240 Operation
Driving instructions
Tires
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
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), at which
point the tire is considered worn and
should be replaced.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient
temperatures).
For more information, see “Tires and
wheels” (
page 258).
Warning!G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend 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 reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Have worn tires replaced in pairs (front pair
or rear pair). Otherwise the driving stability
of the vehicle will be adversely affected.
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
!A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
258 Operation
Tires and wheels
For safety reasons, only use tires and rims
which have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on SLR vehicles.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.Important guidelines
For the first 100 miles (160 km) avoid
high-speed cornering. Do not exceed a
speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).
1
Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.
Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
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
required.
Warning!G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are
mounted:
The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.
The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
Have worn or damaged tires replaced in
pairs (front pair or rear pair) an make sure
the tires rotate in the direction specified
(
page 261). Otherwise, the driving stabili-
ty of the vehicle will be adversely affected,
especially when driving at high speeds.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on re-
treads. The operating safety of the vehicle
cannot be assured when such tires are used.
!A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
1Please always drive carefully and obey applicable
speed limits.
287 Operation
Tires and wheels
Rotating 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 261).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 3 000 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 261).
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.For information on wheel change, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 362).
!A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
Warning!G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
95 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Only use Genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.
290 Operation
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz 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
“MB Summerfit” to a premixed wind-
shield washer solvent/antifreeze
which is formulated for below freezing
temperatures (
page 397).
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. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and the Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS and
ESP
® 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 Center.
!A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
Warning!G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.
362 Practical hints
Flat tire
The vehicle is equipped with the TIREFIT
kit.
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine (page 56).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Sealing tires with TIREFIT
Small tire punctures, particularly those in
the tread, can be sealed with TIREFIT.
TIREFIT can be used in ambient tempera-
tures down to -4°F (-20°C).
Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.
Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the
electric air pump out of the trunk.
Attach the sticker where it will be easily
seen by the driver on the instrument
cluster.
!A wheel change should only be carried out
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Other-
wise there is a danger of damaging the vehicle by
jacking it up incorrectly.
iOpen door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
Warning!G
Keep TIREFIT away from sparks, open flame
or heat source.
Do not smoke.
Warning!G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approximately 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire
damage caused by driving with extremely
low tire inflation pressure, or on a flat tire, or
a damaged wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such
circumstances.
Contact your nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center for assistance or call Roadside
Assistance.
!After using TIREFIT, the tire inflation
pressure sensor may have to be replaced.
413 Index
Interior rear view mirror 44
Auto-dimming 182
Interior storage spaces see Storage com-
partments
J
Jacking up the vehicle 362
Jump starting 367
K
Key, Mechanical 355
Key, SmartKey
Battery check lamp 100
Checking the batteries 101
Factory setting 99
Locking/unlocking 98
Locking/unlocking, Global setting 99
Locking/unlocking, Selective
setting 100
Loss of 101
Messages in the multifunction
display 340
Opening and closing the
windows 201, 202
Positions in starter switch 40Remote control 98
Replacing the batteries 357
Turning off the engine 56
Unlocking, Trunk 101
Kickdown 173, 401
Kilopascal 285
Knee air bags 66
L
Labels
Certification 378
Emission control label 378
Vacuum line routing 378
Lamps
Exterior 359
Lamps, exterior
Messages in the multifunction
display 341Lamps, indicator and warning
ABS 29, 302
ABS/ESP
®29, 300
Airbrake 29, 307
Battery, SmartKey 100
Brake 29, 303
Center console 312
Coolant 29, 306
Engine malfunction 29, 304
Engine oil temperature 29, 307
Fog lamps 109
Fuel reserve 29, 307
Gearshift 29, 307
High beam 29
Instrument cluster 300
Low tire pressure telltale 29, 311
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 70, 312
Seat belt telltale 29, 308
Seat belts 308–309
SRS 29, 61, 310
Turn signals 29
Language, Setting 133