RDo not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
RReplace the tires after 6 years at the latest,
regardless of wear. This also applies to the
spare wheel.
Operation in winter
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Prior to the onset of winter, ensure that snow
chains are stowed in the vehicle (
Ypage 249).
Also observe the notes in the "Changing a
wheel" section (
Ypage 266).
Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehicle
to M+S tire. Using summer tires at very cold
temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently. We
cannot accept responsibility for this type of
damage.
M+S tires
GWARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the type of tire can vary between the spare wheel and
the wheel to be replaced. When the spare
wheel is mounted, driving characteristics may be severely affected. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
In order to reduce risks:
Ryou should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
Rnever mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
Ronly use a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel to be replaced for a short time.
Rdo not deactivate ESP®.
Rhave a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel that has been changed replaced at
the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
You must observe the correct wheel and
tire dimensions as well as the wheel type.
GWARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
ã in (4 mm) are not suitable for use in winter
and do not provide sufficient traction. There is
a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than ãin
(4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
Use winter tires or all-season tires at tempera-
tures below 45 ‡ (+7 †). Both types of tire are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tires will allow driving safety systems
such as ABS and ESP
®to function optimally in
winter. These tires have been developed specif-
ically for driving in snow.
For safe driving, use M+S tire sof the same make
and tread pattern on all wheels.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
If you mount M+S tires that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than that of the vehicle,
affix a corresponding warning label in the driv-
er's field of vision. You can obtain this at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Once you have mounted the winter tires:
XCheck the tire pressure (Ypage 250).
XReactivate the tire pressure moni-
tor* (
Ypage 255).
Snow chains
GWARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As a result, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There is
a risk of an accident.
Operation in winter249
Wheels and tires
* optionalZ
tire load rating and speed rating required for
your vehicle.
:Design standard
;Tire width
=Nominal aspect ratio in %
?Tire code
ARim diameter
BLoad bearing index
CSpeed index
General: depending on the manufacturer's
standards, the size imprinted in the tire wall may
not contain any letters or may contain one let-
ter :that precedes the size description
If "LT" precedes the size description (as shown
above): these are light truck tires according to
U.S. manufacturing standards.
If "C" precedes the size description: these are
commercial motor vehicle tires according to
European manufacturing standards.
Tire width: tire width;shows the nominal tire
width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio: aspect ratio=is the size ratio
between the tire height and tire width and is
shown in percent. The aspect ratio is calculated
by dividing the tire width by the tire height.
Tire code: tire code?specifies the tire type.
"R" represents radial tires. "D" represents diag-
onal tires, "B" represents diagonal radial tires.
Rim diameter: rim diameterAis the diameter
of the bead seat, not the diameter of the rim
flange. The rim diameter is specified in
inches (in).
Load-bearing index: load-bearing indexBis a
numerical code tha t s
pecifies the maximum
load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (
Ypage 258).
Example:
The load-bearing index 120 indicates a maxi-
mum load of 3,042 lb (1,380 kg) for the tire. If
two load-bearing capacity indices are specified
(as shown above), the first number states the
load-bearing capacity for single tires, the sec-
ond number the load-bearing capacity for twin
tires. For further information on the maximum
tire load in kilograms and pounds, see
(
Ypage 263).
For further information on the load-bearing
index, see "Load index" (
Ypage 263).
Speed rating: speed ratingCspecifies the
approved maximum speed of the tire.
Regardless of the speed index always observe
the speed limits. Drive carefully and adapt your
driving style to the traffic conditions.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
IndexSpeed rating
Fup to 50 mph (80 km/h)
Gup to 56 mph (90 km/h)
Jup to 62 mph (100 km/h)
Kup to 68 mph (110 km/h)
Lup to 74 mph (120 km/h)
Mup to 80 mph (130 km/h)
Nup to 87 mph (140 km/h)
Pup to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Qup to 100 mph (160 km/h)
Rover 106 mph (170 km/h)
iNot all tires that have the M+S identification
offer 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 Manufacturers
Association (RMA) and the Rubber Associa-
tion of Canada (RAC) regarding the tire trac-
tion on snow. They have been especially
developed for driving on snow.
262What you should know about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires
Make sure the hub cap retaining catches
engage on the steel wheel.
XWheel with central hub cap: position the
retaining lugs of the central hub cap over the
wheel bolts.
XHit the middle of the hub cap to engage it on
the wheel.
XSecure the faulty wheel in the spare wheel
bracket (Ypage 273).
XVehicles with Super Single tires: transport the
defective rear wheel in the load area. The rear
wheel is too large for the spare wheel bracket.
XCheck the tire pressure of the newly mounted
wheel and adjust it if necessary.
Observe the recommended tire pressure
(
Ypage 250).
XRetighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts to the
specified tightening torque after the vehicle
has been driven for 30 miles (50 km).
When using a wheel or spare wheel with a new or
newly painted wheel rim, have the wheel bolts or
nuts retightened again after approximately 600
to 3,000 miles (1,000 to 5,000 km). Observe the
specified tightening torque.
iVehicles with the tire pressure monitor sys-
tem: all mounted wheels must be equipped
with functioning sensors.
Wheel and tire combination
General notes
!
Retreaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
ommended for Sprinter vehicles, since previ-
ous damage cannot always be detected on
retreaded tires. We can therefore not guar-
antee driving safety. Do not mount used tires if you have no information about their previ-
ous usage.
The recommended tire pressures can be found:
Ron the Tire and Loading Information placard9
on the B-pillar on the driver's side
Ron the tire pressure table on the B-pillar on the driver's side
The recommended tire pressure can also be
found in the "Tire pressure table" section in this
Operator's Manual (
Ypage 257). The wheel/tire
combination for your vehicle can be found on the tire pressure table. Further information on
wheel/tire combination can be obtained at any
qualified specialist workshop.
Check tire pressures regularly and only when
the tires are cold. Observe the notes on the rec-
ommended tire pressure (
Ypage 250).
Follow the maintenance recommendations in
the tire manufacturer's warranty book in your
vehicle documents.
Notes on the vehicle equipment – always equip
the vehicle:
Rwith tires of the same size across an axle (left
and right)
Rwith the same type of tires on all wheels at a
given time (summer tires, winter tires)
Tires that have been specially designed and
approved for your vehicle are marked with MO
(Mercedes-Benz Original). You can find this
identification on the tires themselves and in the
following table.
iNot all wheel/tire combinations can be
installed at the factory in all countries.
Spare wheel
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the type of tire can vary between the spare wheel and
the wheel to be replaced. When the spare
wheel is mounted, driving characteristics may be severely affected. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
In order to reduce risks:
Ryou should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
Rnever mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
Ronly use a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel to be replaced for a short time.
Rdo not deactivate ESP®.
Rhave a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel that has been changed replaced at
the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
9Only for vehicles with a gross weight of less than 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg).
272Spare wheel
Wheels and tires