Vehicle care157Wheels and tyresTyre condition, wheel condition
Drive over edges slowly and at right
angles if possible. Driving over sharp
edges can cause tyre and wheel
damage. Do not trap tyres on the kerb
when parking.
Regularly check the wheels for
damage. Seek the assistance of a
workshop in the event of damage or
unusual wear.
We recommend not swapping the
front wheels with the rear wheels and vice versa, as this can affect vehicle
stability. Always use less worn tyres
on the rear axle.
Tyres Factory-fitted tyres are matched to
the chassis and offer optimum driving comfort and safety.Winter tyres
Winter tyres improve driving safety attemperatures below 7 °C and should
therefore be fitted on all wheels.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, a notice indicating the
maximum permissible speed for the
tyres must be affixed within the
driver's field of vision.
Tyre designations E.g. 195/65 R 16 C 88 Q195=Tyre width, mm65=Cross-section ratio (tyre height
to tyre width), %R=Belt type: RadialRF=Type: RunFlat16=Wheel diameter, inchesC=Cargo or commercial use88=Load index e.g. 88 is
equivalent to 567 kgQ=Speed code letter
Speed code letter:
Q=up to 160 km/hS=up to 180 km/hT=up to 190 km/hH=up to 210 km/hV=up to 240 km/hW=up to 270 km/h
Directional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they roll in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
Tyre pressure Check the pressure of cold tyres atleast every 14 days and before any
long journey. Do not forget the spare
wheel. This also applies to vehicles
with tyre pressure monitoring system.
158Vehicle care
Tyre pressures 3 192. Always inflate
tyres to the pressures shown on the
label on the driver's door frame.
The tyre pressure data refers to cold
tyres. It applies to summer and winter tyres.
Always inflate the spare tyre to the
pressure specified for full load.
Incorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 182.
2. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all possible tyre combinations 3 192.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle
or other national registration
documents.The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
Tyre pressure monitoring
system
The Tyre Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) uses radio and
sensor technology to check tyre
pressure levels.
Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns only about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.
All wheels must be equipped with pressure sensors and the tyres must
have the prescribed pressure.
Note
In countries where the tyre pressure
monitoring system is legally
required, the use of wheels without
pressure sensors will invalidate the
vehicle type approval.
The TPMS sensors monitor the air
pressure in the tyres and transmit tyre pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
Tyre pressures in display The current tyre pressures can be
shown in the Driver Information
Centre 3 90.
160Vehicle care
Puncture
A puncture or severely under-inflated
tyre is indicated by illumination of
control indicator w together with C
3 86 and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre. Stop vehicle and switch off
engine.
Tyre pressure 3 192, Tyre repair kit
3 162, Spare wheel 3 166, Wheel
changing 3 165.
Temperature dependency Tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the Driver Information Centre shows
the actual tyre pressure. Therefore it
is important to check tyre pressure
with cold tyres.Relearn function
After changing the wheels, TPMS
needs to recalculate.
With the vehicle stationary, select the tyre pressure menu in the Driver
Information Centre by pressing button
on end of wiper lever. Press and hold button for approx. 3 seconds to
initialise recalculation. A
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Several minutes of driving may be
required to complete the relearn
process.
If problems occur during the relearn
process, control indicator w remains
illuminated and a warning message is displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Driver Information Centre 3 90.
Vehicle messages 3 91.
General information
The use of commercially available
liquid tyre repair kits can impair the
function of the system. Factory-
approved tyre repair kits can be used.
Tyre repair kit 3 162.
External high-power radio equipment
could disrupt the tyre pressure
monitoring system.
Each time the tyres are replaced,
TPMS sensors must be dismounted
and serviced by a workshop.
Tread depth
Check tread depth at regular
intervals.
Tyres should be replaced for safety
reasons at a tread depth of 2-3 mm
(4 mm for winter tyres).
166Vehicle care
5. Unscrew wheel bolts completelyby turning anticlockwise and wipe
clean with a cloth.
Put wheel bolts somewhere
where the threads will not be
soiled.
6. Change the wheel. Spare wheel 3 166.
7. Screw in the wheel bolts.
8. Lower the vehicle and remove jack.
9. Tighten each of the wheel bolts in
a crosswise sequence using the
wheel wrench. Ensure the wrench
locates securely. The wrench
should turn clockwise to tighten
the bolts. Invert the wrench if
necessary.
Tightening torque is 160 Nm.
10. Replace the wheel cover, ensuring that the valve hole in thewheel cover is aligned with the
tyre valve before installing.Note
If applicable, fit anti-theft bolts
nearest the tyre valve (otherwise it
may not be possible to refit the wheel
cover).
11. Stow the replaced wheel 3 166
and the vehicle tools 3 156.
12. Have the new wheel balanced on the vehicle.
Check the tyre pressure of the
installed tyre 3 192.
Check the wheel bolt torque.
Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
Spare wheel
Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel 3 162.
If mounting a spare wheel which is
different from the other wheels, this
wheel might be classified as a
temporary spare wheel and the
corresponding speed limits apply,even though no label indicates this.
Seek the assistance of a workshop to
check the applicable speed limit.Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
It may be necessary to jack the
vehicle up to gain access to the spare
wheel on a fully loaded vehicle with a flat rear tyre.
Wheel changing 3 165.
Vehicle care167
The spare wheel is mounted under
the rear underbody and may be
secured using a security bolt that can
only be removed using the wheel bolt sleeve supplied. Vehicle tools 3 156.
9 Warning
Due to the weight of the tyre
assembly, exercise caution when
releasing the spare wheel carrier.
Do not fully remove bolt 1.
Support the spare wheel with a
suitable object to prevent the
wheel falling suddenly when
loosening the carrier bolts - risk of injury!
To release the spare wheel carrier,loosen bolt 1, ensuring it is not fully
removed. Fully remove bolt 2, then
pull the carrier to the left, until it clears bolt 1, and lower the carrier assembly.
When installing the wheel ensure that
the spare wheel carrier is correctly
positioned before tightening the bolts.
Summer and winter tyres If you use winter tyres, the spare
wheel may still be fitted with a
summer tyre.
If you use the spare wheel when it is
fitted with a summer tyre the vehicle's driveability may be affected,
especially on slippery road surfaces.
Directional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they roll in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
■ Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
■ Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
■ Drive particularly carefully on wet and snow-covered road surfaces.
172Vehicle care
Paintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.
Unpainted plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing
agents.
Matt filmed body parts or decor tapes must not be polished, to avoid
gleaming. Do not use hot wax
programmes in automatic car washes if the vehicle is equipped with theseparts.
Matt painted decor parts, e.g. mirror housing cover, must not be polished.
Otherwise these parts would become
agleam or the colour would be
dissolved.
Windows and windscreen wiper blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner
and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Clean smearing wiper blades with a
soft cloth and window cleaner.
Wheels and tyres
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damageRectify minor paintwork damage witha touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust areas repaired by a workshop.
Underbody Some areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other
critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.After the underbody is washed, check the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.
Towing equipment Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Interior care Interior and upholsteryOnly clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
Clean any leather upholstery with clear water and a soft cloth. In case of
heavy soiling, use leather care.
201
Windscreen wiper/washer ...........76
Winter tyres ............................... 157
Wiper blade replacement ..........146