Page 345 of 390

vide the best possible grip in wintry road con-
ditions. Only these tires will allow driving
safety systems such as ABS and ESP ®
to
function optimally in winter. These tires have
been developed specifically for driving in
snow.
Use M+S tires of the same make and tread on
all wheels to maintain safe handling charac-
teristics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
When you have mounted the M+S tires: X
Check the tire pressures ( Y
page 343).X
Restart the tire pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Canada) ( Y
page 347) or restart the
tire pressure monitor (USA) ( Y
page 350).
Snow chains
G WARNING
If snow chains are mounted on the rear
wheels, the snow chains could cause abrasion
to the vehicle body or to chassis components.
This could cause damage to the vehicle or the
tires. There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations: R
never mount snow chains on the rear
wheels R
only mount snow chains in pairs on the
front wheels.
! On some tire sizes there is not enough
space for snow chains. To avoid damage to
the vehicle or tires, observe the "Wheel and
tire combinations" section under "Tires and
wheels".
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist work-
shop. If you intend to mount snow chains, please
bear the following points in mind: R
Snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible
wheel-tire combinations ( Y
page 367).R
Only use snow chains when driving on
roads completely covered by snow.
Remove the snow chains as soon as possi-
ble when you come to a road that is not
snow-covered. R
Local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate reg-
ulations if you wish to mount snow chains. R
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h). R
When snow chains are installed, never use
Active Parking Assist ( Y
page 203).
You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when pull-
ing away with snow chains installed
( Y
page 69). You can thereby allow the wheels
to spin in a controlled manner, achieving an
increased driving force (cutting action).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks: R
the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase. R
the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction. R
the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident. Tire pressure 343
Wheels and tires Z
Page 358 of 390

Example: R
Treadwear grade: 200R
Traction grade: AAR
Temperature grade: A
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
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.
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.
! 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
Page 364 of 390

Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equip-
ment including the maximum capacity of fuel,
oil and coolant. It also includes the air-condi-
tioning system and optional equipment if
these are installed in the vehicle, but does not
include passengers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum per-
missible weight in kilograms or lbs for which a
tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one
tire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividing the maximum axle load of one axle
by two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to each square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal
(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should only
be corrected when the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold: R
if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three
hours and R
if the vehicle has not been driven further
than 1 mile (1.6 km) Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on t h
e wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-
performance battery, are not included in the
curb weight and the weight of the accesso-
ries.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used
by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is made up of the
manufacturer's identity code, tire size, tire
type code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a
code that contains the maximum load bearing
capacity of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the
tires and the road surface.
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