
Tire labeling
Overview 0043
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard
(Ypage 421)
0044 DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 420)
0087 Maximum tire load (Y page 419)
0085 Maximum tire pressure (Y page 406)
0083 Manufacturer
0084 Tire material (Y page 420)
006B Tire size designation, load-bearing capa-
city and speed index (Y page 417)
006C Load index (Y page 419)
006D 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. 0043
Tire width
0044 Nominal aspect ratio in %
0087 Tire code
0085 Rim diameter
0083 Load bearing index
0084 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: 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 All about
wheels and tires
417Wheels and tires Z

DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT marked tires fulfill the requirements of
the United States Department of Transporta- tion.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants which the vehicle is
designed for, multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lb).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A uniform standard to grade the quality of
tires with regards to tread quality, tire traction and temperature characteristics. Ratings are determined by tire manufacturers using U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
are molded into the sidewall of the tire.
Recommended tire pressure
The recommended tire pressure applies to
the tires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard con-
tains the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires on a fully loaded vehicle and for the maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the recom-
mended pressures for cold tires for various
operating conditions, i.e. differing load and
speed conditions.
Increased vehicle weight due to optional
equipment
This is the combined weight of all standard
and optional equipment available for the vehi-
cle, regardless of whether it is actually instal-
led on the vehicle or not.
Rim
This is the part of the wheel on which the tire is mounted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum gross axle weight
rating. The actual load on an axle must never exceed the gross axle weight rating. The
gross axle weight rating can be found on the
vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on
the driver's side. Speed rating
The speed rating is part of the tire identifica-
tion. It specifies the speed range for which the
tire is approved.
GTW (Gross Trailer Weight)
The GTW is the weight of a trailer including the
weight of the load, luggage, accessories etc.
on the trailer.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weight
of the vehicle including fuel, tools, the spare
wheel, accessories installed, occupants, lug-
gage and the drawbar noseweight, if applica- ble. The gross vehicle weight must not exceed
the gross vehicle weight rating GVWR as
specified on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible gross weight of a fully loaded vehicle (the weight of the vehicle including all accessories, occu-
pants, fuel, luggage and the drawbar nose-
weight, if applicable). The gross vehicle
weight rating is specified on the vehicle iden-
tification plate on the B-pillar on the driver's
side.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is the sum of:
R the curb weight of the vehicle
R the weight of the accessories
R the load limit
R the weight of the factory installed optional
equipment
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa corre-
sponds to 1 psi. Another unit for tire pressure is bar. There are 100 kilopascal s(kPa) to
1 bar.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, the load
index may also be imprinted on the sidewall of All about wheels and tires
421Wheels and tires Z

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 00CDin
(1.6 mm) has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lb) multiplied by the num-
ber of seats in the vehicle. Changing a wheel
Flat tire
You can find information on what to do in the
event of a flat tire in the "Breakdown assis-
tance" section (Y page 383). Information on
driving with MOExtended tires in the event of
a flat tire can be found under "MOExtended
tires (tires with run-flat characteristics"
(Y page 383).
The "Breakdown assistance" section
(Y page 383) contains information and notes
on how to deal with a flat tire. Information on
driving with MOExtended tires in the event of
a flat tire can be found under "MOExtended
tires (tires with run-flat characteristics"
(Y page 383).
Vehicles with an emergency spare wheel: in the event of a flat tire, mount the emer-
gency spare wheel according to the descrip-
tion under "Mounting a wheel" (Y page 424).Rotating the wheels
G
WARNING
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.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
(Y page 424).
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
every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to
10,000 km), or earlier if tire wear requires. Do
not change the direction of wheel rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is rotated. Check the tire pressure and, if nec- essary, restart the tire pressure loss warning
system or the tire pressure monitor. Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydroplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates
its correct direction of rotation. Changing a wheel
423Wheels and tires Z

Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tires from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel. Cleaning the wheels
G
WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately. Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Vehicle with emergency spare wheel:
when mounting the emergency spare
wheel in the event of a flat tire, follow the
additional notes on vehicle preparation
under "Flat tire" (Y page 383).
X Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
X Unload heavy luggage.
X Apply the electric parking brake manually.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that highway level is selected
(Y page 211).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Vehicles with 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: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 158).
X If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
i Apart from certain country-specific varia-
tions, vehicles are not equipped with a tire-
change tool kit. For information on which
tools are required to perform a wheel
change on your vehicle, consult an author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Necessary wheel-changing tools can
include, for example:
R Jack
R Wheel chock
R Lug wrench
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 382).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
securing measure to prevent the vehicle from rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel. 424
Changing a wheelWheels and tires

X
Fold both plates upwards 0043.
X Fold out lower plate 0044.
X Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate 0087.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.
! AMG vehicles with "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel: use the "Minispare"
emergency spare wheel only on the rear
axle . If you mount the "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel on the front axle, this
could result in damage to the brake system.
If a tire on the front axle is defective, an
intact wheel from the rear axle must first be
replaced with the "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel. The faulty wheel on the front
axle may only then be replaced by the
undamaged wheel from the rear axle.
Make sure to note the placard on the
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel.
! The jack is designed exclusively for jack-
ing up the vehicle at the jacking points.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged.
Observe the following when raising the vehi-
cle:
R To raise the vehicle, only use the vehicle-
specific jack that has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. If used incor-
rectly, the jack could tip over with the vehi-
cle raised.
R The jack is designed only to raise and hold
the vehicle for a short time while a wheel
is being changed. It is not suited for per-
forming maintenance work under the vehi- cle.
R Avoid changing the wheel on uphill and
downhill slopes.
R Before raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and inserting wheel chocks. Do not disen-
gage the parking brake while the vehicle is
raised.
R The jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a
large, flat, load-bearing underlay must be
used. On a slippery surface, a non-slip
underlay must be used, e.g. rubber mats. Changing a wheel
425Wheels and tires Z

Removing a wheel
!
Do not place wheel bolts in sand or on a
dirty surface. The bolt and wheel hub
threads could otherwise be damaged when you screw them in. X
Unscrew the uppermost wheel bolt com-
pletely.
X Screw alignment bolt 0043into the thread
instead of the wheel bolt.
X Unscrew the remaining wheel bolts fully.
X Remove the wheel.
Mounting a new wheel G
WARNING
Oiled or greased wheel bolts or damaged
wheel bolts/hub threads can cause the wheel bolts to come loose. As a result, you could
lose a wheel while driving. There is a risk of
accident.
Never oil or grease wheel bolts. In the event of damage to the threads, contact a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. Have the
damaged wheel bolts or hub threads
replaced/renewed. Do not continue driving. G
WARNING
If you tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is raised, the jack could tip
over. There is a risk of injury.
Only tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is on the ground. !
To prevent damage to the paintwork, hold
the wheel securely against the wheel hub
while screwing in the first wheel bolt.
Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes in the "Changing a wheel" sec-
tion (Y page 423).
Only use wheel bolts that have been designed
for the wheel and the vehicle. For safety rea-
sons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use wheel bolts which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the respective wheel.
! Always use wheel bolts
0044to mount the
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel. Using
other wheel bolts to mount the "Minispare" emergency spare wheel could damage the
brake system. 0043
Wheel bolts for all wheels supplied by the
factory
0044 Wheel bolts for the collapsible spare
wheel Changing a wheel
427Wheels and tires Z

ML 63 AMG 4MATIC
Summer tires
R 20
Tires Alloy wheels
BA: 265/45 ZR 20 108 Y XL
8 BA: 9.0 J x 20 H2
Wheel offset: 1.61 in (41 mm)
R 21
Tires Alloy wheels
BA: 295/35 ZR 21 107 Y XL
8 BA: 10.0 J x 21 H2
Wheel offset: 2.20 in (56 mm)
Winter tires
R 20
Tires Alloy wheels
BA: 255/45 R 20 105 V XL M+S
004D BA: 9.0 J x 20 H2
Wheel offset: 1.61 in (41 mm)
R 21
Tires Alloy wheels
BA: 295/35 R 21 107 V XL M+S
004D8 BA: 10.0 J x 21 H2
Wheel offset: 2.20 in (56 mm)
Emergency spare wheel
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The wheel or tire size as well as the tire type of the spare wheel or emergency spare wheel
and the wheel to be replaced may differ.
Mounting an emergency spare wheel may
severely impair the driving characteristics.
There is a risk of an accident. To avoid hazardous situations:
R adapt your driving style accordingly and
drive carefully.
R never mount more than one spare wheel or
emergency spare wheel that differs in size.
R only use a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size briefly.
R do not switch ESP ®
off.
R have a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size replaced at the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
Observe that the wheel and tire dimensions as well as the tire type must be correct.
8 Snow chains not permitted. Observe the notes under "Snow chains". 440
Emergency spare wheelWheels and tires

!
AMG vehicles with "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel: use the "Minispare"
emergency spare wheel only on the rear
axle. If you mount the "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel on the front axle, this
could result in damage to the brake system.
If a tire on the front axle is defective, an
intact wheel from the rear axle must first be
replaced with the "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel. The defective wheel on the
front axle can then be replaced with the
intact wheel from the rear axle.
Make sure to note the placard on the
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel.
When using an emergency spare wheel or
spare wheel of a different size, you must not
exceed the maximum speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Snow chains must not be mounted on emer-
gency spare wheels. General notes
Mounting the emergency spare wheel is
described under "Mounting a wheel"
(Y page 424).
You should regularly check the pressure of
the emergency spare wheel, particularly prior
to long trips, and correct the pressure as nec-
essary (Y page 404). The value on the wheel
or as given in the "Wheels and tires" section is
valid (Y page 443).
An emergency spare wheel may also be
mounted against the direction of rotation.
Observe the time restriction on use as well as
the speed limitation specified on the emer-
gency spare wheel.
Replace the tires after six years at the latest, regardless of wear. This also applies to the
emergency spare wheel.
i When you are driving with the collapsible
spare wheel mounted, the tire pressure
loss warning system or the tire pressure
monitor cannot function reliably. Only
restart the tire pressure loss warning sys- tem/the tire pressure monitor when the
damaged wheel has been replaced with a
new wheel.
Vehicles with tire pressure monitor:
after mounting an emergency spare wheel,
the system may still display the tire pres-
sure of the removed wheel for a few
minutes. The value displayed for the moun-
ted emergency spare wheel is not the same as the current tire pressure of the emer-
gency spare wheel. Removing the emergency spare wheel
Emergency spare wheel (example: vehicle without
lockable cargo compartment floor)
The "Minispare" emergency spare wheel can
be found in the stowage well under the cargo
compartment floor.
X Lift the cargo compartment floor up
(Y page 344).
X Vehicles with trailer tow hitch: remove
the ball coupling stowage tray
(Y page 258).
X Vehicles without a lockable cargo com-
partment floor: turn emergency spare
wheel retainer 0044counter-clockwise and
remove it.
X Remove "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel 0043. Emergency spare wheel
441Wheels and tires Z