other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over
kerbs, speed humps or similar elevations, try
to do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tyres, particularly the sidewalls,
may be damaged. Regular checking of wheels and tyres
G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As aresult, you could lose control
of your vehicle. There is arisk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tyres immediately.
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of your
vehicle for damage at least once amonth, as
well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause aloss of
tyre pressure. Pay particular attention to
damage such as:
R cuts in the tyres
R punctures
R tears in the tyres
R bulges on tyres
R deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tyre (Y page 329). If necessary, turn
the front wheels to full lock in order to inspect
the inner side of the tyre surface.
All wheels must have avalve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not fit
anything ontot he valve other than the stand-
ard valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not fit any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tyre pres-
sure monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tyres,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tyre
pressure as necessary (Y page 331).
Observe the notes on the emergenc yspare
wheel (Y page 351). The service life of tyres depends on various
factors, including the following:
R
driving style
R tyre pressure
R tyre mileage Tyret
read G
WARNING
Insufficient tyre tread will reduce tyre trac-
tion. The tyre is no longer able to dissipate
water. This means that on wet road surfaces,
the risk of aquaplaning increases, in particular
where speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is arisk of accident.
If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, tyres
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tyre tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tyres.
Minimum tyre tread depth for:
R summer tyres: 3mm
R M+S tyres: 4mm
For safety reasons, replace the tyres before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tyre tread depth is reached.. Selecting, fitting and replacing tyres
R Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R Only fit tyres of the correc tsize ontot he
wheels.
R Run in new tyres at moderate speeds for
the first 100 km. They only reach their full
performanc eafter this distance.
R Do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth. This otherwise significantly
reduces the traction on wet roads (aqua-
planing).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. Operation
329Wheels and tyres Z
Snow chains
G
WARNING
If you have fitted snow chains to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tyres.
There is arisk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the front wheels
R fit snow chains to the rear wheels in pairs.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz, or that are of acorre-
sponding standard of quality.
If you intendtof it snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel-
tyre combinations. Permissible wheel-tyre
combination s(Ypage 341).
R only use snow chains when the road sur-
face is completely snow-covered. Remove
the snow chains as soon as possible when
you come to aroad that is not snow-cov-
ered.
R local regulations may restrictt he use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate reg-
ulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
R on vehicles with AIRMATIC, you must drive
at raised vehicle level if snow chains have
been fitted (Y page 181).
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
(Y page 66). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in acontrolled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action).
For more information on driving with an emer-
gency spare wheel, see (Y page 351). Tyrep
ressure Tyrep
ressur especifications G
WARNING
Tyres with too low or too high tyre pressure
contain the following hazards:
R they can burst, in particular if the vehicle is
heavily laden or when driven at high
speeds.
R the tyres can wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which can severely impair tyre
traction.
R the driving, steering and braking character-
istics may be severely impaired.
There is arisk of accident.
Follow recommended tyre inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tyres includ-
ing the spare wheel:
R at least every two weeks
R if the load changes
R before beginning along journey
R for changed operating conditions, e.g. off-
road driving
If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. G
WARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tyre
valves, the tyre valves may be overloaded and
malfunction, which can cause tyre pressure
loss. Due to their design, retrofitted tyre pres-
sure monitors keep the tyre valve open. This
can also result in tyre pressure loss. There is
ar isk of accident.
Only screw standard valve caps or valve caps
specifically provided by Mercedes-Ben zfor
your vehicle onto the tyre valve. G
WARNING
If the tyre pressure drops repeatedly, the
wheel, valve or tyre may be damaged. Tyre
pressure that is too low may result in atyre
blow-out. There is arisk of accident. Tyrep
ressure
331Wheels and tyres
Z
