Page 246 of 453

243
Operation
Refuell ing
Low outside temperatures
To prevent operating problems, diesel with
improved cold flow qualities is available
dur ing the winter months.
You can use winter diesel at temperatures
down to about –20 °C without problems.
To improve flow properties, it is possible to
mix diesel with kerosene and flow improv-
er.
The mixing ratio depends on the type of
diesel and the outside temperature. How-
ever, it should be kept as low as possible.
! Do not mix diesel with petrol. This would
dam aget he fuel system. 6
Add a maximum of 50% kerosene or
flow improver to the diesel.
6 Only mix diesel with kerosene in a con-
tainer that has been approved for hold-
ing fuels; do not mix them in the fuel
tank.
6 Put the kerosene into the container
first, then add the diesel.
After a few minutes' driving, the mix-
ture spreads to all parts of the fuel
system. G
Risk of injury Please
note that as a result ofaddin gkero-
sene, the die sel is more easily ignited. Outside
tempera-
ture Summer
diesel Kero-
sene
–15
°C to
–23 °C 80% 20%
–23
°C to
–30 °C 50% 50%
Outside
tempera-
ture Winter
diesel Kero-
sene
–25
°C to
–30 °C 80% 20%
–30
°C to
–35 °C 50% 50%209en_d2.boo Seite
243 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19
Page 252 of 453

249
Operation
Tyres and wheels
! For safe tyreasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mend syou only use tyre swhich have bee nspe-
cially approved for yourvehicle byMercede s-
Benz. These tyres are specially suite dto your
vehicle's control systems, such as ABS or ESP.
Mercedes-Benz can accept no responsibility for
damage resulting from using tyr esother than
those approved for your ve hicle .Information
about tyr esmay be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Serv ice Centre.
If you use tyres other tha nthose which have
been test edand recommended for Mercedes-
Benz, cha racteristics suc hashandling, noi se
levels and fuel consum ption may beadversely
affected. Moreo ver, dimensional variations and
different tyre defo rmation characteristics when
running under load could cause the tyre to make
contact with thebo dywork or axle components.
The consequen cecould be damage to the tyre or
to the vehicl e. !
Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
re commended for Mercedes-Benz vehicle s,as
previous damage cannot always be det ectedon
re treaded tyres. As aresul t, Me rced es-Benz
ca nnot guarantee driving safety.
Modification work on the brake system
and wheels is not permi tted, nor is the use
of spacer plates or brake dust shields. Any
such modifications invalidate the vehicle's
genera loperating permit. !
Only fit tyres and wheels of the same
type and make.
! Onlyfit ty res of the correct size to the
wh eels.
! Run in new tyres at moderate speeds
forthe first 10 0km.
! Check the tyres and wheels for damage
regularly, at least every 14 days. Dam-
aged rims could cause a loss of tyre
pre ssur ean d damag eto th e wheels.
! Check the tyre pressures regularly and
correct them if necessary – see Fuel
fil ler cap (
=pa ge 241).
! Do not continue to use tyres with se-
vere lyworn treads. Tyre grip dec reases
rapidly on wet roads below a tread
depth of 3 mm. Tyres and wheels
G
Risk of accident Only use wheels of the dimensions
stated in
the vehicle registration documents. If other
wheel sizes are used:
! the wheel brakes or chassis compo-
nents could be damaged
! wheel and tyre clearance scan be no
longer guaranteed Poi
nts to bear inmind 209en_d2.boo Seite
249 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19
Page 265 of 453

262 Operation
Trailer towing
iThe maxim umpermissible weights are given
in the vehicle documents and onthe type plates
of the trail erand the trailer tow hitch .The lowest
value given is decisive.
Th emax imum trailer drawb arno sewe ight forthe
trailer towbar on th eball neck is 75 kg. The draw-
bar no seweight must not, however, exceed that
specified on the type plates for th etrailer tow
hit ch and the trailer. If you couple a trailer, the driving charac-
terist
ics of your vehicle change.
The vehicl e/trailer combination:
! is heavier
! is restricted in its acceleration and
gradie nt-climbing capability
! has a longer stopping distance
! is more susceptible to gusting cross-
winds
! demands more sensitive steeri ng
Fuel consumption is higher when towing a
trailer.
Tips for driving when to wing a trailer:
! We recom mend utilising the maximum
per missible drawb arnoseweigh t,and
always at least 50 kg.
! The vehicle's payload must be reduced
to compensate for the drawbar nose-
weight so that thema ximum per missi-
ble rear axle load is not exceeded. Have the entire trailer tow hitch ch
ecked at
a qualifie dspecialist workshop which has
the necessary specia list knowledge and
tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recomme nds that youuse a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-re lated systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Dr
iving tips G
Risk of accident Maximum care and atte
ntion iscalledfor
when coupling and decoupling a trailer.
Ma kesure that no-one is pre sent between
the trailer and the vehicle when the vehicle
is being reversed up to the trailer.
Do not uncouple a tr ailer with an overrun
brake when the brake is engaged. If you have coupled the trailer to the vehicle
incorr
ectly, there isa risk that the trailer
may break away.
Make sure that the following values have
been observed:
! Maximum permissi ble gross vehicle
weight
! Maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight
! Maximum permissible trailer load
! Maximum permissible rearload on the
towing vehicle 209en_d2.boo Seite
262 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19