2009 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class tires

Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants that
can be in the vehicle. Observe front and rear
seating capacity. The Tire and Loading
Information placard showing seating
capacity : is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar (Y page 161).
iData shown on Tire and Loading
Information placard example are for
illustration purposes only. Seating capacity
data are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in the following
illustration. Refer to Tire and Loading
Information placard on vehicle for actual
data specific to your vehicle.
Steps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the “National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
XStep 1: Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.”
on your vehicle’s Tire and Loading
Information placard.
XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.
XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1 400 lbs and there will be five
150 lbs passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs
(1 400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
XStep 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.
XStep 6 (if applicable): If your vehicle will
be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (Y page 164).
The following table shows examples on how
to calculate total and cargo load capacities
with varying seating configurations and
number and size of occupants. The following
examples use a load limit of 1 500 lbs. This
is for illustration purposes only. Make sure
you are using the actual load limit for your
vehicle stated on the vehicle’s Tire and
Loading Information placard (Y page 162).
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Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle. You can obtain the GVWR and
GAWR from the certification label. The
certification label can be found on the driver’s
door B-pillar, see the “Technical data” section
(Y page 246).
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all
cargo, and the trailer tongue load (if
applicable) must never exceed the GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The total
allowable weight that can be carried by a
single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible weight limits
(GVWR and GAWR for front and rear axle),
have the loaded vehicle (including driver,
passengers and all cargo and, if applicable,
trailer fully loaded) weighed on a suitable
commercial scale.
Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the load
you can carry in your vehicle. If a trailer is
towed, the tongue load must be added to the
weight of all occupants riding and any cargo
you are carrying in the vehicle. The tongue
load typically is 10% of the trailer weight and
everything loaded in it.
If an approved Mercedes-Benz trailer hitch is
available for your G-Class vehicle model,
consult the instructions included in the trailer
hitch kit for vehicle towing capacity,
permissible gross trailer weight, trailer
tongue weight rating, and instructions on
loading and towing a trailer.
Maximum tire loadGWarning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard 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.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
The maximum tire load rating : is the
maximum weight the tires are designed to
support.
For more information on tire load rating, see
(Y page 169).
For information on calculating total and cargo
load capacities, see (Y page 162).
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantages,
such as better hydroplaning performance. To
benefit, however, you must make sure the
tires rotate in the direction specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation of the tire.
Spare wheels may be mounted against the
direction of rotation (spinning) even with a
unidirectional tire for temporary use only until
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Treadwear indicator : appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Storing tires
! Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible.
Protect tires from contact with oil, grease
and fuels.
Cleaning tires
! Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in
damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a U.S.
Government requirement designed to give
drivers consistent and reliable information
regarding tire performance. Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires
based on three performance factors:
treadwear :, traction ;, and temperature
resistance =. Although not a Government of
Canada requirement, all tires made for sale in
North America have these grades branded on
the sidewall.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
Quality grades can be found, where
applicable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
TreadwearTractionTemperature200AAA
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
U.S. Government test course. For example, a
tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
GWarning!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
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to the tire manufacturer’s recommended
intervals 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 necessary, according
to the degree of tire wear. The same rotation
(spinning) direction must be maintained.
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 “Flat
tire” (Y page 232).
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:
:Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(Y page 166)
;DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Y page 171)
=Maximum tire load (Y page 164)?Maximum tire inflation pressure
(Y page 160)
AManufacturerBTire ply material (Y page 172)CTire size designation, load and speed
rating (Y page 168)
DLoad identification (Y page 171)ETire name
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
For more information, see “Rims and tires”
(Y page 250).
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating
:Tire width;Aspect ratio in %=Radial tire code?Rim diameterATire load ratingBTire speed rating
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
General: 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.
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any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to assist you.
Load identification
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
In addition to tire load rating, special load
identification : may be molded into the tire
sidewall following the letter designating the
tire speed rating B (Y page 168).
RNo specification given: absence of any text
(like in above example) indicates a
standard load (SL) tire.
RXL or Extra Load: designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
RLight Load: designates a light load tire.
RC, D, E: designates load range associated
with the maximum load a tire can carry at
a specified pressure.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations require each new tire
manufacturer or tire retreader to mold a TIN
into or onto a sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identifier which facilitates
efforts by tire manufactures to notify
purchasers in recall situations or other safety
matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify such
tires.
The TIN is comprised of “Manufacturer’s
identification mark” ;, “Tire size” =, “Tire
type code” ? and “Date of manufacture”
A.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
Tire branding symbol : denotes that the tire
meets requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Manufacturer’s identification mark
Manufacturer’s identification mark ;
denotes the tire manufacturer.
New tires have a mark with two symbols.
Retreaded tires have a mark with four
symbols. For more information on retreaded
tires, see (Y page 154).
Tire size
Code = indicates the tire size.
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Tire type code
Tire type code ? may, at the option of the
manufacturer, be used as a descriptive code
for identifying significant characteristics of
the tire.
Date of manufacture
The date of manufacture A identifies the
week and year of manufacture.
The first two figures identify the week,
starting with “01” to represent the first full
week of the calendar year. The second two
figures represent the year.
For example, “3202” represents the 32nd
week of 2002.
Tire ply material
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
This marking tells you about the type of cord
and number of plies in the sidewall : and
under the tread ;.
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-installed
equipment (whether installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire. Air
pressure is expressed in pounds per square
inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or bar.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width expressed
in percentage.
Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There are
14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) to
1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa) to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped by
steel cords that hold the tire onto the rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle has
been sitting for at least 3 hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so equipped,
air conditioning and additional optional
equipment, but without passengers and
cargo.
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Only with a proper oil level can the vehicle
obtain a trouble-free oil supply, even on
steep gradients.
! If an engine oil level warning message
appears in the multifunction display while
driving, stop the vehicle in a safe location
or as soon at is safe to do so. Check the
engine oil level.
The engine oil level warning messages
should not be ignored. Extended driving
with the message displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Tires
RCheck the tread depth and maintain
specified tire inflation pressure. A placard
with the recommended tire inflation
pressures is located on the driver’s door B-
pillar (Y page 161).
RCheck tires for possible damage and
remove foreign objects.
RReplace missing valve caps.
Rims
RDented or bent rims can cause tire inflation
pressure loss and damage the tire beads.
For this reason, check and, if necessary,
change rims before driving off-road.
Vehicle tool kit
RCheck if the jack (Y page 195) is
functional.
RAlways take the vehicle tool kit, a strong
tow rope, a shovel and a small plank (to put
under the jack on sandy soil) with you.
Driving in steep terrain
Slope angle
:Overhang angle, front;Overhang angle, rear:;G 55037°31°G 55 AMG23°26°
RComply with the warnings (Y page 179) and
rules for off-road driving (Y page 180).
RDriving on embankments, slopes and other
steep inclines should only be done straight
up or downhill, i. e. in the line of gravity.
Maximum vehicle climbing ability is a
80% grade which is equivalent to a slope
angle of approximately 38°. Keep in mind
that the climbing ability of the vehicle
depends on terrain conditions.
RShift automatic transmission into gear
range 2 or 1 (Y page 89).
RDrive slowly.
RUtilize the engine’s braking power when
descending a slope, observe the engine
speed (do not overrev the engine). Apply
the service brake as needed.
iFor maximum engine speed, see
“Tachometer” (Y page 96) and see vehicle
specification for your vehicle
(Y page 248).
RCheck the brakes after a lengthy
downgrade drive.
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GWarning!
Wiper blades are components that are subject
to wear and tear. Replace the wiper blades
twice a year, preferably in the spring and fall.
Otherwise the windows will not be properly
wiped. As a result, you may not be able to
observe surrounding traffic conditions and
could cause an accident.
! Never open the hood when a front wiper
arm is folded forward.
Hold on to the wiper when folding a wiper
arm back. If released, the force of the
impact from the tensioning spring could
crack the windshield or the rear window.
Do not allow a wiper arm to contact the
windshield glass or the rear window
without a wiper blade inserted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
this work carried out at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
XRemove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Removing wiper blades
! Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts.
They could tear.
XFold the wiper arm forward until it snaps
into place.
XTurn wiper blade ; at a right angle to wiper
arm =.
XPress safety tab : of attachment link ?
down and slide wiper blade ; from the end
of wiper arm =.
XRemove wiper blade ;.
Installing wiper blades
XGuide wiper blade : so that opening goes
through wiper arm ?.
XPress wiper blade : into wiper arm ?
until safety tab ; engages in attachment
link =.
XFold the wiper arm backward to rest on the
windshield.
! Make sure the wiper blades are properly
installed. Improperly installed wiper blades
may cause windshield damage.
Flat tire
Safety notes
When you replace the vehicle’s tires, you can
use the spare wheel as a regular road wheel.
However, the spare tire may not be older than
6 years. In addition, the rim and tire must be
of same size and model as the regular road
wheels.
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