2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN traction control

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
000D0017
The yellow ESP
®
warning lamp flashes
while the vehicle is in
motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 66).0015
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while
the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 66).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. 0003
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT
handling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running.
SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Only switch to SPORT handling mode in accordance with the
conditions written in the "Activating/deactivating SPORT
handling mode" section (Y page 68). Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
247On-board computer and displays Z

or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over curbs, speed humps or similar
elevations, try to do so slowly and at an
obtuse angle. Otherwise, the tires,
particularly the sidewalls, may be
damaged. Regular checking of wheels and tires
G
WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle. There is a risk of
accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
R Regularly check the wheels and tires of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts,
punctures, tears, bulges on tires and
deformation or cracks or severe corrosion
on wheels) at least once amonth, as well
as after driving off-road or on rough roads.
Damaged wheels can cause a loss of tire
pressure.
R Regularly check the tire tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tire (Y page 311). If necessary,
turn the front wheels to full lock in order to
inspect the inner side of the tire surface.
R All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
mount anything onto the valve other than
the standard valve cap or other valve caps
approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle. Do not use any other valve caps or
systems, e.g. tire pressure monitoring
systems.
R Regularly check the pressure of all the tires
including the emergency spare wheel or the
spare wheel, particularly prior to long trips,
and correc tthe pressure as necessary
(Y page 313). Tire tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at
different locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
R Summer tires: 0009in (3 mm)
R M+S tires: 000Ain (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Treadweari ndicators (TWI) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire
tread. They are visible once the tread depth
is approximately 0008in (1.6 mm). If thi sisthe
case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced. Bar indicator
0002for tread wear is integrated
into the tire tread. Operation
311Wheels and tires Z

Always observe the maximu
mpermissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
When you have mounted M+S tires:
X Check the tire pressures (Y page 317).
X Vehicles for Canada: restart the tire
pressure loss warning system
(Y page 317).
X Vehicles for USA: restart the tire pressure
monitor (Y page 318).
For more information on driving with the
emergency spare wheel, see (Y page 342).Snow chains
G
WARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never install snow chains to the front
wheels
R always install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
! On some tire sizes there is not enough
space for snow chains. To avoid damage to
the vehicle or tires, observe the "Wheel and
tire combinations" section under "Tires and
wheels".
! Vehicles with steel wheels: if you wish
to mount snow chains on steel wheels,
make sure that you remove the respective
wheels' hubcaps first .The hubcaps may
otherwise be damaged.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use snow chains
that have been specially approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a
corresponding standard of quality. If you intend to mount snow chains, please
bear the following points in mind:
R snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible
wheel-tire combinations (Y page 338).
R only use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to a road that is not snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate
regulations if you wish to mount snow
chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
i You may wish to deactivate
ESP ®
(Y page 66) when pulling away with
snow chains installed. You can thereby
allow the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving an increased driving
force (cutting action).
For more information on driving with the
emergency spare wheel, see (Y page 342). Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
G
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
R the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
R the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as
steering and braking, may be greatly
impaired.
There is a risk of an accident. Tire pressure
313Wheels and tires
Z

i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Maximum tire load 0002is the maximum
permissible weight for which the tire is
approved. Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards Overview of Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are
U.S. government specifications. Their
purpose is to provide drivers with uniform
reliable information on tire performance data.
tire manufacturers have to grade tires using
three performance factors: tread wear
0002,
tire traction 0003and heat resistance 0022. All
tires sold in North America are provided with
the corresponding quality class mark on the
sidewall of the tire, even though these
regulations do not apply to Canada. i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Where applicable, the tire grading
information can be found on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and maximum
tire width.
For example: Treadwear Traction Temperature
200 AA A
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory 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 course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half
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 conditions. Traction
G
WARNING
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.
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on a wet surface as
measured under controlled conditions on 326
Uniform Tire Quality Grading StandardsWheels and tires

specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete.
Atire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road
surfaces.
You should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
the freezing point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum
tread depth of 000Ain(4 mm) for all four winter
tires (Y page 312) to maintai nnormal driving
characteristics in winter. Winter tires can
reduce the braking distance on snow-covered
surfaces in comparison with summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with ice or snow. Take
appropriate care when driving.
! Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train. Temperature
G
WARNING
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. These represent the tire's
resistance to the generatio nofheat 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 Ccorresponds 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. Tire labeling
Overview of tire labeling
The following markings are on the tire in
addition to the tire name (sales designation)
and the manufacturer's name: 0002
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard
(Ypage 331)
0003 DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 330)
0022 Maximum tire load (Y page 325)
0021 Maximum tire pressure (Y page 316)
001F Manufacturer
0020 Tire material (Y page 331)
0012 Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed index (Y page 328)
0013 Load index (Y page 330)
0014 Tire name
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example. Tire labeling
327Wheels and tires Z

Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent. Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to each square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal
(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should only
be corrected when the tires are cold. Tire pressure of cold tires
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked without
direct sunligh tonthe tires for at least three
hours and
R if the vehicle has not been driven further
than 1 mile (1.6 km) Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road. Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on the wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim. Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead. Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-
performance battery, are not included in the
curb weight and the weight of the
accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used
by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is made up of the
manufacturer's identity code, tire size, tire
type code and the manufacturing date. Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a
code that contains the maximum load bearing
capacity of a tire. Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the
tires and the road surface. Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are
distributed over the tire tread. If the tire tread
is level with the bars, the wear limit of 0008in
(1.6 mm) has been reached. Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions. Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(150 lbs) multiplied by the number of seats in
the vehicle. Definition of terms for tires and loading
333Wheels and tires Z