2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE flat tire

289
Practical hints
Flat tire
When changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.

Take the two-piece wheel wrench and
the jack out of the vehicle tool kit
(page 272). Assemble wheel wrench.

On whee l to b e change d, loos en b ut do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings. 1
Jack
2 Crank
3 Take-up bracket

Place jack on firm ground.

Position jack 1 under the take-up
bracket 3 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while vehi-
cle is raised.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure that the jack
arm is fully seated in the jack take-up brack-
et. Always lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.

290 Practical hintsFlat tireRemoving the wheel1 Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.

Replace this wheel bolt with the align-
ment bolt 1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.

Take the spare tire out of the trunk.
Mounting the new wheel
1 Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2 Wheel bolt for light alloy spare wheel
rim size 4
1/2B x15 H2

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Inflate the spare tire using the electric
pump (
page 292).
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts 2 must be used when
mounting spare wheel rim
size 4
1/2B x 15 H2 (
page 313).
The use of any wheel bolts other than
wheel bolts 2 for spare wheel rim
size 4
1/2B x15 H2 can cause physical
damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Be sure to use original lenght wheel bolts
when remounting the original wheel after it
has been repaired.Warning!
G
Inflate spare wheel with collapsible tire only
after the wheel is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
air pump before lowering the vehicle.


291
Practical hints
Flat tire

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1-5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 80 ft lb
(110 Nm).
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.


292 Practical hintsFlat tire
Before storing the jack in the trunk, it
should be fully collapsed, with handle
folded in.Inflating the spare tire

Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk.
1 Flap
2 Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
3 Union nut
4 Electrical plug
Please exercise appropriate caution

Open flap 1 on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug 4 and air hose
with the pressure gauge 2.
Observe instructions on air pump label.

Remove the valve cap from valve.

Screw the air hose 2 on to the tire
valve.

Insert electrical plug 4 into vehicle cig-
arette lighter socket.

To switch on the air pump turn the key
in the starter switch to position 1
(page 31).

Operate air pump until the pressure
gauge displays 36 psi (2.5 bar)
This takes about five minutes for the
space tire. The air hose 2 and the union
nut 3 can become hot during inflation.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
80 ft lb (110 Nm).
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.


293
Practical hints
Flat tire

To switch off the air pump turn the key
in the starter switch to position
0
(page 31).

If the tire pressure is above 36 psi (2.5
bar), release excess tire pressure using
the vent screw.

Detach the electric air pump.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than six minutes without inter-
ruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinfalted tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the driver’s door latch
post). Overloading the tires can overheat
them, possibly causing a blowout.

311
Technical data
Rims and Tires
Rims and Tires
Use only tires and rims which have been
specifically developed for your vehicle and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Other tires and rims can have detrimental
effects, such as

poor handling characteristics


increased noise


increased fuel consumption
Same size tires
!Moreover, tires and rims not approved
by Mercedes-Benz may, under load, ex-
hibit dimensional variations and differ-
ent tire deformation characteristics
that could cause them to come into
contact with the vehicle body or axle
parts. Damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle can be the result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. A tire inflation pressure
table is located on the fuel filler cap of
the vehicle. The tire pressure should be
checked regularly and should only be
adjusted on cold tires. Follow tire man-
ufacturer’s maintenance recommenda-
tion included with vehicle.
C230Kompressor
C320
C230Kompressor*
C320*
C230Kompressor
C320
Evolution Package*
Rims (light alloy)
7J x16 H2
7 1/2J x17
7 1/2J x17
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
All season tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 H
225/45 R17 91 W
1
225/45 R17 91 W
1
1Must not be used with snow chainsWinter tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 H M+S
225/45 R17 91 H M+S
1
225/45 R17 91 H M+S
1

326 Technical dataConsumer informationTemperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. Grade C corresponds to a level
of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
Warning!
G
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.

328 Technical termsCollapsible tireAn especially compact spare tire that
must be inflated with a provided air
pump before using. It should only be
used to bring the vehicle to the nearest
service station.
COMAND* (C
ockpit M
anagement and D
ata Sys-
tem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and navi-
gation system, as well as for other op-
tional equipment (CD changer,
telephone, etc.).
Control system The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings. Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Engine number The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP (E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability. ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS (F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the multifunction
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.