Snow chains
GWARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is arisk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
Rnever install snow chains to the front
wheels
Ralways install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
GWARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As aresult, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
Observe the country-specific laws and regula-
tions for operation with snow chains.
!Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
Rwheel
Rwheel housing
Rwheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
!Vehicles with steel wheels: if you mount
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps from
the relevant wheels before mounting the
snow chains.
Snow chains increase traction on roads in wintry conditions.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains or traction
aids which have been approved for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. The snow chains or traction aids
must be of class Uormeet the SAE type U
specification. Information about snow chains can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Commercial Van Cen-
ter.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
RSnow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations
.When mounting the
snow chains, note the permissible tire and
snow chain dimensions. Observe the restric-
tions on the use of snow chains under
"Wheel/tire combinations "(
Ypage 291).
RMount snow chains only in pairs and only to
the rear wheels. Observe the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.
ROnly use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered byalaye rofs now. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
ar oad that is not snow-covered.
RThe use of snow chains may be restricted by
local regulations. Observe the appropriate
regulations before mounting snow chains.
RWhen driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
of 30 mph (50 km/h).
RCheck the tension of the chains after adis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km).
You may wish to deactivate ESP
®when pulling
away with snow chains installed (Ypage 64).
This allowst he wheels to spin in acontrolled
manner, achieving an increased driving force
(cut tinga ction).
Tire pressure
Tire pressures pecifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
Rthe tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
Rthe tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
Rthe driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is arisk of an accident.
270Tire pressure
Wheels and tires
TIN (Tire IdentificationNumber)
Auniqu eide ntificatio nnumbe rwhich can be
used by atire manufacturer to identify tires, for
exampl efor ap roduct recall ,and thusi dentify
the purchasers. The TIN is compose dofthe
manufacturer identificatio ncode, tire size, tire
model cod eand manufacturing date.
Load bearin gind ex
The load bearing index (als oloa dindex) is acode
thatc ontains the maximu mloadb eari ng capa-
city of atire.
Traction
Tractio nist he resul toffrictio nbetween the tires
and the roa dsurface.
TWR (permissibl etrailer drawbar load)
The TWRist he maximumpermissibl eweigh t
thatm ayact on the ball coupling of the trailer
tow hitch.
Wea rind icator
Narrowb ars( tread wear bars) thata redistrib-
ute doverthe tire tread. If the tire trea dislevel
with the bars, the wear limit of áin (1.6 mm)
hasb eenr eached.
Distribution of the vehicle occupants
The distributio nofvehicleoccupants ove rdes-
ignate dseatp osit ions in avehicle.
Maximum permissible payload weight
Nomina lloa da nd goods/luggage load plus
68 kg (150 lb s)multiplie dbythe number of
seats in the vehicle.
Changing wheels
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severelyi mpair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The whee lbrakes or suspension components
may als obedamaged. There is arisk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equippedw ithatire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve .This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes under "Mounting awheel" (
Ypage 287).
The wea rpatterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before aclear wea rpattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wea rmore on the shoulders and the rear tires in
the center.
If you rvehicle's tire configuration allows, you
can rotate the wheels according to the intervals
in the tire manufacturer's warranty book in your
vehicled ocuments. If no warranty book is avail-
able, the tires should be rotated every 3,000 to
6,000 mile s(5,000 to 10,000 km) or earlier if
tire wea rrequires. Do not change the direction
of rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the whee land the
brake disc thoroughly every time awheelisr ota-
ted. Avoid oily or greas ycleaning agents.
Check the tire pressure and reactivate the tire
pressure monitor if necessary.
Directio nofrotation
Tires with aspecified directio nofrotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is arisk of hydro-
planing. You wil lonly gai nthese benefits if the
correct directio nofrotation is observed.
An arrow on the sidewal lofthe tire indicates its
correct directio nofrotation.
You may mount aspare whee lagainst the direc-
tion of rotation. Observe the time restriction on
use as wel lasthe speed limitation specified on
the spare wheel.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in acool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the tires
from contact with oil, greas eand fuel.
286Changing wheels
Wheel sand tires
When usingawheel/spare wheel with anew or
newly painted wheel rim, have the wheel bolts/
nuts retightened again after approximately 600
to 3,000 miles (1,000 to 5,000 km). Observe the
specified tightening torque.
Wheel and tirec ombination
General notes
!
Retreaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz,s ince previ-
ous damage cannot alwaysbed etected on
retreaded tires. As aresult, Mercedes-Benz
cannot guarantee vehicle safety if retreaded
tires are mounted. Do not mount used tires if you have no information about their previous
usage.
!For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use tires, wheels and
accessories which have been specially
approved by Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle.
These tires have been specially adapted for
use with the driving safety systems, such as
ABS or ESP
®.
Only use tires, wheels or accessories tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz .Certain
characteristics, e.g. handling, vehicle noise
emissions or fuel consumption, may other-
wise be adversely affected. In addition, when
driving with aload, tire dimension variations
could cause the tires to come into contact
with the bodywork and axle components. This
could result in damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle.
Mercedes-Benz acceptsnol iability for dam-
age resulting from the use of tires, wheels or
accessories other than those tested and
approved.
Further information on wheels, tires and
approved combinations can be obtained from
any qualified specialist workshop.
!Large wheels: the lower the section width
for acertain wheel size, the lower the ride
comfort is on poor road surfaces. Roll comfort and suspension comfort are reduced and the
risk of damage to the wheels and tires as a
result of driving over obstacles increases.
You will find atable with the recommended tire
pressures for various vehicle loads on the inside
of your vehicle's fuel filler flap or under "Tire
pressure tables" (
Ypage 278). You can find fur- ther information under "Tire pressure"
(
Ypage 270).
Check tire pressures regularly and only when
the tires are cold.
Notes on the vehicle equipment –alwayse quip
the vehicle:
Rwith tires of the same size across an axle
(left/right)
Rwith the same type of tires on all wheels at a
given time (summer tires, winter tires)
iNot all wheel/tire combinations can be
installed at the factory in all coun tries.
290Wheel and tirecombination
Wheels and tires
Vehicledata
General notes
The following section contains important tech-
nica ldataf or your vehicle. Additionalv ehicle-
specifi cand equipment-dependent technical
data, such as vehicl eweigh ts, can be found in
your vehicl eregistration papers.
Dimensions
Vehicl ewitht ailgate
Vehicl ewithr eard oors
The dimensions specified var yaccording to:
RTires
Rload
Rcondition of the suspension
Roptional equipment
modelCarg oVan
Opening height of the
tailgate :86.0 in (2185 mm)
Opening rang eofthe
tailgate ;41.2 in (1047 mm)
modelCargoVan
Opening rang eofthe
rear doors =33.4 in (849 mm)
Load width50.0 in (1270 mm)
Max. load width66.3 in (1685 mm)
Load height53.8 in (1367 mm)
Vehiclelengt h202.4 in
(514 0mm)
Vehicl ewidth
Including exterio rmir-
rors
Excluding exterio rmir-
rors
88.3 in (2244 mm)
75.9 in (1928 mm)
Wheelbase126.0 in
(320 0mm)
modelPassenger Vans
Opening height of the
tailgate :84.6 in (2150 mm)
Opening rang eofthe
tailgate ;41.2 in (1047 mm)
Opening rang eofthe
rear doors =33.4 in (849 mm)
Load width47.4 in (1205 mm)
Max. load width61.1 in (1552 mm)
Load height52.2 in (1326 mm)
Vehiclelengt h202.4 in
(514 0mm)
Vehicl ewidth
Including exterio rmir-
rors
Excluding exterio rmir-
rors
88.3 in (2244 mm)
75.9 in (1928 mm)
Wheelbase126.0 in
(320 0mm)
Vehicl edata303
Technica ldata
Z