Driving
Specific features of driving with a trailer
●
If your trailer has an o
v
errun brake, brake
gently at first and then rapidly. This will pre-
vent the jerking that can be caused by the
locking of trailer wheels.
●
Due to the gross combination weight of
the towing vehicle and trailer, the braking
distance increases.
●
When going down a slope, engage a lower
gear (with a manual gearbox, or use the au-
tomatic gearbox's tiptronic mode) to use en-
gine braking. Otherwise, the brake system
could overheat and even fail.
●
The trailer weight, as well as the gross
combination weight of the towing vehicle
and trailer, change the centre of gravity and
the properties of the vehicle.
●
If the towing vehicle is empty and the trail-
er is loaded, then the load distribution is in-
correct. Under these conditions, drive slowly
and with extra caution.
Hill starts with a trailer
Depending on the slope of the hill and the
combination weight of the towing vehicle
and trailer, the vehicle might start rolling
backwards slightly when you first start up.
For hill starts with a trailer hitched:
●
Press and hold the brake pedal.
●
Press the button once to disconnect the
electronic parking brake
›››
page 264 .
●
If the vehicle is fitted with a manual trans-
mission, depress the clutch pedal fully.
●
Engage first gear or set the gear selector
switch to the D/S position.
●
Pull out the button and hold it in that
position to immobilise the towing vehicle and
trailer with the electronic parking brake.
●
Release the brake pedal.
●
Move off slowly. To do this, release the
clutch pedal slowly if your vehicle has a man-
ual gearbox.
●
Do not release the button until the en-
gine has sufficient power to start driving.
WARNING
If a trailer is pulled incorrectly, this may
lead to loss of control of the vehicle and se-
rious injury.
●
Driving with a trailer and transporting
heavy or large objects will change the vehi-
cle handling and braking distances.
●
Always drive cautiously and carefully.
Brake earlier than usual.
●
Adapt your speed and driving style at all
times to suit visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions. Slow down, especially
when driving down hills or slopes.
●
Accelerate with particular care and cau-
tion. Avoid sudden braking and manoeu-
vres.
●
Tak
e great care when overtaking. Reduce
speed immediately if you notice that the
trailer is swaying, however slightly.
●
Never attempt to “straighten” the towing
vehicle and trailer while accelerating.
●
Take into account the speed limit for ve-
hicles with a trailer, as it could be lower
than for vehicles without a trailer.
Stabilisation of the towing vehicle and
trailer combination
The stabilisation of the vehicle and trailer
combination is an additional function of the
electr
onic st
ability control (ESC).
If the system detects that the trailer is weav-
ing, it intervenes to reduce the swaying of
the trailer.
Vehicle and trailer combination stabilisa-
tion requirements
●
The vehicle is factory-equipped with a
towing bracket or has been retro-fitted with
a compatible towing bracket.
●
The ESC and the TCS are switched on. The
control lamp or is not lit up on the in-
strument cluster.
●
The trailer is connected to the towing vehi-
cle through the trailer power socket.
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