611 Operation
Winter driving
Snow chainsSnow 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 754).
Use snow chains in pairs and on rear
wheels only. Follow the manufacturer’s
mounting instructions.
Only use snow chains that are
approved 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 754).
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 468) or ABC* (
page 471).
Other settings may result in damage to your
vehicle.
!
Even on vehicles with all-wheel-drive, use
snow chains on rear tires only.
Some tire sizes do not leave adequate clearance
for snow chains. To help avoid serious damage 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 754).
!
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.
i
All models except S 63 AMG:
When driving with snow chains, you may wish to
switch off the ESP
® (page 74) before setting
the vehicle in motion. This will improve the
vehicle’s traction.
i
S 63 AMG:
Do not switch off the ESP
® when driving in snow
or with snow chains mounted.
639 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
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion 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 under-inflated. 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 under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation 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 under-inflation 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
one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function 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.
724 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described
(page 723).
Take vehicle tool kit tray and vehicle
jack out of trunk (
page 705).
Take the spare wheel from the wheel
well under the trunk floor
(page 707).
Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
or other sizeable objects.
One wheel chock is included with the
vehicle tool kit (
page 707).
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 another size-
able object as follows:
Place the wheel chock and another
sizeable object on the downhill side
blocking both wheels on the side of the
vehicle not being worked on.
Wheel wrench
On wheel to be changed, loosen but
do not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with
wrench 1).
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always en-
gage the electronic parking brake and block
wheels before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage electronic parking brake
while the vehicle is raised. Be certain that
the jack is always vertical (plumb line) when
in use, especially on hills. Always try to use
the jack on level surface.
Make sure the jack arm is fully seated in the
jack take-up bracket. Always lower the vehi-
cle onto sufficient capacity jackstands be-
fore working under the vehicle.
728 Practical hintsFlat tire6Wheel wrench
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
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Fully collapse the jack, with handle
folded in (storage position),
(page 706).
Store the jack and the other vehicle
tools in the designated storage space
underneath the trunk floor
(page 705).
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).i
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS:
Do not activate the tire inflation pressure moni-
tor until a full size wheel/tire with functioning
sensor has been placed back into service on the
vehicle.
754 Technical dataRims 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 = M
ercedes-Benz O
riginal equipment
tires
AMG vehicles:
Does not apply to all approved tires on AMG
vehicles. For information on tested and
approved tires for AMG vehicles, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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.
i
Further 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 (
page 585). Some vehicles may have
supplemental tire inflation pressure information
for driving at high speeds (
page 591) or for ve-
hicle loads less than the maximum loaded
vehicle condition (
page 598). If such informa-
tion is provided, it can be found on the placard lo-
cated 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.
i
The 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. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for more information.
755 Technical data
Rims and tires
Same size tiresModel
S 450 4MATIC
S 550
S 550 4MATIC
S 450 4MATIC*
S 550 4MATIC*
S600
S550 (Sport Package*)
S600 (Sport Package*)
Rims (light alloy)
8.5 J x18 H2
8.5 J x 19 H2
8.5 J x18 H2
Wheel offset
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
Summer tires
1
1Radial-ply tires.
–
255/40 R19 96Y
–
757 Technical data
Rims and tires
Mixed size tiresModel
S550*
S600
S550*
S600*
Front axle:
Rims (light alloy)
8.5 J x 18 H2
8.5 J x 19 H2
Wheel offset
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
Summer tires
1
1Radial-ply tires.
255/45 R18 99V
255/40 R19 96Y
Rear axle:
Rims (light alloy)
9.5 J x 18 H2
9.5 J x 19 H2
Wheel offset
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
Summer tires
1
275/45 R18 103V
275/40 R19 101Y
795 Index
Tilt/sliding sunroof see Power tilt/sliding
sunroof
Time
Setting (COMAND) 259
TIN 608
Tire and Loading Information
Placard 586
Tire Identification Number see TIN
Tires 582
Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (Advanced TPMS)* 593
And Rims 754
And Wheels 582
Care and maintenance 583
Chains 611
Checking inflation pressure electroni-
cally with Advanced Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (Advanced
TPMS) 593
Cleaning 584
Cold tire inflation pressure 606
Combination low tire pressure
malfunction telltale 29, 638
Direction of rotation 585
Driving instructions 563Important notes on tire inflation
pressure 591
Inflation pressure 590
Information placard 586
Inspection 583
Load rating 599, 608
Load rating, Maximum 603, 607
Minispare wheel 707
Ply composition and
material used 608
Problems under-/overinflation 590
Retreads 582
Rotating 609
Service life 583
Sizes 754
Snow 610
Spare wheel 759
Speed rating 564, 600, 608
Storing 584
Temperature 591, 605
Terminology 606
Total load limit 608
TPMS malfunction telltale 638
TPMS* malfunction telltale 29
Traction 564, 608Tread depth 584
Tread depth, Winter 610
Treadwear indicators 608
Vehicle maximum load on 609
Wear pattern 609
Winter 610
Tools 705
Top tether
Children in the vehicle 62
Towing eye bolt (vehicle tool kit) 705,
740
Towing the vehicle 737
Tow-start 734, 737
Traction 564, 605, 608
Transmission see Automatic transmission
Traveling abroad 567
Tread 608
Tread depth, Tires 584
Tread depth, Winter tires 610
Treadwear indicators 608
Trip odometer 291
Resetting 292
Troubleshooting
Voice Control 352