle by towing (emergency start). Push-starting (starting the engine by moving the vehicle) is not possible on vehicles with automatic transmission. Before starting the engine by towing, it is recommended to use the battery of another vehicle for starting.

CAUTION

With a warm gasoline engine, towing is permitted for a distance of no more than 50 m, as otherwise there is a risk of damaging the catalytic converter.

13. Before towing, engage second or third gear, press the clutch pedal and hold it.

14. Turn the ignition on.

15. Slowly engage the gear if both vehicles have started moving.

16. As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch pedal and disengage the gear to prevent the towing vehicle from being run into.