2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-Class Owner's Manual

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). Never
exceed the maximum load or the maxi-
mum gross axle weight rating for the
front or rear axle. 0043
B-pillar, driver's side Maximum permissible load
i The 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. X
Specification for maximum permissible
load 0043is 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,
load, luggage and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the specified
value. Number of seats
i The 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. Maximum number of seats
0043indicates the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard. Loading the vehicle
343Wheels and tires Z

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. For 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 capa-
city is 650 lbs (1 400 - 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. Refer to
this Operator's Manual to determine how
this reduces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle
(Y page 346). 344
Loading the vehicleWheels and
tires

Example: steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with
varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples usea load limit 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 Information
placard (Y page 343). Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 1 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)
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 2 Number of people in
the vehicle (driver
and occupants)
5 3 1
Distribution of the
occupants
Front: 2
Rear: 3 Front: 1
Rear: 2 Front: 1
Weight of the occu-
pants
Occupant 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
occupants
750 lbs (340 kg) 540 lbs (245 kg) 150 lbs (68 kg)Loading the vehicle
345Wheels and tires Z

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Step 3 Permissible load and
trailer load/nose-
weight (maximum
permissible load rat-
ing from the Tire and Loading Information
placard minus the
gross weight of all
occupants) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
750 lbs (340 kg)
= 750 lbs
(340 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) –
540 lbs (245 kg)
= 960 lbs
(435 kg) 1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs
(612 kg) The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Further information can be found under "Towing a trailer" (Y page 346).Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total cargo
carefully, you should still make sure that the
gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle weight rating are not exceeded. Details can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
(Y page 342).
Permissible Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR): the gross weight of the vehicle, all
passengers, load and trailer load/noseweight (if applicable) must not exceed the permissi-
ble gross vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the
maximum permissible weight that can be car- ried by one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross vehi-
cle weight and maximum gross axle weight
rating), have your loaded vehicle (including
driver, occupants, cargo, and full trailer load if applicable) weighed on a suitable vehicle
weighbridge. Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached,
the trailer load/noseweight is included in the
load along with occupants and luggage. The trailer load/noseweight is usually approx-
imately 8% of the gross weight of the trailer
and its cargo. Maximum load rating
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 Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (Y page 342). i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Maximum tire load 0043is the maximum per-
missible weight for which the tire is approved. 346
Maximum load ratingWheels and tires

Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards Overview of Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are
U.S. government specifications. Their pur-
pose is to provide drivers with uniform relia-
ble information on tire performance data. tire manufacturers have to grade tires using three
performance factors: tread wear 0043, tire trac-
tion 0044and heat resistance 0087. All tires sold
in North America are provided with the cor-
responding quality class mark on the sidewall of the tire, even though these regulations do
not apply to Canada.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Where applicable, the tire grading informa-
tion can be found on the tire sidewall between
the tread shoulder and maximum tire width.
For example: Treadwear Traction Temperature
200 AA A
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades. 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 course as a 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
G
WARNING
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.
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 the
freezing point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum
tread depth of 00CFin (4 mm) for all four winter
tires (Y page 335) to maintain normal driving
characteristics in winter. Winter tires can
reduce the braking distance on snow-covered surfaces in comparison with summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still consider-
ably greater than when the road is not cov- Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
347Wheels and tires Z

ered with ice or snow. Take appropriate care
when driving.
! Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train. Temperature
G
WARNING
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
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law. Tire labeling
Overview
The following markings are on the tire in addi- tion to the tire name (sales designation) and
the manufacturer's name: 0043
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard
(Ypage 352)
0044 DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 351)
0087 Maximum tire load (Y page 346)
0085 Maximum tire pressure (Y page 338)
0083 Manufacturer
0084 Tire material (Y page 352)
006B Tire size designation, load-bearing capa-
city and speed index (Y page 349)
006C Load index (Y page 351)
006D Tire name
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example. 348
Tire labelingWheels and tires

Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating 0043
Tire width
0044 Nominal aspect ratio in %
0087 Tire code
0085 Rim diameter
0083 Load bearing index
0084 Speed rating
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
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: these are
compact emergency spare wheels at high tire pressure, to be used only temporarily in an
emergency.
Tire width: tire width0043shows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Height-width ratio: aspect ratio0044is the
size ratio between the tire height and tire
width and is shown in percent. The aspect ratio is calculated by dividing the tire width by
the tire height.
Tire code: tire code0087specifies the tire type.
"R" represents radial tires; "D" represents
diagonal tires; "B" represents diagonal radial
tires.
Optionally, tires with a maximum speed of
over 149 mph (240 km/h) may have "ZR" in
the size description, depending on the man-
ufacturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR 18).
Rim diameter: rim diameter0085is the diam-
eter of the bead seat, not the diameter of the
rim flange. The rim diameter is specified in
inches (in).
Load-bearing index: load-bearing index0083
is a numerical code that specifies the maxi-
mum load-bearing capacity of a tire.
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 Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (Y page 342).
Example:
Load-bearing index 91 indicates a maximum
load of 1,356 lb (615 kg) that the tires can
bear. For further information on the maximum
tire load in kilograms and lbs, see
(Y page 346).
For further information on the load bearing
index, see "Load index" (Y page 351).
Speed rating: speed rating0084specifies the
approved maximum speed of the tire. 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.
Regardless of the speed rating, always
observe the speed limits. Drive carefully and Tire labeling
349Wheels and tires Z

adapt your driving style to the traffic condi-
tions. Summer tires
Index Speed rating
Q up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR...Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR...(..Y) over 186 mph
(300 km/h) ZR over 149 mph
(240 km/h) R
Optionally, tires with a maximum speed of
over 149 mph (240 km/h) may have "ZR" in the size description, depending on the
manufacturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR18).
The service specification is made up of
load-bearing index 0083and speed rating 0084.
R If the size description of your tire includes
"ZR" and there are no service specifica-
tions, ask the tire manufacturer in order to
find out the maximum speed.
If a service specification is available, the
maximum speed is limited according to the
speed rating in the service specification.
Example: 245/40 ZR 18 97 Y.In this exam-
ple, "97 Y" is the service specification. The letter "Y" represents the speed rating. The
maximum speed of the tire is limited to
186 mph (300 km/h).
R The size description for all tires with maxi-
mum speeds of over 186 mph (300 km/h)
must include "ZR" , andthe service specifi-
cation must be given in parentheses. Exam- ple: 275/40 ZR 18 (99 Y). Speed rating
"(Y)" indicates that the maximum speed of
the tire is over 186 mph (300 km/h). Ask
the tire manufacturer about the maximum
speed. All-weather tires and winter tires
Index Speed rating
Q M+S
13 up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S
13 up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S
13 up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S
13 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 004Dsnowflake 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
snow traction, and were specially devel-
oped for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of 130mph
(210km/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 for your vehicle as specified in
the "tires" section (Y page 360), e.g. if you
buy new tires.
Further information about reading tire data
can be obtained from any qualified specialist
workshop.
13 Or M+S004D for winter tires.350
Tire labelingWheels and tires