
Contents
At the gas station ..............................  299
Refueling ......................................  299
Check regularly and before a 
long trip........................................  301
Engine compartment .........................  303
Hood ............................................  303
Engine oil .....................................  304
Transmission fluid level ................  308
Coolant level ................................  308
Battery .........................................  309
Windshield washer system and 
headlamp cleaning system* .........  310
Tires and wheels ................................  311
Important guidelines ....................  311
Tire care and maintenance...........  312
Direction of rotation .....................  314
Loading the vehicle ......................  314
Recommended tire inflation 
pressure .......................................  320
Checking tire inflation pressure ...  322
Tire labeling..................................  327
Load identification .......................  331
DOT, Tire Identification Number 
(TIN) .............................................  332
Maximum tire load .......................  333
Maximum tire inflation pressure ..  334Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 334
Tire ply material ............................ 336
Tire and loading terminology......... 337
Rotating tires ................................ 340
Winter driving ..................................... 341
Winter tires ................................... 341
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 342
Snow chains.................................. 342
Maintenance....................................... 343
Clearing the maintenance service 
indicator........................................ 344
Maintenance service term 
exceeded ...................................... 344
Calling up the maintenance 
service indicator ........................... 345
Resetting the maintenance 
service indicator ........................... 345
Setting the date for special 
works ............................................ 346
Calling up the maintenance 
service data information ............... 347
Vehicle care........................................ 348
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 348
Practical hints..................................  355
What to do if … ...................................  356
Lamps in instrument cluster .........  356
Lamp in center console ................ 365
Vehicle status messages in the 
multifunction display .................... 367
Where will I find ...? ............................ 407
First aid kit....................................  407
Spare wheel ..................................  407
Luggage box ................................. 408
Vehicle tool kit..............................  409
Unlocking/locking in an emergency ..  410
Unlocking the vehicle ...................  410
Locking the vehicle .......................  411
Fuel filler flap emergency release .  412
Manually unlocking the 
transmission selector lever ...........  412
Opening/closing in an emergency .....  414
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* or 
panorama roof with power tilt/s
liding panel* ................................. 414
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 415
SmartKey ......................................  415
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* .......  416 

313 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tread depth 
Do not allow your tires to wear down too 
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are 
sharply reduced at tread depths under 1⁄8in (3 mm).
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are required by 
law. These indicators are located in six 
places on the tread circumference and 
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately 
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point 
the tire is considered worn and should be 
replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires 
1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires 
1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
read W
ear I
ndicator)
The tread wear indicator appears as a solid 
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tires
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor safety 
laws consider a tire to be worn when the 
tread wear indicators (TWI) become visible 
at approximately 
1/16in (1.6 mm), we rec-
ommend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth 
approaches 
1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion 
properties on a wet road are sharply re-
duced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road 
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies 
widely.
!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry 
place with as little exposure to light as 
possible. Protect tires from contact 
with oil, grease and gasoline.!Never use a round nozzle to power 
wash tires. The intense jet of water can 
result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire. 

348 OperationVehicle careCleaning and care of vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your 
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the 
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by ex-
treme and varying climatic conditions, but 
also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of 
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to 
deal with unfavorable conditions:
near the ocean
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust 
emissions)
during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to 
time for stone chipping or other damage. 
Any damage should be repaired as soon as 
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody 
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody 
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body 
cavities which will last for the lifetime of 
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is 
neither necessary nor recommended by 
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility 
of incompatibility between materials used 
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous. 
Some are poisonous, others are flammable. 
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s 
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle. 

464 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their 
suitability in our engines and durability for 
our service intervals. Therefore, only use 
approved engine oils and oil filters re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada 
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine 
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required 
for the Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or 
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the 
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or 
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) will result in 
engine damage not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System (U.S. 
vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) 
recommendations for scheduled oil 
changes. Failure to do so could result in 
engine damage not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil. 
They may damage the engine. 
Damage or malfunctions resulting from 
blending oil additives are not covered by 
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG 
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the 
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point 
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced 
through the absorption of moisture from 
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture 
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.Therefore, the brake fluid 
must be replaced every two years, prefera-
bly in the spring.Only brake fluid approved 
by Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your 
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.