
the tire pressure. On vehicles equipped with
the electronic tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem, the tire pressure can be checked 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 without
direct sunlight on the tires for at least three
hours and
R if the vehicle has been driven for less 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.
Observe the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires:
R on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side
R in the tire pressure table on the inside of the
fuel filler flap
Observe the following for the tire pressure on the spare wheel: R the tire and loading information table on
the B-pillar on the driver's side.
R the tire pressure sticker on the inside of the
fuel filler flap.Underinflated or overinflated tires
Underinflation
GWARNING
Tires with pressure that is too low can over-
heat and burst as a consequence. In addition, they also suffer from excessive and/or irreg-
ular wear, which can severely impair the brak-
ing properties and the driving characteristics.There is a risk of an accident.
Avoid tire pressures that are too low in all the
tires, including the spare wheel.
Underinflated tires may:
R overheat, leading to tire defects
R have an adverse effect on handling charac-
teristics
R wear quickly and unevenly
R have an adverse effect on fuel consumption
Overinflation
GWARNING
Tires with excessively high pressure can burst
because they are damaged more easily by
road debris, potholes etc. In addition, they
also suffer from irregular wear, which can
severely impair the braking properties and the
driving characteristics. There is a risk of an
accident.
Avoid tire pressures that are too high in all the
tires, including the spare wheel.
Overinflated tires may: R increase the braking distance
R have an adverse effect on handling charac-
teristics
R wear quickly and unevenly
R have an adverse effect on ride comfort
R be more susceptible to damage
234Tire pressure
Wheels and tires

Maximum tire pressures
:Example: maximum permissible tire pres-sure
Never exceed the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure. Always observe the rec-
ommended tire pressure for your vehicle
when adjusting the tire pressure( Y page 248).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Checking the tire pressures
Important safety notes
Observe the notes on tire pressure ( Y page 232).
Information on air pressure for the tires on
your vehicle can be found:
R on the tire pressure label on the fuel fillerflap
R in the "Tire pressure data" section(Y page 232)
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 on fuel filler
flap of your vehicle ( Ypage 233).
X The tire pressure is too low: increase the
tire pressure to the recommended value.
X The tire pressure is too high: press down
the metal pin in the valve using the tip of a
pen, for example.
Air is released from the tire.
X Check the tire pressure again with the tire
pressure gauge.
X Screw the valve cap onto the valve.
X Repeat these steps for the other tires.
Tire pressure monitor
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once a month
when cold and inflated to the pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the Tire and Loading Information placard on
the driver's door B-pillar or the tire pressure
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 Infor-
mation placard or 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 monitoringsystem (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 illuminates,
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 stop-
ping ability.
Tire pressure235
Wheels and tires
Z

Please note that the TPMS is not a substitutefor proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate if the
system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the
low tire pressure telltale. When the system
detects a malfunction, the warning lamp will
flash for approximately a minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will be repeated every time the vehi- cle 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 malfunc-
tions may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the mounting of incompatible
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from func-
tioning properly. Always check the TPMS mal-
function 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 prop-erly.
It is the driver's responsibility to set the tire
pressure to the recommended cold tire pres-
sure suitable for the operating situation( Y page 232). 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 isaligned to the reference values taught-in.
Restart the tire pressure monitor after adjust-
ing to the cold tire pressure ( Ypage 238).
The current pressures are saved as new ref-
erence values. As a result, a warning message
will appear if the tire pressure drops signifi-
cantly. The tire pressure monitor does not warn you
of an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure
( Y page 232).
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
sudden steering movements.
In order to check the tire pressure, the vehi-
cle's wheels are installed with sensors that
monitor the tire pressure in all four tires. The
tire pressure monitor warns you if the pres-
sure drops in one or more of the tires. The tire pressure monitor only functions if the correct
sensors are installed on all wheels.
The tire pressure monitor has a yellow warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster for indicat- ing pressure loss/malfunctions (USA) or
pressure loss (Canada). Whether the warning
lamp flashes or lights up indicates 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 USA only: if the warning lamp flashes for
around a minute and then remains lit con-
stantly, the tire pressure monitor is mal-
functioning.
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 multifunction display.
USA only: the tire pressure warning lamp will
inform you of a malfunction in the tire pres-
sure monitor by flashing for approximately
one minute and then remaining lit. It may take
more than ten minutes before the data menu
is displayed. 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-
236Tire pressure
Wheels and tires

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.
iUSA only:
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter- ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter- ference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Checking the tire pressure electroni-cally
X Make sure that the SmartKey is in posi-
tion 2in the ignition lock ( Ypage 103).
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Serv.menu. X
Press the 9or: button to select
Tire Pressure.
X Press the abutton.
The current tire pressure of each tire is
shown in the multifunction display.
If the vehicle has been parked for over
20 minutes, the
Tire pressure will be
displayed after driving a few
minutesmessage appears.
After a teach-in process, the tire pressure
monitor automatically detects new wheels or
new sensors. As long as a clear allocation of
the tire pressure value to the individual
wheels is not possible, the
Tire Pressure
Monitor Activedisplay message is shown
instead of the tire pressure display. The tire
pressures are already being monitored.
iIf a spare wheel is mounted, the system
may continue to show the tire pressure of
the wheel that has been removed for a few minutes. Observe that the displayed value
is not the same as the current tire pressure
of the emergency spare wheel.
Tire pressure monitor warning mes-
sages
If the tire pressure monitor detects a signifi-
cant pressure loss on one or more tires, a
warning message is shown in the multifunc-
tion display. A warning tone also sounds and
the tire pressure warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
Each tire that is affected by a significant loss of pressure is highlighted in the pressure dis-
play.
X If the
Correct Tire Pressuremessage
appears in the multifunction display, check the tire pressure on all four wheels and cor-
rect it if necessary.
X If the
CheckTiresmessage appears in the
multifunction display, the tire pressure in
one or more tires has dropped significantly and the tires must be checked.
X If the
Tire Press. Warning Caution
Tire Malfunctionmessage appears in
Tire pressure237
Wheels and ti res
Z

the multifunction display, the tire pressurein one or more tires has dropped suddenly
and the tires must be checked.
iIf the wheel positions on the vehicle are
rotated, the tire pressures may be dis-
played for the wrong positions for a short
time. This is rectified after a few minutes of driving, and the tire pressures are displayed
for the correct positions.
Restarting the tire pressure monitor
When you restart the tire pressure monitor, all existing warning messages are deleted and
the warning lamps go out. The monitor uses
the currently set tire pressures as the refer-
ence 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.
X Set the tire pressure to the value recom-
mended for the corresponding driving sit-
uation on the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver's side
B-pillar ( Ypage 232).
Additional tire pressure values for different loads can also be found on the tire pressure table on the inside of the fuel filler flap( Y page 232).
X Make sure that the tire pressure is correct
on all four wheels.
X Make sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock ( Ypage 103).
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Serv.menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Tire Pressure.
X Press the abutton.
The multifunction display shows the cur-
rent tire pressure for the individual tires or
the
Tirepressurewillbedisplayed
after driving a few minutesmes-
sage.
X Press the :button.
The
Use Current Pressures as New
Reference Valuesmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
X Press the abutton.
The
Tire Press. Monitor Restarted
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
After driving for a few minutes, the system
checks whether 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: X Press the %button.
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 is a risk 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.
238Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires

:B-pillar, driver's side
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1) The Tire and Loading Information placard is on the B-pilla ron the driver's side. The
Tire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum permissible number
of occupants and the maximum permis-
sible vehicle load. It also contains details
of the tire sizes and corresponding pres-
sures for tires mounted at the factory.
(2) The vehicle identification plate is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle
identification plate informs you of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
of the vehicle weight, all vehicle occu-
pants, 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). Do not
exceed the maximum gross vehicle
weight or the maximum gross axle weight
rating for the front or rear axle.
Maximum permissible gross mass
X Specification for maximum permissible
load :is listed on the Tire and Loading
Information placard: "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs."
The gross weight of all vehicle occupants,
cargo, luggage and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the specified
value.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the illustra- tion are examples. The maximum permis-
sible load is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data shown here. The maxi-
mum permissible load that applies for your
vehicle can be found on your vehicle's Tire
and Loading Information placard.
Number of seats
Maximum number of seats :indicates the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
Loading the vehicle239
Wheels and tires
Z

found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the illustra-
tion 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 Load-
ing Information placard.
Determining the correct load limit
Step-by-step instructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966". X Step 1: Locate the statement "The com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information
placard.
X Step 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
X Step 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX lbs.
X Step 4: The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. Example: if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs and there will be five
150 lbs passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs).
X Step 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage load capa-
city calculated in step 4.
X Step 6 (if applicable): If your vehicle will
be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehicle. This reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle (
Ypage 269).
240Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires

Example: steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities withvarying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples usea maximum load of 1,500 lbs (680 kg). This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you
are using the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on your vehicle's Tire and Loading Infor- mation placard ( Ypage 238).
The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Additional information when towing a trailer ( Ypage 269).
Step 1
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Combined maximum weight of
occupants and cargo (data from
the Tire and Loading Information placard)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)
Step 2
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Number of people inthe vehicle (driver
and occupants)531
Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1
Weight of the occu-
pantsOccupant 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
occupants750 lbs (340 kg)540 lbs (245 kg)150 lbs
(68 kg)
Loading the vehicle241
Wheels and tires
Z