2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS Owners Manual

Tire labeling
Overview
UniformTire QualityGrading Standard
(Ypage 355)
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 354)
$Maximum tireload (Ypage 353)
!Maximum tirepressure (Ypage 340)
Manufacturer
%Tire material (Ypage 354)
Tire size designation,load-bearing
capacity and speed index (Ypage 351)
Load index (Ypage 353)
Tire name
The markings described above are on the tire
in additiontothe tire name (sales
designation) and the manufacturer's name.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating
GWARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing
capacity and the approved maximum speed
could lead to tire damage or the tire bursting.
There isarisk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the
tire load rating and speed rating required for
your vehicle.
Tire width
Nominal aspect ratio in %
$Tire code
!Rim diameter
Load bearing index
%Speed rating
General:depending on the manufacturer's
standards, the size imprinted in the tire wall
may not contain any letters or may contain
one letter that precedes the size description.
If there is no letter preceding the size
description (as shown above): these are
passenger vehicle tires according to
European manufacturingstandards.
If "P" precedes the size description:these are
passenger vehicle tires according to U.S.
manufacturing standards.
If "LT" precedes the size description: these
are light truck tires according to U.S.
manufacturing standards.
If "T" precedes the size description: these are
compact emergency spare wheels at high tire
pressure, to be used only temporarily in an
emergency.
Tire width:tire widthshows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio:aspect ratiois the size ratio
between the tire height and tire width and is
shown in percent.The aspect ratio is
All about wheels and tires351
Wheels and tires
Z

calculatedbydividing the tire width by the tire
height.
Tire code:tire code$specifies the tire type.
"R"represents radialtires; "D" represents
diagonaltires; "B" represents diagonalradial
tires.
Optionally, tireswithamaximum speed of
over149 mph (240 km/h)may have "ZR" in
the size description, depending on the
manufacturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR 18).
Rim diameter:rim diameter!is the
diameter of the beadseat, not the diameter
of the rim flange. The rim diameter is
specified in inches(in).
Load-bearingindex:load-bearing index
isanumericalcode that specifies the
maximum load-bearing capacity ofatire.
Do not overload the tiresbyexceedingthe
specified load limit. The maximum
permissibleload can be found on the
vehicle's Tireand LoadingInformation
placard on theB-pillar on thedriver's side
(Ypage 345).
Example:
Load-bearingindex 91 indicatesamaximum
load of 1356 lb (615kg)that thetires can
bear.Forfurther information on themaximum
tireload in kilograms and lbs, see
(Ypage 353).
For further informationontheload bearing
index,see "Load index"(Ypage 353).
Speed rating:speedrating%specifiesthe
approved maximum speedofthetire.
iTire dataisvehicle-specific and may
deviate from thedataintheexample.
Regardless of thespeedrating,always
observethespeedlimits. Drive carefullyand
adapt your driving style to thetraffic
conditions.
Summer tires
IndexSpeed rating
Qup to 100mph (160km/h)
Rup to 106mph (170km/h)
IndexSpeed rating
Sup to 112mph (180km/h)
Tup to 118mph (190km/h)
Hup to 130mph (210km/h)
Vup to 149mph (240km/h)
Wup to 168mph (270km/h)
Yup to 186mph (300km/h)
ZR...Yup to 186mph (300km/h)
ZR...(..Y)over186mph (300km/h)
ZRover149mph (240km/h)
ROptionally, tires withamaximum speedof
over149mph (240km/h) may have "ZR"
in thesizedescription,dependingonthe
manufacturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR18).
The servicespecificationismade up of
load-bearing indexand speed rating
%.
RIf the size description of your tire includes
"ZR"and there are no service
specifications, ask the tire manufacturer in
order to find out the maximum speed.
Ifaservice specification is available, the
maximum speed is limited according to the
speed rating in the service specification.
Example: 245/40ZR18 97Y.In this
example, "97 Y" is the service specification.
The letter "Y" represents the speed rating.
The maximum speed of the tire is limited to
186 mph (300 km/h).
RThe size descriptionfor all tires with
maximum speeds of over 186 mph
(300 km/h) must include "ZR",andthe
service specification must be given in
parentheses. Example:
275/40 ZR 18 (99 Y). Speed rating "(Y)"
indicates that the maximum speed of the
tire is over 186 mph (300 km/h).Ask the
tire manufacturer about the maximum
speed.
352All about wheelsand tires
Wheels and tires

All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeed rating
QM+S1up to 100mph (160km/h)
TM+S1up to 118mph (190km/h)
HM+S1up to 130mph (210km/h)
VM+S1up to 149mph (240km/h)
iNot all tires withtheM+S markingprovide
thedriving characteristics of wintertires.
In addition to theM+S marking, wintertires
also have thesnowflake symbol on
the tirewall. Tires with this marking fulfill
the requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the
Rubber Association of Canada (RAC)
regarding the tiretraction on snow. They
have been especially developed for driving
on snow.
An electronic speed limiter preventsyour
vehicle fromexceeding the following speeds:
Rallvehicles (exceptAMG vehicles):
130 mph (210 km/h)
RAMG vehicles: 155 mph (250 km/h)
RAMG vehicles with PerformancePackage:
186 mph (300 km/h)
R
The speed rating of tires mounted at the
factory may be higher than the maximum
speed that the electronic speed limiter
permits.
Make sure that your tires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for your vehicle can be
found in the "Tires" section (Ypage 362).
Further information about reading tire data
can be obtained from any qualified specialist
workshop.
Load index
In addition to the load bearing index, load
indexmay be imprinted after the letters
that identify speed index%on the sidewall
of the tire (Ypage 351).
RIf no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above), representsastandard
load (SL)tire
RXL or Extra Load: representsareinforced
tire
RLightLoad: representsalight load tire
RC, D, E: representsaload range that
depends on the maximum load that the tire
can carry atacertain pressure
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Maximumload rating
Maximum tire loadis the maximum
permissible weight for which the tire is
approved.
1Or M+Sfor winter tires.
All about wheelsand tires353
Wheels and tires
Z

Do not overloadthe tires by exceeding the
specifiedloadlimit.Themaximum
permissibleloadcan be found on the
vehicle'sTireand Loading Information
placard on the B-pillar on the driver's side
(Ypage 345).
iTheactual values for tires arevehicle-
specific and maydeviate fromthe values in
the illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations prescribe that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprintaTIN
in or on the sidewall of every tire produced.
The TIN isauniqueidentification number. The
TIN enables the tire manufacturers or
retreaders to inform purchasers of recallsand
other safety-relevant matters. It makes it
possible for the purchaser to easily identify
the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer
identification code,tire size$,tire type
code!and manufacturing date.
DOT (Department of Transportation):tire
symbolindicates that the tire complies
with the requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code:
manufacturer identification codeprovides
detailsonthe tire manufacturer. New tires
haveacode with two symbols. Retreaded
tires haveacode with four symbols.
For further information aboutretreaded tires,
see (Ypage 334).
Tiresize:identifier$describes the tire size.
Tiretypecode:tire type code!can be used
by the manufacturer asacode to describe
specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture:date of manufacture
provides information about the age of a
tire. The first and second positions represent
the week of manufacture, starting with "01"
for the first calendar week. Positions three
and four represent the year of manufacture.
For example,atire that is marked with
"3208", was manufactured in week 32 in
2008.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics
This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in
sidewalland under tire tread.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Definition of termsfor tires and loading
Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of plies or the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Bar
Metric unit for tire pressure.
14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) and
354All about wheelsand tires
Wheels and tires

100 kilopascals (kPa)are the equivalent of
1bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT marked tires fulfill the requirements of
the United States Department of
Transportation.
Normal occupant weight
The numberofoccupants for which the
vehicleisdesigned multipliedby
68 kilograms (150 lb).
Uniform Tire Quality GradingStandards
Auniform standard to grade the quality of
tireswithregards to treadquality,tire traction
and temperaturecharacteristics. Ratingsare
determinedbytire manufacturersusing U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
aremoldedinto the sidewall of the tire.
Recommendedtire pressure
The recommendedtire pressure appliesto
the tiresmounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Informationplacard
containsthe recommendedtirepressures for
cold tires onafully loaded vehicle and for the
maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tirepressure table containsthe
recommendedpressures for cold tires for
various operating conditions, i.e. differing
load and speed conditions.
Increased vehicle weight duetooptional
equipment
This is the combined weight of all standard
and optional equipmentavailablefor the
vehicle, regardless of whetheritisactually
installed on the vehicle or not.
Rim
This is the part of the wheel on which the tire
is mounted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum gross axle weight
rating. The actual load on an axle must never
exceed the gross axle weight rating. The
gross axle weight rating can be found on the
vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on
the driver's side.
Speed rating
The speed rating is part of the tire
identification. It specifies the speed range for
which the tire is approved.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weight
of the vehicle including fuel, tools, the spare
wheel, accessories installed, occupants,
luggage and the drawbarnoseweight, if
applicable. The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the gross vehicle weight rating GVWR
as specified on the vehicle identification plate
on the B-pillar on the driver's side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible gross
weight ofafully loaded vehicle (the weight of
the vehicle including all accessories,
occupants, fuel, luggage and the drawbar
noseweight, if applicable). The gross vehicle
weight rating is specified on the vehicle
identification plate on the B-pillar on the
driver's side.
Maximumloaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is thesum of:
Rthecurbweight of thevehicle
Rtheweight of theaccessories
Rtheload limit
Rtheweight of thefactory installedoptional
equipment
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tirepressure. 6.9kPa
correspondsto1psi. Another unit for tire
pressure is bar. Thereare 100kilopascals
(kPa) to1bar.
Load index
In addition to theload-bearing index,theload
index may also be imprinted on thesidewall
of thetire. This specifiesthe load-bearing
capacity more precisely.
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Wheels and tires
Z

Curbweight
The weight ofavehicle with standard
equipment includingthemaximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant.Italso includes the air-
conditioningsystem and optional equipment
if these are installed in the vehicle, but does
not include passengers or luggage.
Maximumload rating
The maximum tireload is the maximum
permissible weight in kilograms or lbs for
whichatireisapproved.
Maximumpermissible tirepressure
Maximum permissible tirepressure for one
tire.
Maximumload on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividingthe maximum axle load of one axle
by two.
PSI (pounds per squareinch)
Astandardunitofmeasure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent.
Tirepressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward forcetoeach 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.
Cold tirepressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked without
direct sunlight on the tires for at least three
hours and
Rif the vehicle has been driven for less than
1mile (1.6 km).
Tread
The part of the tire that comes intocontact
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 preventthe tire from
comingloose 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 kilograms (5 lbs).
These optional extras, such as high-
performance brakes, level control,aroof rack
orahigh-performancebattery, are not
included in the curb weight and the weight of
the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This isaunique identifier which can be used
byatire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example foraproduct 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 ofatire.
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 ofin
(1.6 mm) has been reached.
356All about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires

Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupantsinavehicleat
their designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggageloadplus
68 kilograms (150 lb) multiplied by the
number of seats in the vehicle.
Changingawheel
Flat tire
You can find information on whattodointhe
event ofaflat tire in the "Breakdown
assistance" section (Ypage 321).
Information on driving with MOExtended tires
in the event ofaflat tire can be found under
"MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
characteristics" (Ypage 321).
Vehicle with emergency sparewheel:in
the event ofaflat tire, the emergencyspare
wheel is mounted as described under
"Mountingawheel" (Ypage 358).
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchangingthe front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions.
The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There isarisk of
accident.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels
and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equipped withatire pressure
monitor, electronic components are
located in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used
near the valve. This could damage the
electronic components.
Only have tires changed ataqualified
specialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mountingawheel" section
(Ypage 358).
The wear patternsonthe front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels beforeaclear wear pattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires
in the center.
If your vehicle's tire configuration allows, you
can rotate the wheels according to the
intervals in the tire manufacturer's warranty
book in your vehicle documents. If this is not
available, the tires should then be replaced
every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to
10,000 km), or earlier if the tire wear requires
this. Do not change the direction of wheel
rotation.
Cleanthe contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every timeawheel
is interchanged. Check the tire pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tire pressure loss
warning system or the tire pressure monitor.
Direction of rotation
Tires withaspecified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there isarisk
of hydroplaning. You will only gain these
benefits if the correct direction of rotation is
maintained.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates
its correct direction of rotation.
Storing wheels
Storewheels that are not being used inacool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tires from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel.
Cleaningthe wheels
GWARNING
The water jet fromacircular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
Changingawheel357
Wheels and tires
Z

to the tiresorchassiscomponents.
Components damagedinthiswaymayfail
unexpectedly.There isarisk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced
immediately.
Mountingawheel
Preparing the vehicle
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
levelground.
XApply the parking brake.
XBring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
XShift the transmission to positionP.
XVehicles with AIRMATIC:make sure that
"normal" levelisselected(Ypage 189).
XSwitch off theengine.
XVehicles without KEYLESS-GO:remove
theSmartKey from theignition lock.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO:open the
driver'sdoor.
The on-board electronics nowhave status
0.This is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO:remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Ypage 147).
XIf included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle (Ypage 320).
XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away
If your vehicle is equipped withawheel chock,
it can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(Ypage 320).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
safety measure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away,for example when changing a
wheel.
XFold both plates upwards.
XFold out lower plate.
XGuidethe lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate$.
Securing the vehicle on level ground
XOn level ground:place chocksorother
suitable items under the front and rear of
the wheel that is diagonallyopposite the
wheel you wish to change.
358Changingawheel
Wheels and tires