2005 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG light

250 OperationTires and wheelsTread 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).
Treadwear 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 treadwear 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
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recom-
mend 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.

262 OperationTires and wheelsGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only.
Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 261) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm. Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (
page 261) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 261) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 263).Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 261) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating5 (page 261) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1 356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 267) where the maximum load
associated with the load index is indicated
in kilograms and lbs.

265 Operation
Tires and wheels
All-season and winter tires
Load identification
1Load identificationIn addition to tire load rating, special load
information may be molded into the tire
sidewall following the letter designating
the tire speed rating1 (
page 265).
No specification given: absence of any text
(like in above example) indicates a
standard load (SL) tire.
XL (Extra Load): designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
Light Load: designates a light load tire.
C, D, E: designates load range associated
with the maximum load a tire can carry at
a specified pressure.
Index
Speed rating
QM+S
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
TM+S
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
HM+S
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
VM+S
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iThe marking “M+S” next to the service
description designates tires with mud
and snow capabilities.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.

275 Operation
Winter driving
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. This
service includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent/antifreeze which is formulated
for below freezing temperatures
(page 380).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started,
even at low ambient temperatures.


Tire change. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends M+S rated radial-ply tires with a
minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the
winter season.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, 4-ETS, and
EBP in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available from your tire
dealer or from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under
1/6in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.
Warning!
G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

276 OperationWinter drivingBlock heater (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block
heater.
The electrical cable may be installed at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Snow chains
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:


Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations.


Snow chains should only be used on
the rear wheels. Follow the manufac-
turer’s mounting instructions.


Only use snow chains that are
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will be glad to advise you on this
subject.


Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
(page 84) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the
vehicle’s traction.

277 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
In the “Operation” section you will find de-
tailed information on operating, maintain-
ing, and caring for your vehicle.
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, in ac-
cordance with the Maintenance Booklet at
the times called for by the maintenance
service indicator display.
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
and maintenance service indicator at the
designated times/mileage will result in ve-
hicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
The maintenance service indicator will
notify you when your next maintenance
service is due.Starting approximately one month before
maintenance service is due, one of the fol-
lowing messages will appear in the multi-
function display while you are driving or
when you switch on the ignition (example
service A):
SERVICE A IN XX DAYS
SERVICE A IN XX MILES (KM)
SERVICE A DUE NOW!The type of maintenance service due is in-
dicated in the speedometer display field:
9Basic service (A)
½Extended service (B)
iVehicles equipped with FSS (F
lexible
S
ervice S
ystem) only (Canada
vehicles): The interval between mainte-
nance services depends on your driving
habits. A gentle driving style, moderate
engine speeds and the avoidance of
short-distance trips will lengthen the
interval between maintenance
services.

278 OperationMaintenanceClearing the maintenance service indicator
The maintenance service indicator is auto-
matically cleared

after ten seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the main-
tenance service threshold while driving


after 30 seconds, once the suggested
maintenance service term has passed
You can also clear it yourself.

Press the reset button on the instru-
ment cluster (
page 25).
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX DAYS
SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX MILES (KM)In addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will reset the maintenance service
indicator following a completed mainte-
nance service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator
Switch on the ignition (
page 35).
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 123).

Press buttonk orj on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator with the
service symbol9 or´ and the
service deadline appears in the multi-
function display.

279 Operation
Maintenance
Resetting the maintenance service indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center, you can have the maintenance ser-
vice indicator reset. The automotive main-
tenance facility carrying out the
maintenance service will find the informa-
tion for resetting the maintenance service
indicator in the maintenance-relevant in-
formation for your vehicle. Such informa-
tion is available from either your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz.
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance ser-
vice indicator with the engine oil level
indicator :.
iIf the maintenance service indicator
was inadvertently reset, have an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance
service has been performed. Resetting
the system without performing the
proper maintenance service as called
for by the maintenance service indica-
tor will result in engine damage and/or
other vehicle damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.