Rwear excessively and/or unevenly
Rhave an adverse effect on ride comfort
Rbe more susceptible to damage
Maximum tire pressures
:Example: maximum permissible tire pres-
sure
Never exceed the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure. Always observe the rec-
ommended tire pressure for your vehicle
when adjusting the tire pressure
(
Ypage 291).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Checking the tire pressures
Important safety notes
Observe the notes on tire pressure
(
Ypage 291).
Information on air pressure for the tires on
your vehicle can be found:
Ron the vehicle's Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the B-pillar
Ron the tire pressure label on the fuel filler
flap
Rin the "Tire pressure" section
Checking tire pressures manually
To determine and set the correct tire pres-
sure, proceed as follows:
XRemove the valve cap of the tire that is to
be checked.
XPress the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
XRead the tire pressure and compare it to
the recommended value on the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the tire
pressure table (
Ypage 291).
XIf the tire pressure is too low, increase the
tire pressure to the recommended value.
XIf the tire pressure is too high, release air.
To do so, press down the metal pin in the
valve, using the tip of a pen for example.
Then check the tire pressure again using
the tire pressure checker.
XScrew the valve cap onto the valve.
XRepeat these steps for the other tires.
Tire pressure monitor
General notes
If a tire pressure monitor is installed, the vehi-
cle's wheels have sensors that monitor the
tire pressures in all four tires. The tire pres-
sure monitor warns you if the pressure drops
in one or more of the tires. The tire pressure
monitor only functions if the corresponding
sensors are installed in all wheels.
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 Service
menu of the mul-
tifunction display, see illustration (example).
Example: Sedan, current tire pressure display
294Tire pressure
Wheels and tires
For information on the message display, refer
to the "Checking the tire pressure electroni-
cally" section (
Ypage 296).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked at least once every two
weeks when cold and inflated to the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver's door B-pillar or the tire pres-
sure label on the inside of the fuel filler flap. If
your vehicle has tires of a different size than
the size indicated on the Tire and Loading
Information placard or, if available, the tire
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres-
sure telltale when one or more of your tires
are significantly underinflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale lights up,
you should stop and check your tires as soon
as possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly underin-
flated tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle's
handling and stopping ability. Please note thatthe TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if
underinflation has not reached the level to
trigg er i
llumination of the TPMS low tire pres-
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem 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 illu-
minated, the system may not be able to detect
or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of incom-
patible replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction 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 properly.
It is the driver's responsibility to set the tire
pressure to that recommended for cold tires
which is suitable for the operating situation
(
Ypage 291). 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 is
aligned to the reference values taught-in.
Restart the tire pressure monitor after adjust-
ing the pressure of the cold tires
(
Ypage 297). The current pressures are
saved as new reference values. As a result, a
warning message will appear if the tire pres-
sure drops significantly.
The tire pressure monitor does not warn you
of an incorrectly set ti
re pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure (
Ypage 291).
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
abrupt steering maneuvers.
Tire pressure295
Wheels and tires
Z
and must be corrected at the next oppor-
tunity.
RIf theCheckTiresmessage appears in the
multifunction display, the tire pressure in
one or more tires has dropped significantly
and the tires must be checked.
RIf the Warning Tire Malfunctionmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display,
the tire pressure in one or more tires has
dropped suddenly and the tires must be
checked.
Observe the instructions and safety notes in
the display messages in the "Tires" section
(
Ypage 200).
If the wheel positions on the vehicle are rota-
ted, the tire pressures may be displayed 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 cor-
rect 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. The tire pressure monitor
then monitors the new tire pressure values.
XSet 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 291).
Additional tire pressure values for different
loads can also be found on the tire pressure
table on the inside of the fuel filler flap
(
Ypage 291).
XMake sure that the tire pressure is correct
on all four wheels.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
XPress the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Service
menu.
XPress the9or: button to select
Tire Pressure
.
XPress the abutton.
The multifunction display shows the cur-
rent tire pressure for the individual tires or
the Tire
pressurewillbedisplayed
after driving a few minutesmes-
sage.
XPress the :button.
The Use Current Pressures as New
Reference Valuesmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
XPress 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:
XPress the %button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Radio type approval for the tire pres-
sure monitor
In certain countries, a radio type approval for
the tire pressure monitor may be required.
The radio type approval number for the tire
pressure monitor can be found in the "Wheels
and tires" section of the Digital Operator's
Manual.
Tire pressure297
Wheels and tires
Z
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.
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1) The Tire and Loading Information placard is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The
Tire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum permissible number
of occupants and the maximum permis-
sible vehicle load. It also contains details
of the tire sizes and corresponding pres-
sures for tires mounted at the factory.
(2) The vehicle identification plate is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle
identification plate informs you of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
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.
B-pillar (example: Sedan)
:
B-pillar, driver's side
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
XSpecification for maximum gross vehicle
weight :is listed in 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 and luggage must not exceed the speci-
fied value.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the illustra-
tion are examples. The maximum permis-
sible gross vehicle weight rating is vehicle- specific and may differ from that in the
illustration. You can find the valid maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight rating for
your vehicle on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard.
298Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires
Step 3
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Permissible load
(maximum gross vehi-
cle weight rating from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard
minus the gross
weight of all occu-
pants)1500 lbs (680 kg)Ò
750 lbs (340 kg) =
750 lbs (340 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
540 lbs (245 kg)
=960 lbs (435 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs (612 kg)
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
(
Ypage 298).
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.
All about wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
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 grade, ;
traction grade and =temperature grade.
These regulations do not apply to Canada.
Nevertheless, all tires sold in North America
are provided with the corresponding quality
grading markings on the sidewall of the tire.
Quality grades can be found, where applica-
ble, on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width.
All about wheels and tires301
Wheels and tires
Z
Example:
RTread wear grade:200
RTraction grade:AA
RTemperature 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 tread wear 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.
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 wet pavement 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 289). 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 appropri ate ca
re 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, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled con-
ditions 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 temperature
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.
302All about wheels an d tires
Wheels and tires
IndexSpeed rating
H M+S1up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S1up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot 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 isnowflake 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 the
tire traction on snow. They have been espe-
cially developed for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding the following speeds:
Rall vehicles (except AMG vehicles):
130 mph (210 km/h)
RAMG vehicles: 155 mph (250 km/h)
RAMG vehicles with Performance Package
(Wagon): 174 mph (280km/ h)
RAMG vehicles with Performance Package
(Sedan): 186 mph (300 km/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, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for your vehicle can be found in the "Tires" section (
Ypage 314).
Further information about reading tire data
can be obtained from any qualified specialist
workshop.
Load index
In addition to the load bearing index, load
index :may be imprinted after the letters
that identify speed index Bon the sidewall of
the tire (
Ypage 303).
RIf no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above), represents a standard
load (SL) tire
RXL or Extra Load: represents a reinforced
tire
RLight Load: represents a light load tire
RC, D, E: represents a load range that
depends on the maximum load that the tire
can carry at a certain pressure
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load :is the maximum per-
missible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissi-
1Or M+S ifor winter tires.
All about wheels and tires305
Wheels and tires
Z
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT-markedtires fulfill th erequirements of
th e U S Departmen tof Transportation .
Normal occupant weigh t
The number of occupant sfo rwhic hth evehi-
cle is designed multiplie dby 68 kilograms
(15 0lbs) .
Unifor mTire Qualit yGrading Standards
A uniform standard to grade th equalit yof
tires wit hregards to tread quality, tire traction
and temperature characteristics .The qualit y
gradin gassessmen tis made by th emanufac -
turer following specification sfrom th eU.S.
government. The ratings are molded into th e
sidewall of th etire.
Recommended tire pressure s
The recommended tire pressur eapplies to
th etires mounted at th efactory.
The Tir eand Loadin gInformation placard con-
tains th erecommended tire pressures fo r
cold tires on afull yloade dvehicl eand fo rth e
maximum permissibl evehicl espeed.
The tire pressur etable contain sth erecom-
mended pressures fo rcold tires fo rvarious
operating conditions, i.e. differin gload and
speed conditions.
Increased vehicle weigh tdu eto optiona l
equipment
The combine dweight of all standard and
optional equipmen tavailable fo rth evehicle,
regardless of whether it is a
ctually installed
on th evehicl eor not.
Ri m
This is th epart of th ewhee lon whic hth etire
is mounted.
GAW R(Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAW Ris th emaximum gross axl eweight
rating. The actual load on an axl emus tnever
exceed th egross axl eweight rating. The
gross axl eweight ratin gcan be found on th e
vehicl eidentification plat eon th eB-pillar on
th edriver's side . Speed rating
The speed ratin
gis part of th etire identifica-
tion .It specifies th espeed range fo rwhic hth e
tire is approved.
GV W(Gross Vehicle Weight )
The gross vehicl eweight includes th eweight
of th evehicl eincludin gfuel ,tools ,th espar e
wheel, accessories installed ,occupants, lug-
gage and th edrawbar noseweight ,if applica-
ble. The gross vehicl eweight mus tno texceed
th egross vehicl eweight ratin gGVWR as
specified on th evehicl eidentification plat eon
th eB-pillar on th edriver's side .
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is th emaximum permissibl egross
weight of afull yloade dvehicl e(the weight of
th evehicl eincludin gall accessories, occu-
pants ,fuel, luggage and th edrawbar nose-
weight ,if applicable). The gross vehicl e
weight ratin gis specified on th
eve
hicl eiden -
tification plat eon th eB-pillar on th edriver's
side .
Maximum loaded vehicle weigh t
The maximum weight is th esum of :
Rthecur bweight of th evehicl e
Rtheweight of th eaccessories
Rth eload limi t
Rtheweight of th efactory installed optional
equipmen t
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric uni tfo rtire pressure. 6. 9kP acorre-
spond sto 1psi .Another uni tfo rtire pressur e
is bar. 10 0kilopascal s(kPa) are th eequiva-
len tof 1bar.
Load index
In addition to th eload-bearin gindex ,th eload
index may also be imprinte don th esidewall of
th etire. This specifies th eload-bearin gcapa-
cit ymor eprecisely.
All about wheels and tires30 7
Wheels and tires
Z