Notes on installing a trailer coupling - AH31.10-P-1000-02B
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 42 other vehicles, including the 1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 1999 Mercedes-Benz S500, 1999 Mercedes-Benz S420, 1999 Mercedes-Benz S320, and 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL600. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Model 124, 129, 140, 163, 168, 169, 201, 202, 203, 208, 210, 211, 215, 220, 221, 245, 414
The body sealant and under-floor protection must be removed from all the body mounting points of the trailer hitch. The mounting points should then be cleaned with a commercially available cleaning agent. Apply anticorrosion paint to bare-metal areas of the body.
Trailer hitches are approved safety-related parts. They must be installed on vehicles by a specialist. Trailer couplings which have been damaged in an accident, by bottoming or by an impact from behind must be replaced; subsequent modifications such as bending, machining, welding, etc. are not permitted.
The coupling ball must have a minimum diameter of 49 mm at all points, measured using a caliper gauge. If this is not the case, the coupling ball must be replaced by a new one. The ball must be greased before use to reduce wear.
The micro-encapsulated locking bolts and self-locking nuts may only be used once. If parts of the trailer hitch are removed, new micro-encapsulated bolts and self-locking nuts must be used when reinstalling these parts.
On trailers with an anti-swerve device it is not necessary to grease the ball (refer to trailer instructions). Advise the customer accordingly.
Advise the customer to read the "Trailer coupling" and "Towing a trailer" sections in the vehicle owner's manual.