288 OperationTires and wheelsPSI (P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
A standard unit of measure for air pressure
-> bar, kilopascal (kPa).
Recommended tire inflation pressure
Recommended tire inflation pressure for
normal driving conditions is listed on the
Tire and Loading Information placard locat-
ed on the driver’s door B-pillar. Provides
best handling, tread life and riding com-
fort. If so equipped, supplemental informa-
tion pertaining to special driving situations
can be found on the tire inflation pressure
label on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Sidewall
The portion of a tire between the tread and
the bead.TIN (T
ire I
dentification N
umber)
Unique identifier which facilitates efforts
by tire manufacturers to notify purchasers
in recall situations or other safety matters
concerning tires and gives purchases the
means to easily identify such tires. The TIN
is comprised of “Manufacturer’s identifica-
tion mark”, “Tire size”, “Tire type code”
and “Date of manufacture”.
Tire load rating
Numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
Tire ply composition and material used
This indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire manufac-
turers also must indicate the ply materials
in the tire and sidewall, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the
speed range for which a tire is approved.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lb) times the vehicle’s
designated seating capacity.
Traction
Force exerted by the vehicle on the road
via the tires. The amount of grip provided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
“wear bars” that show across the tread of
a tire when only
1/16in (1.6 mm) of tread
remains.
316 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Warning!
G
Each tire should be checked every other
week when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle man-
ufacturer on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(page 269) or, if available, the tire infla-
tion pressure label on the inside of the fuel
filler flap. If your vehicle has tires of a differ-
ent size than the size indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard or, if avail-
able, the tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine 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.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure tell-
tale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly underinflated tire causes the
tire to overheat 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
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.
344 Practical hintsWhat to do if ...Left display
Right display
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
±
Service
Required
Certain electronic systems are
unable to relay information to
the control system. The follow-
ing systems may have failed:
Coolant temperature gauge
Tachometer
Have the electronic systems checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Fuel System
Malfunction
Service
Required
The fuel cooling system is
malfunctioning.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
:
Engine
Oil Pressure
Service
Required
There is no oil in the engine.
There is a danger of engine
damage.
Stop your vehicle immediately in a safe location.
Switch off the engine.
Do not drive any further.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
!
The engine oil level warning should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol
displayed could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
345 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left display
Right display
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
A
Reserve Fuel
The fuel level has fallen into the
reserve range.
Refuel at the next gas station (
page 247).
Fuel Cap
Open
A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system.
The fuel filler cap may not be
closed properly or the fuel sys-
tem may be leaky.
Check the fuel filler cap (
page 247).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel filler cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
t
Tel
Enter PIN
You have not yet entered your
PIN in you telephone.
Enter the PIN for your SIM card.
I
Remove
Key
You have forgotten to remove
the SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter switch.
Replace
Key
No additional code available for
the SmartKey.
Have the SmartKey checked. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
369 Practical hints
Flat tire
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible to obtain a
new TIREFIT kit.
Bring used TIREFIT materials to an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
proper disposal.
Replace your TIREFIT container every
4 years. Replacement containers are
available at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Have worn or damaged tires replaced in
pairs (front pair or rear pair) an make sure
the tires rotate in the direction specified
(page 262). Otherwise, the driving stabili-
ty of the vehicle will be adversely affected,
especially when driving at high speeds.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout.
Warning!
G
Do not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h). A TIREFIT repair is not designed
to operate at higher speeds.
The sticker must be attached on the instru-
ment cluster where it will be easily seen by
the driver.
Vehicle handling characteristics may
change. Adapt your driving accordingly.
385 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
!
For safety reasons, only use tires and rims
which have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on SLR vehicles. Tires
approved by Mercedes-Benz are developed to
provide best possible performance in conjunc-
tion with the driving safety systems on your
vehicle such as ABS or ESP
®.
!
Using tires and rims other than those ap-
proved 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.
This may result in damage to the tires or the
vehicle.
i
Further information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter. A placard with the recommended tire infla-
tion pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire pressure information for driving at high
speeds (
page 269) or for vehicle loads less
than the maximum loaded vehicle condition. If
such information is provided, it can be found on
the placard located on the inside of the fuel filler
flap. The tire pressure should be checked regu-
larly and should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
397 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:
The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:
Warm-up hesitation
Unstable idle
Knocking/pinging
Misfire
Power loss
!
To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded is not available and
low octane fuel is used, follow these precau-
tions:
Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.
Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.
Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.
Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.
405 Technical terms
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible. This
very quickly accelerates the vehicle
and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 287)
Maximum load rating
(page 287)
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(page 287)
Maximum tire inflation pressure
(page 287)MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
Two display fields in the instrument
cluster used to present information
provided by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for
operating the control system.
Normal occupant weight
(
page 287)OCS
(O
ccupant C
lassification S
ystem)
The system automatically turns the
front passenger front air bag on or off
based on the classified occupant size
category determined by weight sensor
readings from the seat.
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
on the tachometer dial. Avoid this
engine speed range, as it may result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.