Deactivating the HOLD function
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll awaydespite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if: R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if
there is a malfunction, the transmission may
also be automatically shifted into position P.
Permanent all-wheel drive
!
Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case. Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or
be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
!When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer.
When doing this, turn the SmartKey to posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition. Failure to do this
can cause damage to the drive train or the brake system.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a two-axle dyna-
mometer. Before you operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
The all-wheel drive system ensures that all
four wheels are permanently driven. The all-
wheel drive system improves vehicle traction together with ESP ®
and 4ETS if a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip: R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R Take your foot off the accelerator, slowly,
while the vehicle is in motion.
The permanent all-wheel drive system can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics if you fail to adapt
your driving style or if you are inattentive. The
all-wheel drive system cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
The all-wheel drive system is only an aid. You
are responsible for maintaining a safe dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
lane.
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains ( Ypage 232). Only in this way can the
maximum effect of all-wheel drive be ach-
ieved.
For information on driving off-road, see the
Digital Operator's Manual.
Driving syste ms127
Driving and parking
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
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
are provided with the corresponding quality
grading markings on the sidewall of the tire.
Where applicable, the tire grading informa-
tion can be found on the tire sidewall between
the tread shoulder and maximum tire width.
Example:
R Treadwear grade: 200
R Traction grade: AA
R Temperature grade: A
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
U.S. government course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half
times as well on the government test track asa tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm, due to variations in driving habits, ser-
vice practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate conditions.
Traction
GWARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor- nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
!Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train. The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on a wet surface as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy road is always lower than on dry road surfa-
ces.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum
tread depth of ãin (4 mm) on all four winter
tires. Observe the legally required minimum
tire tread depth ( Ypage 231). Winter tires can
reduce the braking distance on snow-covered surfaces in comparison with summer tires.
The braking distance is still much further than
on surfaces that are not icy or covered with
snow. Take appropriate care when driving.
Further information on winter tires (M+S
tires) can be found in the Digital Operator's
Manual.
Temperature
GWARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause excessive heat
build-up and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C. These represent the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis- sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive tempera-
ture can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards243
Wheels and tires
Z
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissi-
ble load can be found on the vehicle's Tire andLoading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side ( Ypage 238).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations prescribe that every
manufacturer of new tires or retreader has to imprint a TIN in or on the sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identification number. The
TIN enables tire manufacturers to inform pur-
chasers of recalls and other safety-relevant
matters. It makes it possible for the pur-
chaser to easily identify the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identifi-
cation code ;, tire size =, tire type code ?
and manufacturing date A.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol :indicates that the tire complies
with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code: manu-
facturer identification code ;provides
details on the tire manufacturer. New tires
have a code with two symbols. Retreaded
tires have a code with four symbols.
For further information about retreaded tires,
see ( Ypage 230). Tire size:
identifier=describes the tire size.
Tire type code: tire type code?can be used
by the manufacturer as a code to describe
specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufacture
A 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, a tire that is marked with
"3208", was manufactured in week 32 in
2008.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics
This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in sidewall :
and under tire tread ;.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Definition of terms for tires and load-
ing
Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of layers or the number
of rubber-coated belts in the tread and the
sidewall of the tire. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Tire labeling247
Wheels and tires
Z