warm tires and adjust the tire pressure only
if the tire inflation pressure is too low for the
current operating conditions. If you check the
tire inflation pressure when the tires are
warm, the reading will be higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let air out to
match the specified cold tire inflation
pressure. Otherwise, the tire will be
underinflated.
Follow recommended cold tire inflation
pressures listed on Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door
B-pillar.
Keeping the tires properly inflated provides
the best handling, tread life and riding
comfort.
In addition to the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door
B-pillar, also consult the tire inflation
pressure label on the inside of the filler flap
for any additional information pertaining to
special driving situations. For more
information, see “Important notes on tire
inflation pressure” (
Y page 375).
i Data shown on Tire and Loading
Information placard example are for
illustration purposes only. Tire 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. The Tire and Loading Information placard lists
the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
: for maximum loaded vehicle
weight. The tire inflation pressures listed
apply to the tires installed as original
equipment.
Important notes on tire inflation
pressure G
Warning!
If the tire inflation pressure drops repeatedly,
check the tires for punctures from foreign
objects and/or whether air is leaking from the
valves or from around the rim.
Tire temperature and tire inflation pressure
are also increased while driving, depending
on the driving speed and the tire load.
If you will be driving your vehicle at high
speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h) or higher,
where it is legal and conditions allow, consult
the tire inflation pressure label on the inside
of the fuel filler flap on how to adjust the cold
tire inflation pressure. If you do not adjust the
tire inflation pressure, excessive heat can
build up and result in sudden tire failure.
If you are not sure about the proper tire
inflation, contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
i Driving comfort may be reduced when the
tire inflation pressure is adjusted to the
value for speeds above 100 mph
(160 km/h) as specified on the tire inflation
pressure label located on the inside of the
fuel filler flap.
Make sure to readjust the tire inflation
pressure for normal driving speeds.
Supplemental tire inflation pressure
information for different loading conditions of
the vehicle can be found on the tire inflation
pressure label. The tire inflation pressure
label is located on the inside of the fuel filler
flap. Tires and wheels
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Maximum tire inflation pressure
G
Warning!
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure. Follow recommended 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. i
For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
This is the maximum permissible tire inflation
pressure : for the tire.
Always follow the recommended tire inflation
pressure ( Y page 374) for proper tire
inflation. Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
(1) The Tire and Loading Information placard can be found on the driver’s door B-pillar. This placard tells you important
information about the number of people
that can be in the vehicle and the total
weight that can be carried in the vehicle.
It also contains information on the proper
size and recommended tire inflation
pressures for the original equipment tires
on your vehicle.
(2) The certification label, also found on the driver’s door B-pillar. It tells you about the
gross weight capacity of your vehicle,
called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and
cargo. The certification label also tells
you about the front and rear axle weight
capacity, called the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR).
The GAWR is the total allowable weight
that can be carried by a single axle (front
or rear). Never exceed the GVWR or
GAWR for either the front axle or rear
axle. :
Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work with
the information contained on the Tire and
Loading Information placard with regards to
loading your vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the Tires and wheels
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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.
Tire and Loading Information placard i
Data shown on Tire and Loading
Information placard example are for
illustration purposes only. Load limit 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. The Tire and Loading Information placard
showing load limit information
: is located
on the driver’s door B-pillar ( Y page 381).
X Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.”
on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
The combined weight of all occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue load (if
applicable) should never exceed the weight
referenced in that statement.
Seating capacity i
Data 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.
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 381).
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”.
X
Step 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.
X Step 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
X Step 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.
X Step 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 382
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amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs
(1 400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
X Step 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.
X Step 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 385).
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 382). Tires and wheels
383
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Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 1 Combined weight limit
of
occupants
and cargo
from Tire and Loading
Information placard 1 500 lbs 1 500 lbs 1 500 lbs
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 2 Number of occupants
(driver
and
passengers) 5 3 1
Seating configuration
front: 2
rear: 3 front: 1
rear: 2 front: 1
Occupants weight
Occupant 1:
150 lbs
Occupant 2:
180 lbs
Occupant 3:
160 lbs
Occupant 4:
140 lbs
Occupant 5:
120 lbs Occupant 1:
200 lbs
Occupant 2:
190 lbs
Occupant 3:
150 lbs Occupant 1:
150 lbs
Combined weight of all
occupants
750 lbs 540 lbs 150 lbs
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 3 Available cargo/
luggage and trailer
tongue weight (total
load
limit
from Tire and
Loading Information
placard minus
combined weight of all
occupants) 1 500 lbs -
750 lbs =
750 lbs 1 500 lbs -
540 lbs =
960 lbs 1 500 lbs -
150 lbs =
1 350 lbs
The higher the weight of all occupants, the
less cargo and luggage load capacity is
available.
For more information, see “Trailer tongue
load”
(Y
page 385). Certification label Even after careful determination of the
combined
weight
of all occupants, cargo and
the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(Y page 385) as to not exceed the
permissible load limit, you must make sure
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehicle 384
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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 480).
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.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their cargo.
Mercedes-Benz does not recommend trailer
towing with your vehicle.
Maximum tire load
G
Warning!
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.
i
For 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 390).
For information on calculating total and cargo
load capacities, see ( Y page 382). 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
the regular drive wheel has been repaired or
replaced. Always observe and follow
applicable temporary use restrictions and
speed limitations indicated on the spare
wheel. Tires and wheels
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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, “3208” represents the 32nd
week of 2008. Tire ply material
i
For 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), kilopascal (kPa), or bar.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width expressed
in percentage.
Bar
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.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the tire
meets requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation. Tires and wheels
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GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible axle
weight.
The
gross vehicle weight on each axle
must never exceed the GAWR for the front
and rear axle indicated on the certification
label located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) The GVW comprises the weight of the vehicle
including fuel, tools, spare wheel, installed
accessories, passengers and cargo and, if
applicable,
trailer
tongue load. The GVW must
never exceed the GVWR indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s door
B-pillar.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) This is the maximum permissible vehicle
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight of
the
vehicle
including all options, passengers,
fuel, and cargo and, if applicable, trailer
tongue load). It is indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s door
B-pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa) Metric unit for air pressure. There are 6.9 kPa
to 1 psi; another metric unit for air pressure
is bar. There are 100 kilopascals (kPa) to
1 bar.
Load index
Numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
Maximum load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of curb weight, accessory weight,
total load limit, and production options
weight. Maximum permissible tire inflation
pressure This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is
designed to seat, multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lb).
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions.
Production options weight
The combined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over
5 lbs (2.3 kilograms) in excess of those
standard items which they replace, not
previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
PSI (Pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for air pressure.
Recommended tire inflation pressure
The recommended tire inflation pressure for
normal
driving
conditions is listed on the Tire
and Loading Information placard located on
the driver’s door B-pillar. It provides best
handling, tread life and riding comfort.
Supplemental information 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.394
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