2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 wheel

317 Operation
Tires and wheels

Install the valve cap.

Repeat this procedure for each tire.Run Flat Indicator* (Canada only)
While the vehicle is being driven, the Run
Flat Indicator monitors the set tire inflation
pressures by evaluating each wheel’s rota-
tional speed. This allows the system to de-
tect a significant loss of pressure in a tire.
If a wheel’s rotational speed changes due
to falling tire inflation pressure, you will
see a corresponding warning message in
the multifunction display.
The Run Flat Indicator* may function in a
restricted manner or with a delay if:


snow chains are mounted to the
vehicle


winter road conditions prevail in
presence of ice and snow


you are driving on a loose surface (e.g.
sand or gravel)


you are driving in a very sporty manner
(involving rapid acceleration or high
speeds in curves)
iIf you have overfilled the tire, release
tire inflation pressure by pushing the
metal stem of the valve with e.g. a tip of
a pen. Then recheck the tire inflation
pressure with the tire gauge.
Warning!
G
When the multifunction display shows the
message
Tire pressure Check tires
,
one or more of your tires is significantly un-
der-inflated. You should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper tire inflation pressure as
indicated on the vehicle’s tire information
placard. Driving on a significantly under-in-
flated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Each tire, including the
spare, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended tire infla-
tion pressure as specified in the vehicle
placard and owner’s manual.

318 OperationTires and wheels
Reactivating the Run Flat Indicator*
The tire inflation pressure monitor must be
reactivated in the following situations:

If you have changed the tire inflation
pressure


If you have replaced the wheels or tires


If you have installed new wheels or
tires

Using the tire placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or, if available, the inside
of the fuel filler flap, make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.
iThe recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for your vehicle can be found on
the tire placard located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 314). The tire in-
flation pressures are not listed in the
owner’s manual.
Warning!
G
The Run Flat Indicator* does not provide a
warning for wrongly selected tire inflation
pressures. Always adjust tire inflation pres-
sure according to the placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or fuel filler flap.
The Run Flat Indicator* does not replace
regular checks of the tire inflation pressures
since a gradual pressure loss in all four tires
cannot be detected by the Run Flat
Indicator*.
T he Ru n Fl a t In di c at or * i s n o t a ble t o i s su e a
warning due to a sudden dramatic loss of
tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire blowout
caused by a foreign object). In this case
bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully apply-
ing the brakes and avoiding abrupt steering
maneuvers.

319 Operation
Tires and wheels

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
The standard display menu appears in
the multifunction display (page 135).

Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the following message appears in
the multifunction display:Run Flat Indicator
active
Reactivation possible: +

Press buttonæ.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:Tire pres. OK now
? If you wish to confirm activation:

Press buttonæ.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:Run Flat Indicator
Reactivated
After a certain “learning phase”, the Run
Flat Indicator checks the set pressure
values for all four tires.
If you wish to cancel activation:
Press buttonç.
or

Wait until the messageTire pres. OK now?disappears.Potential problems associated with
underinflated and overinflated tires
Underinflated tire inflation pressure
Underinflated tires can:


cause excessive and uneven tire wear


adversely affect fuel economy


lead to tire failure from being
overheated


adversely affect handling
characteristics
Warning!
G
The Run Flat Indicator* can only warn you in
a reliable manner if you have set the correct
tire inflation pressures for each tire.
If an incorrect tire inflation pressure was
set, the system will monitor the pressure
according to the incorrect value.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation pres-
sures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and / or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.

320 OperationTires and wheelsOverinflated tire inflation pressure
Overinflated tires can:

adversely affect handling
characteristics


cause uneven tire wear


be more prone to damage from road
hazards


adversely affect ride comfort


increase stopping distance
MOExtended system* (Canada only)
The MOExtended system allows you to
continue driving your vehicle even if there
is a total loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
You may only use the MOExtended system
in conjunction with the Run Flat Indicator*
(page 317).
For information on driving in case of pres-
sure loss in one or more tires (emergency
mode), see the “Practical Hints” section
(page 411).
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.

321 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire labeling
Besides tire name (sales designation) and
manufacturer name, a number of markings
can be found on a tire.
Following are some explanations for the
markings on your vehicle’s tires:1Uniform Quality Grading Standards
(
page 328)
2DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(page 326)
3Maximum tire load (
page 327)
4Maximum tire inflation pressure
(
page 328)
5Manufacturer
6Tire ply material (
page 330)
7Tire size designation, load and speed
rating (
page 321)
8Load identification (
page 325)
9Tire nameTire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed rating
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
For more information, see “Rims and
Tires” (
page 432).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.

322 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 321) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (page 321) 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 321) 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 323).Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 321) 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 321) 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 327) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs.

323 Operation
Tires and wheels
For additional information on tire load
rating, see “Load identification”
(page 325).Tire speed rating
The tire speed rating6 (
page 321)
indicates the approved maximum speed
for the tire.
Warning
G
The tire load rating must always be at least
half of the GAWR (
page 331) of your vehi-
cle. Otherwise, tire failure may be the result
which may cause an accident and/or seri-
ous personal injury to you or others.
Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as
shown on the original part.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard located
on the driver's door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iTire load rating5 (
page 321) and
Tire speed rating6 (page 321) are
also referred to as “service descrip-
tion”.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the
maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control and
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others. iTire load rating5 (
page 321) and
Tire speed rating6 (page 321) are
also referred to as “service descrip-
tion”.

324 OperationTires and wheelsSummer tires


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 exam-
ple: 245/40 ZR18). To determine the
maximum speed capability of the tire,
the service description for the tire must
be referred to. The service description
is comprised of the tire load rating5
(page 321) and the tire speed
rating6 (
page 321).
If your tire includes “ZR” in the size
designation and no service
description5 and6 (
page 321) is
given, the tire manufacturer must be
consulted for the maximum speed
capability. If a service description5 and6
(
page 321) is given, the speed capa-
bility is limited by the speed symbol in
the service description.
Example: 245/40 ZR18 97Y.
In this example, “97Y” is the service
description. The letter “Y” designates
the speed rating and the speed capabil-
ity of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).


Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a
“ZR” in the size designation AND the
service description must be placed in
parenthesis. Example: 275/40 ZR 18
(99Y). The “(Y)” speed rating in paren-
thesis designates the maximum speed
capability of the tire as being above
186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the tire
manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.
Index
Speed rating
Q
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S
up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W
up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y
up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
(Y)
above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR
above 149 mph (240 km/h)