Page 184 of 390

function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
Checklist before driving off-road X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the
engine oil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure a correct oil supply in the vehicle. X
Wheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure. X
Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires. X
Replace any missing valve caps. X
Replace dented or damaged wheels. X
Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a
loss of tire pressure and damage the tire
bead. Before driving off-road, check the
wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
! If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. X
Deactivate off-road program ( Y
page 157).X
Deactivate DSR ( Y
page 197).X
Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage. X
Clean the front and rear license plates. X
Clean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects. X
Clean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage. X
Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts. X
After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage. X
After driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned: R
brake discs R
wheels R
brake pads R
axle joints X
If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places
greater demands on your vehicle than driving
on normal roads. After driving off-road, check
the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to
yourself and other road users.
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand: R
Activate the off-road program
( Y
page 157). R
Avoid high engine speeds. R
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain. R
Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground. R
Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that: -
the tire ruts are not too deep. -
the sand is sufficiently firm. -
the ground clearance of the vehicle is
sufficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads
! Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.182
Driving tips
Driving and parking
Page 326 of 390

You must not exceed a maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).
When replacing one or all tires, please
observe the following specifications for your
vehicle's tires: R
size R
type and R
the "MOExtended" mark
If a tire has gone flat and cannot be replaced
with a MOExtended tire, a standard tire may
be used as a temporary measure. Make sure
that you use the proper size and type (sum-
mer or winter tire).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if
you mount tires that do not feature run-flat
properties, e.g. winter tires. A TIREFIT kit may
be obtained from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When driving in emergency mode, the driving
characteristics deteriorate, e.g. when corner-
ing, accelerating quickly and when braking.
There is a risk of an accident.
Do not exceed the stated maximum speed.
Avoid abrupt steering and driving maneuvers,
and driving over obstacles (curbs, potholes,
off-road). This applies in particular to a laden
vehicle.
Stop driving in emergency mode if: R
you hear banging noises. R
the vehicle starts to shake. R
you see smoke and smell rubber. R
ESP ®
is intervening constantly.R
there are tears in the sidewalls of the tire.
After driving in emergency mode, have the
wheel rims checked at a qualified specialist
workshop with regard to their further use. The
defective tire must be replaced in every case. TIREFIT kit
Important safety notes TIREFIT is a tire sealant.
You can use TIREFIT to seal punctures of up to
0.16 in (4 mm), particularly those in the tire
tread. You can use TIREFIT at outside tem-
peratures down to
Page 370 of 390

The recommended pressures for various
operating conditions can be found: R
on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side R
in the tire pressure table in the fuel filler flap
Observe the notes on recommended tire
pressures under various operating conditions
( Y
page 343).
Check tire pressures regularly, and only when
the tires are cold. Comply with the mainte-
nance recommendations of the tire manufac-
turer in the vehicle document wallet.
Notes on the vehicle equipment – always
equip the vehicle with: R
with tires of the same size on a given axle
(left and right) R
the same type of tires at a given time (sum-
mer tires, winter tires, MOExtended tires)
Exception: it is permissible to install a dif-
ferent type or make in the event of a flat
tire. Observe the "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics" section
( Y
page 323).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if
you mount tires that do not feature run-flat
properties, e.g. winter tires. A TIREFIT kit may
be obtained from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
i Not all wheel and tire combinations are
available at the factory for all countries.
i The following pages contain information
on approved wheel rims and tire sizes for
equipping your vehicle with winter tires.
Winter tires are not available at the factory
as standard equipment or optional extras.
If you want to equip your vehicle with
approved winter tires, it may be necessary
to obtain wheel rims in the corresponding
size. The size of the approved winter tires
may differ from the standard tires. This is
dependent on the model and the equip-
ment installed at the factory. The tires and wheel rims, as well as further
information, can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop.368
Wheel and tire combinations
Wheels and tires