329 Operation
Winter driving
Block heater* (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block
heater.
The electrical cable may be installed at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz 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
(
page 438).
Use snow chains in pairs and on rear
wheels only. Follow the manufacturer’s
mounting instructions.
Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Any
authorized Mercedes-Benz 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.
Do not use snow chains on the spare
wheel (
page 445).
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 Center.!When driving with snow chains, always se-
lect the raised level of the level control system
Airmatic (
page 230). Other settings may result
in damage to your vehicle.
!Some tire sizes do not leave adequate clear-
ance for snow chains. To help avoid serious dam-
age to your vehicle or tires, make sure that the
use of snow chains is permissible as specified in
the “Technical data” section of this Operator’s
Manual, see “Rims and tires” (
page 438).
!If snow chains are mounted to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the body or axle
components. The tires or the vehicle could be
damaged as a result.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you may
wish to deactivate the ESP® (page 94) before
setting the vehicle in motion. This will improve
the vehicle’s traction.
iCLS 63 AMG:
Do not switch off the ESP® when driving in snow
or with snow chains mounted.
355 Practical hints
What to do if …
Warning!G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar or, if available, the tire
inflation pressure label on the inside of the
fuel filler flap. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information placard or the
tire inflation pressure label, you should de-
termine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or alternate
tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue
to function properly.
413 Practical hints
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described under
“Preparing the vehicle” on this page.
Take the spare wheel out of the trunk
(
page 393).
Take the wheel wrench and the jack
out of the trunk (
page 393).
Removing tensioning straps
(CLS 63 AMG with Performance Pack-
age* only)
A 19" spare wheel has two tensioning
straps on it that must both be removed be-
fore mounting the spare wheel.1Buckle
2Clip
Press on both clips2 simultaneously
to release buckle1.Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
or other sizeable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:
Place the wheel chock in front of and
another sizeable object behind the
wheel that is diagonally opposite to the
wheel being changed.
Always try lifting the vehicle using the jack
on a level surface. However, should cir-
cumstances require you to do so on a hill,
place the wheel chock and the other size-
able object as follows:
Place the wheel chock and another
sizeable object on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the axle not
being worked on.iThe tensioning straps are shown in red for
illustration purposes. The tensioning straps on
the spare wheel of your vehicle are black.
iKeep the tensioning straps in a safe place.
You will need them to store the spare wheel in
the trunk after use (
page 394).
418 Practical hints
Flat tire
Detach the electric air pump.
Stow electrical plug3 and air hose4
behind flap1 and place the air pump
back in the trunk.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
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout)
because they are more likely to become
punctured or damaged by road debris,
potholes, etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
iVehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
Do not activate the tire inflation pressure moni-
tor (
page 309) until a full size wheel/tire with
functioning sensor has been placed back into
service on the vehicle.
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 protective
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 luggage bowl in the trunk.
438 Technical data
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:
MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires
MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires with limited run-flat characteristics)
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.
iFor information on driving with MOExtended
tires, see “MOExtended system*” (
page 313).
!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 re-
sult.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire inflation pressure information for driving at
high speeds (
page 302) or for vehicle loads
less than the maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 302). If such information is provided, it
can be found on the placard located on the in-
side 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,
AMG 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.
439 Technical data
Rims and tires
Same size tires
ModelCLS 550
Rims (light alloy)8.5 J x 18 H2
Wheel offset (front axle)1.38 in (28 mm)
Wheel offset (rear axle)0.71 in (18 mm)
Summer tires1
1Radial-ply tires
-
Winter tires1,2
2Not available as factory equipment.
245/40 R18 97V XL (Extra Load) M+S.
!Winter tires on rims with different wheel
offset front vs. rear cannot be rotated.
441 Technical data
Rims and tires
Mixed size tires
ModelCLS 550CLS 550 (AMG Sport Package*)
Front axle:
Rims (light alloy)8.5Jx18H28.5Jx18H2
Wheel offset1.10 in (28 mm)0.98 in (25 mm)
Summer tires1
1Radial-ply tires
245/40 R18 93Y255/40 ZR18 95Y
or
255/40 ZR18 99Y XL (Extra Load)
All-season tires1245/40 R18 93V M+S –
Rear axle:
Rims (light alloy)9.5Jx18H29.5Jx18H2
Wheel offset1.30 in (33 mm)1.10 in (28 mm)
Summer tires1,2
2Must not be used with snow chains.
275/35 R18 95Y285/35 ZR18 97Y
or
285/35 ZR18 101Y XL (Extra Load)
All-season tires1,2275/35 R18 95V M+S –
473 Index
Temperature
Engine 54
Interior temperature 195
Outside temperature 156
Tether anchorage points, see Children in
the vehicle
Tie-down hooks, Trunk 242
Tightening torque, Wheel bolts 418
Time
Setting 157
Synchronizing 157
TIN 325
Tire and Loading Information
Placard 296
Terminology 323
Tire inflation pressure
Checking 301
Placard on the fuel filler flap 297
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS),
(USA only)
Checking tire pressure
electronically 306
Tires
Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System* (Advanced TPMS*) (Canada
only) 309Advanced TPMS* malfunction
telltale 354
Air pressure 301
Care and maintenance 294
Cleaning 295
Combination low tire pressure/TPMS
malfunction telltale, USA only 27
Direction of rotation, Spinning 295
Driving instructions 275
Important notes, Tire inflation
pressure 302
Inflation pressure 301, 303
Information placard 297
Inspection 294
Load rating 325
Low tire pressure telltale* (Canada
only) 27, 354
Messages in display 369, 390
MOExtended* 313, 419
Ply composition and material
used 325
Problems with
under-/overinflation 313
Retreads 293
Rims and tires 438
Rotation 326Service life 294
Sizes 439
Snow 328
Snow chains 329
Spare wheel 393
Speed rating 316, 326
Storing 295
Temperature 302, 322
Terminology 323
Tire Identification Number see TIN
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) (USA only) 306
TPMS malfunction telltale 354
Traction 276, 322, 326
Tread 326
Tread depth 294, 328
Treadwear indicators 326
Vehicle maximum load on 326
Wear pattern 327
Winter 328
Tools 395
Top tether
Children in the vehicle 85
Total load limit 326
Towing eye bolt 426
Towing the vehicle 425