WARNING (Continued)■Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage
to the seat belts, seat belt connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected,
the relevant seat belt must be replaced by a specialist garage.■
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced – this is best done by a
specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspec-
ted. The anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
The physical principle of a head-on collision
Fig. 4
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear seat passenger without a
fastened seat belt
Read and observe
on page 11 first.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of mo-
tion) is produced, both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the occupants.
The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at
which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle including the
occupants.
Doubling the speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases
the kinetic energy four times.
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” to 4.8 tons (4800 kg) at
50 km/h.
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike parts of the interior of the car, such as the
steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen in ways which cannot be controlled
» Fig. 4 -
. In certain circumstances you could even be thrown out of the vehi-
cle, which could cause life threatening or even fatal injuries.
Rear seat passengers who have not fastened their seat belts are a danger not only to themselves but also to those seated at the front » Fig. 4 –
.
Correct routing of seat belt
Fig. 5
Routing of belt webbing over the shoulders and the lap belt/Rout-
ing of belt webbing for an expectant mother
Fig. 6
Front seat: Seat belt height ad-
juster
Read and observe on page 11 first.
It is important that the belt is properly routed to ensure seat belts offer the
maximum protection.
12Safety
Please note the following if you intend to use the temporary spare wheel.▶ The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
▶ Be particularly observant when driving.
▶ The emergency spare is inflated to the maximum inflation pressure for the
vehicle » page 217 .
▶ The tyre inflation pressure of the spare wheel R 18 is 4.2 bar.
▶ Only use this temporary spare wheel to reach the nearest specialist garage,
since it is not intended for permanent use.
If you need to use a spare wheel, make sure to fit a standard wheel of the ap-
propriate dimensions and design as soon as possible.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring, save tyre pressure values » page 183.WARNING■
Never drive with more than one spare wheel mounted!■Only use the spare wheel while absolutely necessary.■
Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
■
The snow chains cannot be used on the spare wheel.
■
If the dimensions or design of the temporary spare wheel differ from the
tyres fitted, never drive faster than 80 km/h (or 50 mph).
■
Never use the emergency spare wheel if it is damaged.
■
Observe instructions on the warning sign of the emergency wheel.
Tyre label
Read and observe
on page 217 first.
Only use radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling circumference) and tread
pattern on one axle on all four wheels.
When mounting new tires the tires have to be replaced axle by axle.
Explanation of tyre markings
For example 215/60 R 16 95 V means:
215Tyre width in mm60Height/width ratio in %RCode letter for the type of tyre – Radial16Diameter of wheel in inches95load indexVSpeed symbolThe date of manufacture is stated on the tyre wall (possibly on the inside).
For example DOT ... 10 15... means, for example, that the tyre was manufac-
tured in the 10th week of 2015.
Load index
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load for each individual
tyre.load index919293949596979899Load
(In kg)615630650670690710730750775
Speed symbol
The maximum speed symbol indicates the maximum permissible vehicle speed
with fitted tyres in each category.
speed
symbolMTUHVWYMaximum speed
(in km/h)130190200210240270300WARNING■ Never exceed the maximum permissible load bearing capacity of moun-
ted tyres.■
Never exceed the maximum permissible speed for the mounted tyres.
Winter operation
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Winter tyres
221
Snow chains
221
Do not use alloy rims with bevelled or polished surfaces during the winter. The
rim surface does not have sufficient corrosion protection and could be perma-
nently damaged (e.g. through grit).
220General Maintenance
