2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG wheel size

sharply reduced at tread depths of less
than 1
/ 8 in (3 mm).
R When replacing individual tires, you should
mount new tires on the front wheels first
(on vehicles with same-sized wheels all
around).
Recommended tire inflation pressure
GWarning!
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.
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.
Your vehicle is equipped with the Tire and
Loading Information placard located on the
driver’s door B-pillar ( Y page 334).
The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly. Only adjust the tire inflation
pressure on cold tires. The tires can be
considered cold if the vehicle has been
parked for at least 3 hours or driven less than
1 mile (1.6 km). Depending on the ambient
temperature, the driving speed and the tire
load, the tire temperature changes. When the
tire temperature changes by 18 ‡ (10†), the
tire inflation pressure will change by
approximately 10 kPa (0.1 bar, 1.5 psi). Keep
this in mind when checking tire inflation
pressure on 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 328).
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 0046 for maximum loaded vehicle
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The TPMS only functions on wheels that are
equipped with the proper electronic sensors.GWarning!
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures. Always
adjust tire inflation pressure according to the
Tire and Loading Information placard or the
supplemental tire inflation pressure
information on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g. tire
blowout caused by a foreign object). In this
case bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully
applying the brakes and avoiding abrupt
steering maneuvers.
GWarning!
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once a month
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door B-
pillar or 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
determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires are significantly underinflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale 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 vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability. Please note that
the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’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 combined 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 subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
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
incompatible 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.
i USA only:
If a condition causing the TPMS to
malfunction develops, it may take up to
10 minutes for the system to signal a
malfunction using the TPMS telltale
flashing and illumination sequence.
The telltale extinguishes after a few
minutes driving if the malfunction has been
corrected.
Tire pressure inquiries are made using the
multifunction display. The current tire
inflation pressure for each tire appears in the
multifunction display after a few minutes of
driving.
i Possible differences between the
readings of a tire pressure gauge of an air
hose, e.g. gas station equipment, and the330Tires and wheelsOperation
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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.0046Driver’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
GWarning!
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.
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.
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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 337).
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 335).
Example 1Example 2Step 1Combined weight limit of
occupants and cargo from
Tire and Loading Information
placard1 500 lbs1 500 lbsStep 2Number of occupants (driver
and passengers)12Occupants weightOccupant 1: 175 lbsOccupant 1: 175 lbs
Occupant 2: 195 lbsCombined weight of all
occupants175 lbs370 lbsStep 3Available cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (total
load limit from Tire and
Loading Information placard
minus combined weight of all
occupants)1 500 lbs - 175 lbs =
1 325 lbs1 500 lbs - 370 lbs =
1 130 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 337).
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the combined weight of all occupants, cargo and the trailer
tongue load (if applicable) (Y page 337) as to not exceed the permissible load limit, you must
make sure your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. You can obtain the GVWR and
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approximately 1
/ 6 in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics. On
packed snow, they can reduce your stopping
distance compared to summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise
appropriate caution.
! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Temperature GWarning!
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires
must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Rotating tires
GWarning!
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs. rear),
tire rotation is not possible.GWarning!
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
96 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts
specified for your vehicle's rims.
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all around.
If your vehicle is equipped with tires of the
same dimension all around, tires can be
rotated, observing a front-to-rear rotation
pattern that will maintain the intended
rotation (spinning) direction of the tire
( Y page 337).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle is
equipped with mixed-size tires (different tire
dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation is not
possible.
If applicable to your vehicle’s tire
configuration, tires can be rotated according
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 “Wheel
change” ( Y page 405).
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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:
0046Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
( Y page 339)0047DOT, Tire Identification Number
( Y page 344)008AMaximum tire load ( Y page 337)0088Maximum tire inflation pressure
( Y page 333)0086Manufacturer0087Tire ply material ( Y page 344)006ETire size designation, load and speed
rating ( Y page 341)006FLoad identification ( Y page 343)0070Tire name
i
For 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 346).
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating0046Tire width0047Aspect ratio in %008ARadial tire code0088Rim diameter0086Load index 0087Speed symbol
i For 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.
No letter preceding the size designation (as
illustrated above): Passenger car tire based
on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only.
Tire width
Tire width 0046 indicates the nominal tire width
in millimeters.
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Aspect ratio
Aspect ratio 0047 is the dimensional
relationship between tire section height and
section width and is expressed in percentage.
The aspect ratio is arrived at by dividing
section height by section width.
Tire code
Tire code 008A indicates the tire construction
type. The “R” stands for radial tire type. Letter
“D” means diagonal or bias ply construction;
letter “B” means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18). For
additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” ( Y page 342).
Rim diameter
Rim diameter 0088 is the diameter of the bead
seat, not the diameter of the rim edge. The
rim diameter is indicated in inches (in).
Load indexGWarning!
The tire load rating must always be at least
half of the GAWR of your vehicle. Otherwise,
tire failure may be the result which may cause
an accident and/or serious injury to you or
others.
Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as shown
on the original part.
GWarning!
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.
Load index 0086 is a numerical code associated
with the maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corresponds
to a maximum load of 1356 lb (615 kg) the
tire is designed to support. See also
“Maximum tire load” (Y page 337) where the
maximum load associated with the load index
is indicated in kilograms and lbs.
For additional information on the load index,
see “Load identification” ( Y page 343).
Speed symbol GWarning!
Even when permitted by law, never operate a
vehicle at speeds greater than the maximum
speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which tires
are rated can lead to sudden tire failure,
causing loss of vehicle control and possibly
resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use prudent
driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
Speed symbol 0087 indicates the approved
maximum speed (tire speed rating) for the
tire.
Summer tires
IndexSpeed ratingQup to 100 mph (160 km/h)Rup to 106 mph (170 km/h)Sup to 112 mph (180 km/h)Tup to 118 mph (190 km/h)Hup to 130 mph (210 km/h)Vup to 149 mph (240 km/h)Wup to 168 mph (270 km/h)Yup to 186 mph (300 km/h)ZR...Yup to 186 mph (300 km/h)342Tires and wheelsOperation
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IndexSpeed ratingZR...(..Y)above 186 mph (300 km/h)ZRabove 149 mph (240 km/h)
RAt the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR18).
To determine the maximum speed
capability of the tire, the service
description for the tire must be referred to.
The service description is comprised of
load index 0086 and speed symbol 0087.
If your tire includes “ZR” in the size
designation and no service description is
given, the tire manufacturer must be
consulted for the maximum speed
capability.
If a service description is given, the speed
capability is limited by the speed symbol in
the service description. Example:
245/40 ZR18 97Y. In this example, “97Y”
is the service description. The letter “Y”
designates the speed rating and the speed
capability of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).
R Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a “ZR”
in the size designation AND the service
description must be placed in parenthesis.
Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99Y). The “(Y)”
speed symbol in parenthesis designates
the maximum speed capability of the tire
as being above 186 mph (300 km/h).
Consult the tire manufacturer for the actual
maximum permissible speed of the tire.
All-season and winter tires
IndexSpeed ratingQ M+S 10up to 100 mph (160 km/h)T M+S 10up to 118 mph (190 km/h)IndexSpeed ratingH
M+S 10up to 130 mph (210 km/h)V M+S 10up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
i
Not all M+S rated tires provide special
winter performance. Make sure the tires
you use show M+S and the mountain/
snowflake 004Dmarking on the tire
sidewall. These tires meet specific snow
traction performance requirements of the
Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA)
and the Rubber Association of Canada
(RAC) and have been designed specifically
for use in snow conditions.
The factory equipped tires on your vehicle
may have a tire speed rating above the
maximum speed permitted by the electronic
speed limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle in
the “Technical data” section ( Y page 424),
for example when purchasing new tires.
If you are uncertain about the correct reading
of the information given on a tire’s sidewall,
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to assist you.
Load identification
i For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
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