2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS Owners Manual

Example: current tire pressure display
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Each tire,including the spare (ifprovided),
should be checked at least once every two
weeks when cold and inflated to the pressure
recommended by the vehiclemanufacturer
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver'sdoor B-pillar or the tire
pressure label on the inside of the fuel filler
flap.Ifyour vehicle has tires ofadifferent size
than the size indicated on the Tire and Loading
Information placard or, if available, the tire
pressure label, you should determinethe
proper tire pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped withatire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminatesalow tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires are significantly underinflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale lights up, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Drivingona
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 notasubstitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correcttire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
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 detectsamalfunction, the warning
lamp will flash for approximatelyaminute and
then remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will be repeated every time the
vehicle is started 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 foravariety 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.
It is the driver's responsibility to set the tire
pressure to that recommended for cold tires
which is suitable for the operating situation
(Ypage 338). Note that the correcttire
pressure for the current operating situation
must first be taught-in to the tire pressure
monitor. If there isasubstantial loss of
pressure, the warning threshold for the
warning message is aligned to the reference
values taught-in.Restart the tire pressure
monitor after adjustingthe pressure of the
cold tires (Ypage 345). The current
pressures are saved as new reference values.
Asaresult,awarning message will appear if
the tire pressure drops significantly.
The tire pressure monitor does not warn you
of an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure
(Ypage 338).
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn
you ofasudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the
tire is penetrated byaforeign object. In the
event ofasudden loss of pressure, bring the
vehicle toahalt by brakingcarefully. Avoid
sudden steering movements
Check343
Wheels and tires
Z

The tire pressure monitor hasayellow
warning lamp in the instrument cluster for
indicatingapressure loss or malfunction.
Whether the warning lamp flashes or lights up
indicates whetheratire pressure is too low or
the tire pressure monitor is malfunctioning:
Rif the warning lamp is lit continuously, the
tire pressure on one or more tires is
significantly too low. The tire pressure
monitor is not malfunctioning.
Rif the warning lamp flashes for around a
minute and then remains lit constantly, the
tire pressure monitor is malfunctioning.
If the tire pressure monitor is malfunctioning,
it may take more than ten minutes for the tire
pressure warning lamp to inform you of the
malfunction by flashing for approximately one
minute and then remaining lit. When the
malfunction has been rectified, the tire
pressure warning lamp goes out afterafew
minutes of driving.
The tire pressure values indicated by the on-
board computer may differ from those
measured atagas station withapressure
gauge. The tire pressures shown by the on-
board computer refer to those measured at
sea level. At high altitudes, the tire pressure
values indicated byapressure gauge are
higher than those shown by the on-board
computer.Inthis case, do not reduce the tire
pressures.
The operation of the tire pressure monitor can
be affected by interference from radio
transmitting equipment (e.g. radio
headphones, two-way radios) that may be
being operated in or near the vehicle.
Checking the tire pressure
electronically
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2(Ypage 147) in the ignition lock .
XPress the\norbutton on the
steering wheel to select theServ.menu.
XPress theorbutton to select
Tire Pressure.
XPress thebutton.
The current tire pressure of each tire is
shown in the multifunction display.
If the vehicle was parked for longer than
20 minutes,theTirepressureswillbe
displayed after drivingafew
minutesmessage is shown.
Afterateach-in process, the tire pressure
monitor automatically detects new wheels or
new sensors. As long asaclear allocation of
the tire pressure value to the individual
wheels is not possible, theTire Pressure
Monitor Activedisplaymessage is shown
instead of the tire pressure display. The tire
pressures are already being monitored.
iIf an emergency spare wheel is mounted,
the system may continue to show the tire
pressure of the wheel that has been
removed forafew minutes. If this occurs,
note that the value displayed for the
position where the spare wheel is mounted
is not the same as the current tire pressure
of the emergency spare wheel.
Tire pressuremonitor warning
messages
If the tire pressure monitor detectsapressure
loss in one or more tires,awarning message
is shown in the multifunction displayand the
yellow tire pressure monitor warning lamp
comes on.
RIf theCorrect Tire Pressuremessage
appears in the multifunction display, the
tire pressure in at least one tire is too low
and must be corrected at the next
opportunity.
RIf theCheck Tire Pressuremessage
appears in the multifunction display, the
tire pressure in one or more tires has
dropped significantly and the tires must be
checked.
RIf theTire Malfunctionappears in the
multifunction display, the tire pressure in
344Check
Wheels and tires

one or more tires has dropped suddenly
and the tires must be checked.
Observe the instructions and safety notes in
the display messages in the "Tires" section
(Ypage 258).
iIf the wheel positions on the vehicle are
rotated, the tire pressures may be
displayed for the wrong positions for a
short time. This is rectified afterafew
minutes of driving, and the tire pressures
are displayed for the correctpositions.
Restarting the tire pressuremonitor
When you restart the tire pressure monitor,
all existingwarning messages are deleted and
the warning lamps go out. The monitor uses
the currently set tire pressures as the
reference values for monitoring. In most
cases, the tire pressure monitor will
automatically detect the new reference
values after you have changed the tire
pressure. However, you can also define
reference values manually as described here.
The tire pressure monitor then monitors the
new tire pressure values.
XSet the tire pressure to the value
recommended for the corresponding
driving situation on the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the B-pillar on the
driver's side (Ypage 338).
Additional tire pressure values for different
loads can also be found on the tire pressure
table on the inside of the fuel filler flap
(Ypage 338).
XMake sure that the tire pressure is correct
on all four wheels.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2in the ignition lock.
XPress the\norbutton on the
steeringwheel to select theServ.menu.
XPress theorbutton to select
Tire Pressure.
XPress thebutton.
The multifunction display shows the
current tire pressure for each tire or the
Tire pressures will be displayed
after drivingafew minutes
message.
XPress thebutton.
The multifunction display shows theUse
CurrentPressuresasNewReference
Valuesmessage.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
XPress thebutton.
TheTire Press. Monitor Restarted
message appears in the multifunction
display.
After driving forafew minutes, the system
checkswhether the current tire pressures
are within the specified range. The new tire
pressures are then accepted as reference
values and monitored.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
XPress thebutton.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Loading the vehicle
Instruction labels for tires and loads
GWARNING
Overloaded tires can overheat, causing a
blowout. Overloaded tires can also impair the
steering and driving characteristics and lead
to brake failure. There isarisk of accident.
Observe the load rating of the tires. The load
rating must be at least half of the GAWR of
your vehicle. Never overload the tires by
exceeding the maximum load.
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1) The Tire and Loading Information placard
is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The
Tire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum permissible number
of occupantsand the maximum
permissible vehicle load. It also contains
Loading the vehicle345
Wheels and tires
Z

details of the tire sizes and
correspondingpressures for tires
mounted at the factory.
(2) The vehicle identification plate is on the
B-pillar on the driver'sside. The vehicle
identification plate informsyou of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
of the vehicle weight, all vehicle
occupants, the fuel and the cargo. You
can also find information about the
maximum gross axle weight rating on the
front and rear axle.
The maximum gross axle weight rating is
the maximum weight that can be carried
by one axle (front or rear axle). Never
exceed the maximum load or the
maximum gross axle weight rating for the
front or rear axle.
B-pillar, driver's side
Maximumpermissible grossvehicle
weight rating
XSpecification for maximum gross vehicle
weightis listed in theTire and Loading
Information placard: "The combinedweight
of occupantsand cargo should never
exceed XXX kilogramsorXXX lbs."
The gross weight of all vehicle occupants,
load and luggage must notexceedthe
specified value.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Informationplacard in the
illustrationare examples. The maximum
permissible gross vehicleweight rating is
vehicle-specific and may differ from that in
the illustration. You can find the valid
maximumpermissible gross vehicle weight
ratingfor your vehicle on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
Number of seats
Maximum number of seatsindicates the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the
illustration are examples. The number of
seats is vehicle-specific and can differ from
the details shown. The number of seats in
your vehicle can be found on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
346Loading thevehicle
Wheels and tires

Determining thecorrect loadlimit
Step-by-step instructions
The followingsteps have been developedas
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S.Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle SafetyActof 1966".
XStep 1:Locatethe 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.
XStep 2:Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
XStep 3:Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX lbs.
XStep 4:The resultingfigure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400lbs and therewill be five
150 lbs passengersinyour vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacityis650 lbs (1400-750 (5x150) =
650 lbs).
XStep 5:Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. Thatweight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.
Loading thevehicle347
Wheels and tires
Z

Example: steps1to3
The followingtable showsexamples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with
varying seating configurations and number and sizeofoccupants. The followingexamples use
amaximum load of 1500 lbs (680kg).This is forillustration purposes only.Make sure you
are using the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on your vehicle's Tire and Loading
Information placard (Ypage 345).
The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Step 1
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo(datafrom
theTireand Loading
Information placard)
1500lbs (680 kg)1500lbs (680 kg)1500lbs (680 kg)
Step 2
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Number of people in
thevehicle (driver
and occupants)
531
Distribution of the
occupants
Front:2
Rear: 3
Front:1
Rear: 2
Front:1
Weight of the
occupants
Occupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg)
Occupant 2:
180 lbs (82 kg)
Occupant 3:
160 lbs (73 kg)
Occupant 4:
140 lbs (63 kg)
Occupant 5:
120 lbs (54 kg)
Occupant 1:
200 lbs (91 kg)
Occupant 2:
190 lbs (86 kg)
Occupant 3:
150 lbs (68 kg)
Occupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg)
Gross weight of all
occupants
750 lbs (340 kg)540 lbs (245 kg)150 lbs (68 kg)
348Loading thevehicle
Wheels and tires

Step 3
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Permissible load
(maximumgross
vehicle weight rating
fromthe Tire and
Loading Information
placard minus the
gross weight of all
occupants)
1500 lbs(680kg)
"750 lbs(340kg) =
750 lbs(340kg)
1500 lbs(680kg)
"540 lbs(245kg)
=960 lbs(435kg)
1500 lbs(680kg)
"150 lbs(68 kg) =
1350 lbs(612kg)
Vehicle identificationplate
Even if youhavecalculatedthe totalcargo
carefully, youshouldstill make sure thatthe
gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle
weight rating are not exceeded. Details can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
(Ypage 345).
Permissible gross vehicle weight:the
gross weight of the vehicle, all passengers,
load and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross axle weight rating:the maximum
permissible weight that can be carried by one
axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross
vehicle weight and maximum gross axle
weight rating), have your loaded vehicle
(including driver, occupants, cargo, and full
trailer load if applicable) weighed on a
suitable vehicle weighbridge.
All about wheelsand tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are
U.S. governmentspecifications. Their
purpose is to provide drivers with uniform
reliableinformation on tire performance data.
Tire manufacturers have to grade tires using
three performance factors:tread wear
grade,traction grade and$temperature
grade. These regulations do not apply to
Canada.Nevertheless, all tires sold in North
America are provided with the corresponding
quality grading markings on the sidewall of
the tire.
Where applicable, the tire grading
information can be found on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and maximum
tire width.
All about wheels and tires349
Wheels and tires
Z

Example:
RTreadweargrade:200
RTractiongrade:AA
RTemperature grade:A
All passengercar tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in additionto
these grades.
iTheactual values for tires arevehicle-
specificand maydeviate from the values in
the illustration.
Treadwear
The treadweargrade isacomparative rating
based on the wearrate of thetirewhen tested
undercontrolled conditions onaspecified
U.S. government course. For example,atire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half
times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100.
The relative performanceoftires 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
GWARNING
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.
!Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train.
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop onawet surface as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete.Atire markedCmay have poor
traction performance.
The safe speed onawet, snowcovered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road
surfaces.
You should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezingpoint.
Mercedes-Benzrecommendsaminimum
tread depthofin(4mm)onall four winter
tires. Observe the legally required minimum
tire tread depth (Ypage335). Winter tires can
reduce the braking distance on snow-covered
surfaces in comparison with summer tires.
The braking distance is still much further than
on surfaces that are not icy or covered with
snow. Take appropriate care when driving.
Further informationonwinter tires (M+S
tires) (Ypage336).
Temperature
GWARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established foratire 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 areA(the highest),
B, and C. Theserepresent the tire's
resistancetothe generationofheat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions onaspecified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerateand reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The gradeCcorresponds toalevel
of performancewhich all passenger car tires
must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. GradesBand A
represent higher levels of performanceonthe
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
350All about wheelsand tires
Wheels and tires