311 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for information on tested and recommend-
ed rims and tires for summer and winter
operation. They can also offer advice con-
cerning tire service and purchase.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. Mercedes-Benz can therefore
not assure the operating safety of the vehi-
cle when such tires are used.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for information on tested and recommend-
ed rims and tires for summer and winter
operation.
Important guidelines
Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.
Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.
Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads.
If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as re-
quired.
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).
When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are
mounted:
The wheel brakes or suspension compo-
nents can be damaged
The correct operating clearance of the
wheels and the tires are no longer guar-
anteed
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can re-
sult in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
340 OperationTires and wheelsRotating tires
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 314).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.If applicable to your vehicle's tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer's warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (
page 314).
Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure, activating the tire pressure mon-
itoring system* if necessary.
For information on wheel change, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 407) and
(
page 425).
Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if they are
of the same size.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
!If your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system*, there
are electronic components built into
the wheel.
Do not use mounting tools in the area
of the valve as they could damage the
electronic components.
To prevent damage or incorrect instal-
lation, have the tires changed at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
96 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle's rims.
408 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?
In the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the spare wheel when observing
the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
For more information, see “Spare wheel”
(
page 457).
Luggage box
Remove luggage box
1Fastening clip
2Luggage box
Turn fastening clips1 to the left up-
wards from fastening bolts.
Lift luggage box in the area of the fas-
tening bolts and remove it from trunk.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel
(Minispare wheel or collapsible tire) are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a spare wheel
mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quickly as possible.
409 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Install luggage box
Insert luggage box into trunk so that
fastening clips are in line with fastening
bolts.
Push front edge of luggage box in direc-
tion of arrow under cover of trunk sill.
Press fastening clips onto fastening
bolts until they lock into place.
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor
(page 407).
The vehicle tool kit includes:
One pair of universal pliers
One towing eye bolt
One wheel wrench
One alignment bolt
One fuse extractor
Spare fuses
426 Practical hintsFlat tireWhen changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.
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 housing and
in front of the rear wheel housing.
1Jack take-up bracket
2Jack
3Crank
Position jack2 on firm ground under
the respective jack take-up bracket1.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into either side 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. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient ca-
pacity jackstands before working under the
vehicle.
427 Practical hints
Flat tire
Make sure the foot of the jack is directly
under the take-up bracket so that it is al-
w a y s v e r t i c a l ( p l u m b - l i n e ) a s s e e n f r o m t h e
side, even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline
Turn crank3 until the tire is a maxi-
mum of 1.2 in (3 cm) off the ground.
Never start engine while vehicle is
raised.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew the upper-most wheel bolt
and remove.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.
Warning!
G
Position the jack only on the jack take-up
brackets designed for this purpose.
If the jack is not properly positioned, the ve-
hicle may slip off of the jack.Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the vehi-
cle briefly for wheel changes. It is not suited
for performing maintenance work under the
vehicle. Never lie down under the raised ve-
hicle. Do not start the engine when the vehi-
cle is raised.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
428 Practical hintsFlat tireMounting the spare wheel
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.
Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with collapsible tire:
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is
properly mounted.
Inflate the collapsible tire using the electric
pump (
page 429)
before
lowering the ve-
hicle.
!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 wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident. Be
sure to use the correct wheel 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.
431 Practical hints
Flat tire
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 96 lb-ft
(130 Nm).
Before storing the jack in the trunk, it
should be fully collapsed.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
96 lb-ft (130 Nm).
iWrap the damaged wheel in the protec-
tive film that comes with the spare
wheel and put the wheel in the trunk.
You can also place the damaged wheel
down into the spare wheel well. In this
case, you must stow the holder from
the spare wheel well in the trunk.
Do not activate the tire pressure moni-
toring system until the depressurized
tire is no longer in the vehicle.