Page 238 of 321
238 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?Vehicle jack
Please also observe the safety guidelines
in the “Flat tire” section (
page 255)
when using the jack.
Vehicle with CD-changer*
To access the vehicle tool kit, swing the
CD-changer out of the panel.
1Screw
2CD-changer
Turn screw1 counterclockwise.
Swing the CD-changer2 out of the pan-
el.
Electric air pump (ML 55 AMG)
The electric air pump is located behind the
spare wheel.
Remove the spare wheel (
page 240).
1Electric air pump
Open the strap and remove the electric
air pump.
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 bracket. Always lower
the vehicle onto sufficient capacity jack-
stands before working under the vehicle.
Page 239 of 321
239 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Spare wheel (space-saver tire)
Use the spare wheel only temporarily,
while observing the following restrictions:
Do not exceed vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h).
Drive to the nearest repair facility to
have the flat tire repaired or replaced
as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.Removing spare wheel (except
ML 55 AMG)
The spare wheel is located behind the rear
bumper.
1Cover
Hold left and right side of cover1 and
pull away from bumper.2Screw
3Spare wheel carrier
4Lever
Turn screw2 counterclockwise using
the wrench (
page 237).
Screw2 remains in spare wheel
carrier3.
Lift spare wheel carrier slightly and
push lever4 to the right using screw-
driver (
page 237).
Swing spare wheel carrier down and
pull it out from under the bumper.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel.iPlease comply with the instructions for
“Mounting the spare wheel”
(page 255).
Warning!
G
Exercise care when removing or installing
spare wheel to prevent personal injury.
Page 255 of 321
255 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Mounting the spare wheel Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.
Move the selector lever toP.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Take the spare wheel out of its carrier
(page 239).
ML 55 AMG: (
page 240).Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:
Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.
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 rear compartment
area (
page 237). Assemble wheel
wrench.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible to have the
spare wheel replaced with a regular road
wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Page 256 of 321
256 Practical hintsFlat tire
On wheel to be changed, loosen but 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.1Take-up bracket
2Jack
Place jack on firm ground.
Position jack2 under the take-up
bracket1 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.
!Do not position the jack on the body of
the vehicle, as this may cause damage
to the vehicle.
Page 257 of 321
257 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
Unscrew and remove all wheel bolts.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Grip the wheel from the sides and re-
move it.
Mounting the new wheel
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Install spare wheel on wheel hub.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible
tire using the electric air pump
(page 259).
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
Warning!
G
ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible tire
only after the wheel is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
air pump (
page 259) before lowering the
vehicle.
!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 Light Truck 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.
Page 258 of 321
258 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering 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
110 ft lb (150 Nm).
Store jack and tool kit.
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.
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
110 ft lb (150 Nm).iThe removed road wheel cannot be
stored in the spare wheel carrier or in-
side the storage compartment in the
rear cargo area (ML 55 AMG), but
should be transported in the rear cargo
compartment wrapped in a protective
cover supplied with the vehicle.
The protective cover is located in the
rear cargo compartment behind the
cover in the right side trim panel.
Page 259 of 321
259 Practical hints
Flat tire
Inflating the spare wheel with
collapsible tire
Take the electric air pump out of the
rear cargo compartment (
page 238).
1Union nut
2Electrical plug
3Air hose with pressure gauge
4Vent screw
Open flap on air pump.
Pull out electrical plug2 and air hose
with the pressure gauge3.
Close the vent screw4.
Remove the valve cap from the spare
wheel tire valve.
Screw the union nut1 with air hose3
on to the tire valve.
Insert electrical plug 2 into the electri-
cal outlet in the front passenger foot-
well or rear cargo compartment
(page 158).
Start the engine.
Switch on the air pump.
Operate air pump until the pressure
gauge displays 61 psi (4.2 bar)
This takes about eight minutes for the
collapsible tire. The air hose 3 and the
union nut 1 can become hot during in-
flation. Please exercise appropriate
caution.
Switch off the air pump.
Turn off the engine.
If the tire pressure is above 61 psi
(4.2 bar), release excess tire pressure
using the vent screw4.
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.
Page 260 of 321
260 Practical hintsFlat tire
Detach the electric air pump.
Reinstall tire valve cap.
Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the rear cargo compart-
ment.
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. Underinflated 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.
