2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS warning

235 Practical hints
Flat tire

Take the TIREFIT kit out of the trunk
(page 208).

Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.

Attach the sticker where it will be easily
seen by the driver on the instrument
cluster.Preparing TIREFIT
1TIREFIT container
2Flap
3Notch
4Electrical plug
5Air hose
6Flange

Open flap2 on the electric air pump.

Pull plug4 and air hose5 out of the
pump housing.

Screw the air pump’s air hose5 onto
flange6 of the TIREFIT container.

Stick TIREFIT container1 upside down
into notch3 of the electric air pump.7Tire valve
8Electric air pump switch
9Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
10Filler hose
Warning!
G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for:

cuts or punctures larger than approx.
0.16 in (4 mm)


on a flat tire, or a damaged wheel


tire damage caused by driving with ex-
tremely low tire pressure
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact your nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center for assistance or call Roadside Assis-
tance.
Warning!
G
Observe safety instructions on air pump la-
bel.iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You
can then peel it off.

236 Practical hintsFlat tire
Unscrew the valve cap from tire
valve7.

Screw filler hose10 onto tire valve7.

Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle cig-
arette lighter socket.

Turn key in steering lock to position1
(page 29).

PressI on electric air pump switch8.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.After 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose can become hot during inflation.
Please exercise appropriate caution.

If this tire pressure is not attained, turn
off the electric air pump, detach the fill-
er hose from the tire valve, and drive
vehicle back and forth very slowly ap-
proximately 30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the tire.

Unscrew the air pump’s air hose5 from
flange6 of the TIREFIT container.

Inflate the tire again.

After attaining a tire pressure of 26 psi
(1.8 bar), press0 on electric air pump
switch8.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.

Turn key in steering lock to position0
(page 29).
!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.

Warning!
G
If a tire pressure of 26 psi (1.8 bar) is not at-
tained, tire is too severely damaged for
TIREFIT to provide a reliable tire repair.
In this case, TIREFIT cannot properly seal
the tire.
Do not drive the vehicle.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
or call Roadside Assistance.

237 Practical hints
Flat tire

Detach the electric air pump.
The air hose may still be hot. Please ex-
ercise appropriate caution.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.

Close the trunk lid.

Drive away immediately.
The TIREFIT sealant will distribute itself
evenly inside the tire.

After driving vehicle for an initial
10 minutes, check tire pressure using
the pressure gauge on the air pump.
Warning!
G
Do not exceed vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h). A TIREFIT repair is not
designed to operate at higher speeds.
The sticker must be attached on the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
Vehicle handling characteristics may
change. Adapt your driving accordingly.
Warning!
G
If tire pressure has fallen below
20 psi (1.3 bar) do not continue to drive the
vehicle.
Park your vehicle safely away from the road-
way and contact the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or Roadside Assis-
tance.
I f ti re pre s su re is a t l ea s t 2 0 ps i (1 .3 bar ), in -
flate tire to correct pressure (see label on
fuel filler flap), and drive vehicle to nearest
tire repair facility to have tire repaired or re-
placed.
Recommended duration of use:
300 miles (500 km) at 50 mph (80 km / h)
with the recommended tire pressure.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating 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 pillar in the driver’s
door opening). Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.

238 Practical hintsFlat tire
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible to obtain a
new TIREFIT kit.

Bring used TIREFIT materials to an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
proper disposal.

Replace your TIREFIT container every
four years. Replacement containers are
available at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Mounting the spare wheel
More information on spare wheels with
collapsible tires can be found in the “Tech-
nical data” section (
page 265).Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described under
“Preparing the vehicle” on page
(
page 229).

Turn pump holder counterclockwise to
loosen (
page 207).

Take the spare wheel out of wheel well.
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 vehicle tool kit and the jack
out of the trunk.
Warning!
G
Do not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h). A TIREFIT repair is not designed
to operate at higher speeds.
The sticker must be attached on the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
Vehicle handling characteristics may
change. Adapt your driving accordingly.
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 spare wheel
mounted. Adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.
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 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.


239 Practical hints
Flat tire

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 support tubes are located behind
the front wheel housings and in front of the
rear wheel housings.1Jack tube cover
2Notch

Carefully insert the screwdriver (sup-
plied in the tool kit) into notch2.

Pry out cover1 just so far as you can
place your fingers underneath the cov-
er.

Carefully pull out cover1 completely.
Make sure that the pins do not brake
off.
The cover will be hanging from a plastic
band attached to it.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack tubes built into
both sides of the vehicle. To help avoid per-
sonal injury, use the jack only to lift the ve-
hicle 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 inserted in the jack tube. Always
lower the vehicle onto sufficient capacity
jackstands before working under the vehi-
cle.


240 Practical hintsFlat tire3Jacking pin
4Jack support tube hole
5Crank
6Small platform
7Large platform
Fold out jacking pin3 in direction of
arrowA until it snaps into place.
The green marking on the jacking pin
should now form one line with the
marking on the jack.

Insert jacking pin3 in direction of
arrowB fully into jack support tube
hole4.

Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank5 clockwise until the jack’s small
platform6 meets the ground. Make
sure that the jack is always vertical
(plumb line).

Jack the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.
The jack is now standing on large
platform7.
Never start engine while vehicle is
raised.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt

Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.
Warning!
G
Insert the jack arm fully into the jack sup-
port tube hole up to the stop. Otherwise the
vehicle may fall from the jack and cause per-
sonal injury or damage to the vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.


241 Practical hints
Flat tire

Remove the wheel.

Take the spare tire out of the trunk.
Mounting the new wheel
Wheel bolts1 Wheel bolt for

wheel rim size 7Jx16 H2 and 8Jx16 H2


AMG wheel rim size 7
1⁄2Jx17 H2 and
8
1⁄2Jx17 H2


spare wheel rim size 4
1⁄2Bx16 H2
2 Wheel bolt for


spare wheel rim size 4
1⁄2Bx15 H2
(located with electric air pump)

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
air pump (
page 243).
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting spare wheel rim size
41⁄2Bx15 H2.
The use of any wheel bolts other than
wheel bolts2 for spare wheel rim size
4
1⁄2Bx15 H2 can cause physical dam-
age to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Be sure to use original length 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.!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.


242 Practical hintsFlat 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.

Pull the jack out of the jack support
tube.

Remove jack tube cover.1-5Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1to5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 80 ft lb
(110 Nm).
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.
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).