Flat tyre
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with: R MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 347)
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tyres.
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 345)
R an emergency spare wheel (only for certain
countries) (Y page 390)
Information on changing/fitting a wheel
(Y page 373).
X Stop the vehicle as far away as possible
from traffic on solid, non-slippery and level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 180).
X If possible, bring the front wheels into the
straight-ahead position.
X Vehicles with AIRMATIC: make sure that
"normal" level is selected (Y page 202).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0 . This is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 159).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditions when doing so. X
Close the driver's door.
X Place the warning triangle a suitable dis-
tance away (Y page 344). Observe legal
requirements. MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
General notes With MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tyres. The affected
tyre must not show any clearly visible dam-
age.
You can recognise MOExtended tyres by the
MOExtended marking which appears on the
tyre wall. You will find this marking next to the
tyre size designation, the load-bearing capa-
city and the speed index.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in con-
junction with an active tyre pressure loss
warning system or tyre pressure monitoring
system.
If the pressure loss warning message
appears in the multifunction display:
R observe the instructions in the display mes-
sages (Y page 280).
R check the tyre for damage.
R if driving on, observe the following notes.
The maximum driving distance is approx-
imately 80 km when the vehicle is partially
laden and approximately 30 km when the
vehicle is fully laden.
In addition to the vehicle load, the driving dis- tance possible depends upon:
R speed
R road condition
R outside temperature
The driving distance possible in run-flat mode may be reduced by extreme driving condi-
tions/manoeuvres, or it can be increased
through a moderate style of driving. Flat tyre
347Breakdown assistance
!
Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,
recover the vehicle with a crane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use
the key instead of the Start/Stop button.
The automatic transmission may otherwise switch to position Pwhen you open the
driver's or front-passenger door which
could damage the transmission.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum of
50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per- missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged. Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed away
(Y page 90). You could otherwise be locked
out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
i Deactivate tow-away protection before
the vehicle is towed away (Y page 79). Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be extremely hot.
There is a risk of burning when removing the
rear cover.
Do not touch the exhaust tail pipe. Use
extreme caution when removing the rear
cover. Towing eye covers (example: CLS Coupé)
Towing eye covers (AMG vehicles)358
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear under the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 345).
X Pull cover :out of the bumper in the
direction of the arrow by inserting your fin-
gers into the recess.
X Press the mark on cover ;inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Remove cover ;from the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Position cover :on top of the bumper and
press it in at the bottom until it engages.
X Attach cover ;to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
Only possible on vehicles without
4MATIC.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 126).
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0 and remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the key or
the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 357). Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 357).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove the key from the ignition lock. In order to
ensure that the automatic transmission stays
in position Nwhen towing the vehicle, you
must observe the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 0in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 159).
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 126).
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition
lock.
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal a change of direc- tion. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When you reset
the combination switch, the hazard warn-
ing lamps start flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged. Towing and tow-starting
359Breakdown assistance Z
Interchanging the front and rear wheels of
differing dimensions can render the general
operating permit invalid.
Observe the instructions and safety notes in
the "Fitting a wheel" section (Y page 374).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres differ depending on the operating conditions.Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. Front tyres
typically wear more on the shoulders and the
rear tyres in the centre.
On vehicles that have the same size front and rear wheels, you can interchange the wheels
every 5,000 to 10,000 km depending on the
degree of tyre wear. Ensure that the direction
of rotation is maintained.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and, if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system or the tyre pressure monitor. Direction of rotation
Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation. Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tyres against oil, grease, petrol and diesel. Cleaning the wheels
G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind- ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com- ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu- lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam-aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately. Fitting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Move the front wheels to the straight-
ahead position.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Vehicles with AIRMATIC: make sure that
"normal" vehicle level is selected
(Y page 202).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 159).
X If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tyre-change tool kit from the
vehicle (Y page 345).
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
i Apart from some country-specific var-
iants, vehicles are not equipped with tyre-
changing tools. Some tools for changing a
wheel are specific to the vehicle. For more information on which tools are required to
perform a wheel change on your vehicle,
consult a qualified specialist workshop. 374
Changing a wheelWheels and tyres
R
before raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and positioning wheel chocks. Never
release the parking brake while the vehicle
is raised.
R the jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a
large, flat load-bearing underlay must be
used. On a slippery surface, a non-slip
underlay must be used, e.g. rubber mats.
R do not use wooden blocks or similar
objects as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the
jack will not be able to achieve its load-
bearing capacity due to the restricted
height.
R make sure that the distance between the
underside of the tyres and the ground does
not exceed 3 cm.
R never place your hands or feet under the
raised vehicle.
R do not lie under the vehicle.
R do not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
R do not open or close a door or the boot lid/
tailgate when the vehicle is raised.
R make sure that no persons are present in
the vehicle when the vehicle is raised. X
Using wheel wrench :, loosen the bolts on
the wheel you wish to change by about one full turn. Do not unscrew the bolts com-
pletely. Jacking points (example: CLS Coupé)
X
Position jack =at jacking point ;. Example
X Make sure that the base of the jack is posi-
tioned vertically under the jacking point.
X Turn crank ?clockwise until jack =sits
completely on jacking point ;and the
base of the jack lies evenly on the ground.
X Turn crank ?until the tyre is raised a max-
imum of 3 cm off the ground. 376
Changing a wheelWheels and tyres