652 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.Mounting the Minispare wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel
(located in trunk with spare wheel)
Warning!G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.
Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.
Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt. This
could result in damage to the bolt and wheel hub
threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing a Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for a Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
Warning!G
Make sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.
653 Practical hints
Flat tire
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.Guide the Minispare wheel onto the
alignment bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
Unscrew the alignment bolt, install the
last wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while installing 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.
Make sure you are using the correct wheel
bolts.
Warning!G
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts. Other wheel bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
fall off the jack.
654 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,
following the diagonal sequence
illustrated (1 to 5), until all bolts are
tight. Observe a tightening torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).Before storing the jack, it should be fully
collapsed, with handle folded in (storage
position).Store the jack and the other vehicle
tools in the designated storage space
underneath the trunk floor
(
page 632).
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
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
iDo not activate the tire inflation pressure
monitor (
page 531) until a full size wheel/tire
with functioning sensor has been placed back
into service on the vehicle.
663 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground or front axle raised only so far
as necessary to have the vehicle moved to
a safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
in starter switch turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
Towing of the vehicle should only be done using
the properly installed towing eye bolt. Never at-
tach tow cable, tow rope, or tow rod, to vehicle
chassis, frame, or suspension parts.
Switch off the ESP
® (page 71), the tow-away
alarm (
page 78) and the automatic central
locking (
page 334).
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the brake
system
there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
as that will be necessary to adequately
control the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in starter
switch position 2.
664 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground or with the front axle raised, the start-
er battery must be connected and charged. Oth-
erwise:
you will not be able to switch on the ignition
you will not be able to engage the automatic
transmission in positionN (
page 394)
you cannot release the electronic parking
brake
For information on charging the starter battery
see “Batteries” (
page 655) or see “Jump start-
ing” (
page 660).
!Make sure that the electronic parking brake
is released. If the electronic parking brake is
malfunctioning, release it mechanically
(
page 637).
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the automatic transmission must be in
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in
starter switch position0 or1). Active braking
action through the ESP
® may otherwise
seriously damage the brake system.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, the automatic transmission must be
shifted to positionN and the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be in starter
switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle may
be towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
!If the vehicle is towed with all wheels on the
ground or with the front axle raised, the trans-
mission must be in positionN.
If you turn off the engine using
the SmartKey and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open a door
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button and
open a door
the transmission will shift to park position P
automatically.
665 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
If you want the gear position to remain in
neutral position N, observe the following
instructions.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.
If engaged, manually release the elec-
tronic parking brake (
page 385).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Release the brake pedal.
Remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button from the starter switch
(
page 337).
Insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
into the starter switch.
Switch on the ignition.
Depress the brake pedal.
Shift the automatic transmission to
neutral positionN.
Release the brake pedal.
If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 385).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in the
starter switch.
Warning!G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use
of vehicle equipment could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in
starter switch position 2, the vehicle doors lock
if the left front wheel as well as the right rear
wheel are turning at vehicle speeds of approxi-
mately 9mph (15km/h) or more.
To prevent the vehicle doors from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 334).
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combination switch
for the left or right turn signal in the usual
manner – only the selected turn signal will
operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard
warning flasher will operate again.
666 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
1Cover on right side of front bumper
1Cover on right side of rear bumperRemoving cover
Press mark on cover1 in the direction
of arrow.
Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
Installing towing eye bolt
Take towing eye bolt and wheel wrench
out of the vehicle tool kit in the trunk
(
page 632).
Screw towing eye bolt clockwise into
its stop and tighten with wheel wrench.Removing towing eye bolt
Loosen towing eye bolt counterclock-
wise with wheel wrench.
Unscrew towing eye bolt.
Store towing eye bolt and wheel
wrench in the vehicle tool kit in the
trunk.
Installing cover
Fit cover1 and snap into place.
678 Technical data
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Tires approved by Mercedes-Benz are developed
to provide best possible performance in conjunc-
tion with the driving safety systems on your vehi-
cle such as ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially
developed for your vehicle and tested and ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz can be identified by
finding the following on the tire’s sidewall:
MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as
poor handling characteristics
increased noise
increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A Tire and Loading Information placard
with the recommended tire inflation pressures is
located on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 523). Some vehicles may have supple-
mental tire inflation pressure information for
driving at high speeds (
page 529) or for vehi-
cle loads less than the maximum loaded vehicle
condition (
page 536). If such information is
provided, it can be found on the tire inflation
pressure label located on the inside of the fuel
filler flap. The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Appearance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for more information.