iWhen re-installing trim panel?, make
sure that retainer Aengages in recess B.
Removing the spare wheel
The spare wheel is heavy. Take particular note
of this when removing the spare wheel.
X Remove wheel nuts :.
X Remove the spare wheel.
Mounting the wheel
After changing a wheel:
X Repair or replace the damaged wheel as
soon as possible and secure the spare
wheel in place again.
X Secure the damaged wheel on the spare
wheel bracket with wheel nuts :. When
doing so, make sure that the wheel cannot
come loose.
X When re-installing trim panel ?, make sure
that retainer Bengages in recess A
( Y page 215). X
Make sure that tab ;is below when re-
installing cover ring :(Y page 215).
X For safety reasons, regularly check to
ensure that the wheel is securely fastened.
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground, as far away as possible from
traffic.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps(Y page 90).
X Apply the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Move the selector lever to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove the SmartKey from the ignitionlock.
The steering wheel lock stays active for as
long as the SmartKey is removed.
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
Battery (vehicle)
Important safety notes
Special tools and expert knowledge are
required when working on the battery, e.g.
removal and installation. You should there-
fore have all work involving the battery car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
216Battery (vehicle)
Roadside Assistance
Selecting, mounting and replacing tires
ROnly mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
R Only mount approved tires of the correct
size onto the wheels.
R Tires are supplied with a protective layer
from the factory. Break in new tires at mod-
erate speeds for the first 60 miles
(100 km). They only reach their full per-
formance after this distance.
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 six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the spare wheel.
Winter operation
You can find information about this in the
Digital Operator's Manual.
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks: R the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
R the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires includ-
ing the spare wheel:
R monthly, at least
R if the load changes
R before beginning a long journey
R under different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
iThe specifications on the sample Tire and
Loading Information placard and tire pres-
sure tables are examples. Tire pressure
specifications are vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data shown here. The tire pressure specifications that are valid for
your vehicle can be found on the Tire and
Loading Information placard and tire pres-
sure table on the vehicle.
General notes
The recommended tire pressures for the tires
mounted at the factory can be found on the
labels described here.
Operation with a trailer: the applicable
value for the rear tires is the maximum tire
pressure value stated in the table inside the
fuel filler flap.
Further information on tire pressures can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop.
Tire and Loading Information placard
:Recommended tire pressures
232Tire pressure
Wheels and tires
The Tire and Loading Information placard is
on the B-pillar on the driver's side(Y page 238).
The Tire and Loading Information placard con- tains the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires. The recommended tire pressures
are valid for the maximum permissible load
and up to the maximum permissible vehiclespeed.
Tire pressure table
Example: tire pressure table for all tires permitted
for this vehicle by the factory
The tire pressure table is on the inside of thefuel filler flap.
The tire pressure table contains the recom-
mended pressures for cold tires for various
operating conditions, i.e. differing load and
speed conditions.
If a tire size precedes a tire pressure, the tirepressure information following is only valid
for that tire size. The load conditions "partially
laden" and "fully laden" are defined in the
table for different numbers of occupants and amounts of luggage. The actual number of
seats may differ.
Some tire pressure tables only show the rim
diameter instead of the complete tire size,e.g. R16 . Rim diameter is part of the tire size
and can be found on the tire sidewall( Y page 244). 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 loadand/or
R if you want to drive at higher road speeds
iThe 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
GWARNING
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.
GWARNING
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
Tire pressure233
Wheels and tires
Z
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
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 identifythe 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.
TWR (Tongue Weight Rating)
The TWR specifies the maximum permissible
weight that the ball coupling of the trailer tow hitch can support.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are dis-
tributed over the tire tread. If the tire tread islevel with the bars, the wear limit of áin
(1.6 mm) has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 150 lb
(68 kilograms) multiplied by the number of
seats in the vehicle.
Changing a wheel
Flat tire
The "Breakdown assistance" section ( Y page 216) contains information and notes
on how to deal with a flat tire.
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the 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 is a risk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are loca-
ted in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used
near the valve. This could damage the elec- tronic components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-cialist workshop.
Rotating front and rear wheels of differing
dimensions can render the general operating
permit invalid.
Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notices in the section on "Changing a
wheel and mounting a spare wheel"( Y page 251).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear 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 inter-
vals in the tire manufacturer's warranty book
in your vehicle documents. If no warranty
book is available, the tires should be rotated
250Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires