2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER winter tires

case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced. Selecting, mounting and renewing
tires
R Only mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto
the wheels.
R Break in new tires at moderate speeds for
the first 65 miles (100 km).
R Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces
the traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
R Replace the tires after 6 years at the latest,
regardless of wear. This also applies to the
spare wheel. Operation in winter
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Prior to the onset of winter, ensure that snow
chains are stowed in the vehicle
(Y page 289).
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 307). Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehi-
cle to M+S tire. Using summer tires at very
cold temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently. We
cannot accept responsibility for this type of
damage. M+S tires
G
WARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the type
of tire can vary between the spare wheel and
the wheel to be replaced. When the spare
wheel is mounted, driving characteristics may
be severely affected. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
In order to reduce risks:
R you should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
R never mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
R only use a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel to be replaced for a short time.
R do not deactivate ESP ®
.
R have a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel that has been changed replaced at
the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
You must observe the correct wheel and
tire dimensions as well as the wheel type. G
WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
00CF in (4 mm) are not suitable for use in winter
and do not provide sufficient traction. There
is a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than 00CF
in (4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), use win-
ter tires or all-season tires. Both types of tire
are identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the 004Dsnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide the best possible grip in wintry road con-
ditions.
Only these tires will allow driving safety sys-
tems such as ABS and ESP ®
to function opti-
mally in winter. These tires have been devel-
oped specifically for driving in snow.
For safe driving, use M+S tires of the same
make and tread pattern on all wheels. 288
Operation in winterWheels and tires

Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
If you mount M+S tires that have a lower max-
imum permissible speed than that of the vehi-
cle, affix a corresponding warning label in the
driver's field of vision. You can obtain this at
a qualified specialist workshop.
Once you have mounted the winter tires:
X Check the tire pressure (Y page 290).
X Reactivate the tire pressure moni-
tor*(Y page 295). Snow chains
G
WARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains
mounted, they may snap. As a result, you
could injure others and damage the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
When driving with snow chains fitted, do not
exceed the maximum permissible speed of
30 mph (50 km/h). Observe the country-spe-
cific laws and regulations for operation with
snow chains.
! Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
R wheel
R wheel housing
R wheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
! Vehicles with steel wheels: if you
mount snow chains on steel wheels, you
may damage the hub caps. Remove the hub
caps from the relevant wheels before
mounting the snow chains. Snow chains increase traction on roads in
wintry conditions.
For reasons of safety we only recommend
using snow chains or traction aids that are
approved for the Sprinter. The snow chains or
traction aids must be of class U or meet the
SAE type U specification. Information on
snow chains is available at any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. When mounting
the snow chains, note the permissible tire
and snow chain dimensions.
R Mount snow chains only in pairs and only
to the rear wheels. On vehicles with twin
tires, mount the snow chains to the outer
wheels. Observe the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.
R Only use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered by a layer of snow. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come
to a road that is not snow-covered.
R The use of snow chains may be restricted
by local regulations. Observe the appropri-
ate regulations before mounting snow
chains.
R When driving with snow chains fitted, do
not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
R Check the tension of the chains after a dis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km).
You can deactivate ASR (Y page 60) when
pulling away with snow chains mounted. This
allows the wheels to spin in a controlled man-
ner, achieving an increased driving force (cut-
ting action). Operation in winter
289Wheels and tires
* optional Z

For further information on the load-bearing
index, see "Load index" (Y page 303).
Speed rating: speed rating006Bspecifies the
approved maximum speed of the tire.
Regardless of the speed index always observe
the speed limits. Drive carefully and adapt
your driving style to the traffic conditions.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example. Index Speed rating
F up to 50 mph (80 km/h)
G up to 56 mph (90 km/h)
J up to 62 mph (100 km/h)
K up to 68 mph (110 km/h)
L up to 74 mph (120 km/h)
M up to 80 mph (130 km/h)
N up to 87 mph (140 km/h)
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R over 106 mph (170 km/h)
i
Not all tires that have the M+S identifica-
tion offer the driving characteristics of win-
ter tires. In addition to the M+S marking,
winter tires also have the 004Dsnowflake
symbol on the tire wall. Tires with this mark-
ing fulfill the requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the
Rubber Association of Canada (RAC)
regarding the tire traction on snow. They
have been especially developed for driving
on snow.
Further information on the reading of tire
information can be obtained at any qualified
specialist workshop. Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, load rat-
ing
0043may be imprinted after the letters that
identify speed rating on the sidewall of the tire
(Y page 302).
R If no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above), represents a standard
load (SL) tire
R XL or Extra Load: represents a reinforced
tire
R Light Load: represents a light load tire
R C, D, E: represents a load range that
depends on the maximum load that the tire
can carry at a certain pressure
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Maximum tire load Maximum tire load
0043is the maximum per-
missible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissi-
ble load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and What you should know about wheels and tires
303Wheels and tires Z

X
Wheel with hub cap: position the opening
for the tire valve in the hub cap over the tire
valve.
X Push the edge of the hub cap with both
hands against the wheel until it clicks into
place. Make sure the hub cap retaining
catches engage on the steel wheel.
X Wheel with central hub cap: position the
retaining lugs of the central hub cap over
the wheel bolts.
X Hit the middle of the hub cap to engage it
on the wheel.
X Secure the faulty wheel in the spare wheel
bracket (Y page 314).
X Check the tire pressure of the newly
mounted wheel and adjust it if necessary.
Observe the recommended tire pressure
(Y page 290).
X Retighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts to
the specified tightening torque after the
vehicle has been driven for 30 miles
(50 km).
When using a wheel/spare wheel with a new
or newly painted wheel rim, have the wheel
bolts/nuts retightened again after approx-
imately 600 to 3,000 miles (1,000 to
5,000 km). Observe the specified tightening
torque.
i Vehicles with the tire pressure monitor
system: all mounted wheels must be equip-
ped with functioning sensors. Wheel and tire combination
General notes
! Retreaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
ommended for Sprinter vehicles, since pre-
vious damage cannot always be detected
on retreaded tires. We can therefore not
guarantee driving safety. Do not mount
used tires if you have no information about
their previous usage. The recommended tire pressures can be
found:
R
on the Tire and Loading Information plac-
ard 8
on the B-pillar on the driver's side
R on the tire pressure table on the B-pillar on
the driver's side
The recommended tire pressure can also be
found in the "Tire pressure table" section in
these Operating Instructions (Y page 297).
The wheel/tire combination for your vehicle
can be found on the tire pressure table. Fur-
ther information on wheel/tire combination
can be obtained at any qualified specialist
workshop.
Check tire pressures regularly and only when
the tires are cold. Observe the notes on the
recommended tire pressures (Y page 290).
Follow the maintenance recommendations in
the tire manufacturer's warranty book in your
vehicle documents.
Notes on the vehicle equipment – always
install the vehicle:
R with tires of the same size across an axle
(left/right)
R with the same type of tires on all wheels at
a given time (summer tires, winter tires) Spare wheel
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the type
of tire can vary between the spare wheel and
the wheel to be replaced. When the spare
wheel is mounted, driving characteristics may
be severely affected. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
In order to reduce risks:
R you should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
R never mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
8 Only for vehicles with a gross weight of less than 10,000 lbs(4,536 kg). Spare wheel
313Wheels and tires
Z