Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye Example: towing eye mounting covers
X Remove the towing eye from the stowage
space.
The towing eye is located in the stowage
well under the cargo compartment floor.
Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: the towing
eye is beneath the tire inflation compres-
sor.
X Press the mark on cover :inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover :off the opening.
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover :to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the stowage well
(Y page 280) beneath the cargo compart-
ment floor in the cargo compartment.
X Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: put back the
tire inflation compressor. Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 292).
X On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO or the
KEYLESS-GO start function: you must
use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button (Y page 132).
The transmission automatically shifts to posi- tion Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to
ensure that the transmission stays in position N when towing the vehicle, you must observe
the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the transmission to position N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 102).
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
If the 12 V battery indicator lamp lights up,
you must observe the following points:
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon
as possible, paying attention to road and
traffic conditions.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again. 294
TowingRoadside Assistance
Some tire pressure tables show only the rim
diameters instead of the full tire size, e.g.
R18 . Rim diameter is part of the tire size and
can be found on the tire sidewall
(Y page 315).
If the tire pressures have been set to the
lower values for lighter loads and/or lower
road speeds, the pressures should be reset to
the higher values:
R if you want to drive with an increased load
and/or
R if you want to drive at higher road speeds
i The tire pressures for increased loads
and/or higher road speeds, shown in the
tire pressure table, may have a negative
effect on driving comfort.
If the tire pressure is not set correctly, this
can lead to an excessive build up of heat and
a sudden loss of pressure.
For more information, contact a qualified spe- cialist workshop. Important notes on tire pressure
G
WARNING
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly, the
wheel, valve or tire may be damaged. Tire
pressure that is too low may result in a tire
blow-out. There is a risk of an accident. R Check the tire for foreign objects.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or the
valve is leaking. If you are unable to rectify the damage, con-
tact a qualified specialist workshop.
G
WARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tire
valves, the tire valves may be overloaded and malfunction, which can cause tire pressure
loss. Due to their design, retrofitted tire pres- sure monitors keep the tire valve open. This
can also result in tire pressure loss. There is a
risk of an accident.
Only screw the standard valve cap or other
valve caps approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle onto the tire valve.
Use a suitable pressure gauge to check the
tire pressure. The outer appearance of a tire
does not permit any reliable conclusion about the tire pressure. You can also check the tire
pressure using the on-board computer.
The tire temperature and pressure increase
when the vehicle is in motion. This is depend-
ent on the driving speed and the load.
Therefore, you should only correct tire pres-
sures when the tires are cold.
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three
hours and
R if the vehicle has not been driven further
than 1 mile (1.6 km)
The tire temperature changes depending on
the outside temperature, the vehicle speed
and the tire load. If the tire temperature
changes by 18 ‡ (10 †), the tire pressure
changes by approximately 10 kPa (0.1 bar/
1.5 psi). Take this into account when check-
ing the pressure of warm tires. Only correct
the tire pressure if it is too low for the current operating conditions. If you check the tire
pressure when the tires are warm, the result-
ing value will be higher than if the tires were
cold. This is normal. Do not reduce the tire
pressure to the value specified for cold tires. The tire pressure would otherwise be too low. Tire pressure
305Wheels and tires Z
Checking tire pressures manually
To determine and set the correct tire pres-
sure, proceed as follows:
X Remove the valve cap of the tire that is to
be checked.
X Press the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
X Read the tire pressure and compare it to
the recommended value on the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the tire
pressure table (Y page 303).
X If the tire pressure is too low, increase the
tire pressure to the recommended value.
X If the tire pressure is too high, release air.
To do so, press down the metal pin in the
valve, using the tip of a pen for example.
Then check the tire pressure again using
the tire pressure checker.
X Screw the valve cap onto the valve.
X Repeat these steps for the other tires. Tire pressure monitor
General notes If a tire pressure monitor is installed, the vehi-
cle's wheels have sensors that monitor the
tire pressures in all four tires. The tire pres-
sure monitor warns you if the pressure drops
in one or more of the tires. The tire pressure
monitor only functions if the corresponding
sensors are installed in all wheels.
Information on tire pressures is displayed in
the multifunction display. After a few minutes of driving, the current tire pressure of each
tire is shown in the Serv. Serv.menu of the multi-
function display, see illustration (example). For information on the message display, refer
to the "Checking the tire pressure electroni-
cally" section (Y page 309).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once every two
weeks when cold and inflated to the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver's door B-pillar or the tire pres-
sure label on the inside of the fuel filler flap. If
your vehicle has tires of a different size than
the size indicated on the Tire and Loading
Information placard or, if available, the tire
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres-
sure 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. Driving on a significantly underin-
flated 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 not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if
underinflation has not reached the level to
trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres-
sure 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 sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the warning lamp
will flash for approximately a minute and then remain continuously illuminated. This Tire pressure
307Wheels and tires
Z
sequence will be repeated every time the vehi-
cle is started as long as the malfunction
exists. When the malfunction indicator is illu-minated, the system may not be able to detect
or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of incom-
patible 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
(Y page 303). Note that the correct tire pres-
sure for the current operating situation must
first be taught-in to the tire pressure monitor. If there is a substantial loss of pressure, the
warning threshold for the warning message is aligned to the reference values taught-in.
Restart the tire pressure monitor after adjust-
ing the pressure of the cold tires
(Y page 309). The current pressures are
saved as new reference values. As a result, a
warning message will appear if the tire pres-
sure drops significantly.
The tire pressure monitor does not warn you
of an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure (Y page 303).
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn
you of a sudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the
tire is penetrated by a foreign object. In the
event of a sudden loss of pressure, bring the
vehicle to a halt by braking carefully. Avoid
abrupt steering maneuvers. The tire pressure monitor has a yellow warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster for indicat-
ing a pressure loss or malfunction. Whether
the warning lamp flashes or lights up indi-
cates whether a tire pressure is too low or the tire pressure monitor is malfunctioning:
R if the warning lamp is lit continuously, the
tire pressure on one or more tires is signif-
icantly too low. The tire pressure monitor is
not malfunctioning.
R if the warning lamp flashes for around a
minute and then remains lit constantly, the
tire pressure monitor is malfunctioning.
In addition to the warning lamp, a message
appears in the multifunction display. Observe
the information on display messages
(Y page 221).
It may take up to ten minutes for a malfunc-
tion of the tire pressure monitor to be indica-
ted. A malfunction will be indicated by the tire
pressure warning lamp flashing for approx-
imately one minute and then remaining lit.
When the malfunction has been rectified, the
tire pressure warning lamp goes out after a
few minutes of driving.
The tire pressure values indicated by the on-
board computer may differ from those meas-
ured at a gas station with a pressure gauge.
The tire pressures shown by the on-board
computer refer to those measured at sea
level. At high altitudes, the tire pressure val-
ues indicated by a pressure gauge are higher
than those shown by the on-board computer. In this case, do not reduce the tire pressures.
The operation of the tire pressure monitor can be affected by interference from radio trans-
mitting equipment (e.g. radio headphones,
two-way radios) that may be being operated
in or near the vehicle. 308
Tire pressureWheels and tires
Tire labeling
Overview :
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(Y page 319)
; Department of Transportation, Tire Iden-
tification Number (Y page 318)
= Maximum load rating (Y page 317)
? Maximum tire pressures (Y page 306)
A Manufacturer
B Tire material (Y page 318)
C Tire size designation, load-bearing capa-
city and speed rating (Y page 315)
D Load index (Y page 317)
E Tire name
The markings described above are on the tire in addition to the tire name (sales designa-
tion) and the manufacturer's name.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating G
WARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tire damage or the tire bursting. There is a risk 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
A Load bearing index
B 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 descrip-
tion (as shown above): these are passenger
vehicle tires according to European manufac-
turing standards.
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. manu-
facturing standards.
If "T" precedes the size description: compact emergency wheels with high tire pressure
that are only designed for temporary use in an
emergency.
Tire width: tire width:shows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio: aspect ratio;is the size ratio
between the tire height and tire width and is
shown in percent. The aspect ratio is calcu- All about
wheels and tires
315Wheels and tires Z
All-weather tires and winter tires
Index Speed rating
Q M+S
1 up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S
1 up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S
1 up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S
1 up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
i
Not all tires with the M+S marking provide
the driving characteristics of winter tires. In
addition to the M+S marking, winter tires
also have the isnowflake symbol on
the tire wall. Tires with this marking fulfill
the requirements of the Rubber Manufac-
turers Association (RMA) and the Rubber
Association of Canada (RAC) regarding the
tire traction on snow. They have been espe- cially developed for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of 100 mph
(160 km/ h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the fac-
tory 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 (Y page 325).
Further information about reading tire data
can be obtained from any qualified specialist workshop. Load index In addition to the load-bearing index, load
index
:may be imprinted after the letters
that identify speed rating on the sidewall of
the tire. Speed rating (Y page 315).
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 load rating Maximum tire load
:is 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-
1 Or M+S ifor winter tires. All about wheels and tires
317Wheels and tires Z
Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equip-
ment including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil and coolant. It also includes the air-condi-
tioning system and optional equipment if
these are installed in the vehicle, but does not include passengers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum load rating is the maximum
permissible weight in kilograms or lbs for
which a tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one
tire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividing the maximum axle load of one axle by two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
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.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked without
direct sunlight on the 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 accesso-
ries.
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 dis-
tributed over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level with the bars, the wear limit of áin
(1.6 mm) has been reached. 320
All about wheels and tiresWheels and tires
X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: open the driver's
door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the SmartKey having been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: remove the Start/
Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 131).
X If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 153).
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock,
it can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(Y page 280).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
safety measure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel.
X Fold both plates upwards :.
X Fold out lower plate ;.
X Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate =. Securing the vehicle on level ground
X On level ground: place chocks or other
suitable items under the front and rear of
the wheel that is diagonally opposite the
wheel you wish to change. Securing the vehicle on slight downhill gradients
X On light downhill gradients: place
chocks or other suitable items in front of
the wheels of the front and rear axle.
Raising the vehicle G
WARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate jack-
ing point of the vehicle. The base of the jack
must be positioned vertically, directly under
the jacking point of the vehicle.
! Position a suitable jack correctly on the
intended jacking points. If you fail to posi- 322
Changing a wheelWheels and tires