Example: tire pressure table for all tires per-
mitted for this vehicle by the factory
The tire pressure table contains the recom-
mended pressures for cold tires for various
operating conditions, i.e. differing load and
speed conditions.
Example: tire pressure table with tire dimen-
sions
If a tire size precedes a tire pressure, the
tire pressure information following is only
valid for that tire size. The load conditions
"partially laden" and "fully laden" are
defined in the table for different numbers of
occupants and amounts of luggage. The actual
number of seats may differ.
Some tire pressure tables show only the rim
diameters instead of the full tire size, e.g.
R18. The rim diameter is part of the tire size
and can be found on the tire sidewall
(
Ypage 191).
If the tire pressures have been set to the
lower values for lighter loads and/or lower
road speeds, the pressures should be reset to
the higher values:
Rif you want to drive with an increased load
and/or
Rif you want to drive at higher road speeds.
iThe tire pressures for increased loads
and/or higher road speeds, shown in the
tire pressure table, may have a negative
effect on driving comfort.
If the tire pressure is not set correctly, this
can lead to an excessive build-up of heat and
a sudden loss of pressure.
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
Important notes on tire pressure
GWARNING
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly, the
wheel, valve or tire may be damaged. Tire
pressure that is too low may result in a tire
blow-out. There is a risk of an accident.
RCheck the tire for foreign objects.
RCheck whether the wheel is losing air or
the valve is leaking.
If you are unable to rectify the damage,
contact a qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tire
valves, the tire valves may be overloaded
and malfunction, which can cause tire pres-
sure loss. Due to their design, retrofitted
tire pressure monitors keep the tire valve
open. This can also result in tire pressure
loss. There is a risk of an accident.
Only screw the standard valve cap or other
valve caps approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle onto the tire valve.
Tire pressure181
>> Wheels and tires.
Z
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 180).
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
Rin the tire pressure table in the fuel filler
flap (Ypage 98)
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 bechecked.
XPress the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
XRead the tire pressure and compare it with
the recommended value on the Tire and
Loading Information placard (
Ypage 180).
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 this, press down the metal pin in
the valve using the tip of a pen, for exam-
ple. 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
iThis function is only available in the
USA.
If a tire pressure monitor is installed, the
vehicle's wheels have sensors that monitor
the tire pressures in all four tires. The tire
pressure monitor warns you if the pressure
drops in one or more of the tires. The tire pressure monitor only functions if the cor-
responding sensors are fitted to all wheels.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if provi-
ded), should be checked at least once every
two weeks when cold and inflated to the
pressure recommended by the vehicle man- ufacturer on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the driver's door B-pillar
or the tire pressure label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap. If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indi-
cated 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 moni-
toring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low
tire pressure 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. Driv-
ing on a significantly underinflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle's handling and stopping abil-
ity. Please note that the TPMS is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it
is the driver's responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure, even if underinfla-
tion has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure
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 com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
Tire pressure183
>> Wheels and tires.
Z
tains details of the tire sizes and corre-
sponding pressures 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
occupants, 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 maximum gross axle weight rating for the front or
rear axle.
0043B-pillar, driver's side
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
XSpecification for maximum gross vehicle
weight 0043is 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 illus-
tration are examples. The maximum per-
missible 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 Information placard.
Number of seats
Maximum number of seats 0043indicates the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
iThe specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the illus-
tration are examples. The number of seats
is vehicle-specific and can differ from the
details shown. The number of seats in your
vehicle can be found on the Tire and Load-
ing Information placard.
Determining the correct load limit
Step-by-step instructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".
XStep 1: Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
186Loading the vehicle
>> Wheels and tires.
Example: steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with
varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use
a load limit of 1500 lbs (680 kg).This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard (
Ypage 185).
The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Step 1
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Combined maximum
weight of occupants and
cargo (data from the
Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard)1500 lbs (680 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg)
Step 2
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Number of people in the
vehicle (driver and
occupants)531
Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1
Weight of the occupantsOccupant 1: 150 lbs
(68 kg)
Occupant 2: 180 lbs
(82 kg)
Occupant 3: 160 lbs
(73 kg)
Occupant 4: 140 lbs
(63 kg)
Occupant 5: 120 lbs
(54 kg)Occupant 1: 200 lbs
(91 kg)
Occupant 2: 190 lbs
(86 kg)
Occupant 3: 150 lbs
(68 kg)Occupant 1: 150 lbs
(68 kg)
Gross weight of all
occupants750 lbs (340 kg)540 lbs (245 kg)150 lbs (68 kg)
188Loading the vehicle
>> Wheels and tires.
Tire labeling
Overview of tire labeling
0043Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard
(Ypage 194)
0044DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 193)
0087Maximum tire load (Ypage 193)
0085Maximum tire pressure (Ypage 182)
0083Manufacturer
0084Tire material (Ypage 194)
006BTire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating (Ypage 191)
006CLoad index (Ypage 193)
006DTire name
The markings described above are on the tire
in addition to the tire name (sales designa-
tion) and the manufacturer's name.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating
GWARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing
capacity and the approved maximum speed
could lead to tire damage or the tire burst- ing. There is a risk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe
the tire load rating and speed rating
required for your vehicle.
0043Tire width
0044Nominal aspect ratio in %
0087Tire code
0085Rim diameter
0083Load bearing index
0084Speed rating
General: depending on the manufacturer's
standards, the size imprinted in the tire wall may not contain any letters or may contain one
letter that precedes the size description.
If there is no letter preceding the size
description (as shown above): these are
passenger vehicle tires according to Euro-
pean manufacturing standards.
If "P" precedes the size description: these
are passenger vehicle tires according to U.S.
manufacturing standards.
If "LT" precedes the size description: these
are light truck tires according to U.S. man-
ufacturing standards.
If "T" precedes the size description: compact
emergency wheels with high tire pressure
that are only designed for temporary use in an
emergency.
Tire width: tire width0043shows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Height-width ratio: aspect ratio0044is 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 code0087specifies the tire
type. "R" represents radial tires; "D" repre-
sents diagonal tires; "B" represents diago-
nal radial tires.
All about wheels and tires191
>> Wheels and tires.
Z
Optionally, tires with a maximum speed of
over 149 mph (240 km/h) may have "ZR" in the
size description, depending on the manufac-
turer (e.g. 245/40 ZR 18).
Rim diameter:rim diameter0085is the diam-
eter of the bead seat, not the diameter of the
rim flange. The rim diameter is specified in
inches (in).
Load-bearing index: load-bearing index0083
is a numerical code that specifies the maxi-
mum load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permis-
sible load can be found on the vehicle's Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
B-pillar on the driver's side (
Ypage 185).
Example:
Load-bearing index 91 indicates a maximum
load of 1,356 lb (615 kg) that the tires can bear.
For further information on the maximum tire
load in kilograms and lbs, see (
Ypage 193).
For further information on the load bearing
index, see "Load index" (
Ypage 193).
Speed rating: speed rating0084specifies the
approved maximum speed of the tire.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Regardless of the speed rating, always
observe the speed limits. Drive carefully and
adapt your driving style to the traffic con-
ditions.
Summer tires
IndexSpeed rating
Qup to 100 mph (160 km/h)
Rup to 106 mph (170 km/h)
Sup to 112 mph (180 km/h)
Tup to 118 mph (190 km/h)
Hup to 130 mph (210 km/h)
Vup to 149 mph (240 km/h)
Wup to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Yup to 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR...Yup to 186 mph (300 km/h)
IndexSpeed rating
ZR...(..Y)over 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZRover 149 mph (240 km/h)
ROptionally, tires with a maximum speed of
over 149 mph (240 km/h) may have "ZR" in the size description, depending on the manu-
facturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR18).
The service specification is made up of
load-bearing index 0083and speed rating
0084.
RIf the size description of your tire
includes "ZR" and there are no service
specifications, ask the tire manufacturer
in order to find out the maximum speed.
If a service specification is available, the maximum speed is limited according to the
speed rating in the service specification.
Example: 245/40 ZR18 97 Y.In this example,
"97 Y" is the service specification. The
letter "Y" represents the speed rating. The
maximum speed of the tire is limited to
186 mph (300 km/h).
RThe size description for all tires with
maximum speeds of over 186 mph (300 km/h)
must include "ZR", andthe service speci-
fication must be given in parentheses.
Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99 Y). Speed rating
"(Y)" indicates that the maximum speed of
the tire is over 186 mph (300 km/h). Ask the
tire manufacturer about the maximum
speed.
All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeed rating
Q M+S2up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S2up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S2up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S2up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all tires with the M+S marking pro-
vide the driving characteristics of winter
tires. In addition to the M+S marking, win-
ter tires also have the 004Dsnowflake sym-
bol on the tire wall. Tires with this mark-
ing fulfill the requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the
2Or M+S 004Dfor winter tires.
192All about wheels and tires
>> Wheels and tires.
Rubber Association of Canada (RAC)
regarding the tire traction on snow. They
have been especially developed for driving
on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of 130 mph
(210 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 200).
Further information about reading tire data
can be obtained from any qualified special-
ist workshop.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, load
rating 0043may also be imprinted on the side-
wall of the tire. This is located after the let-
ters that identify the speed rating
(
Ypage 191).
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
deviate from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load 0043is the maximum per-
missible weight for which the tire is
approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permis-
sible load can be found on the vehicle's Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
B-pillar on the driver's side (
Ypage 185).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S tire regulations prescribe that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN
in or on the sidewall of every tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identification number.
The TIN enables the tire manufacturers or
retreaders to inform purchasers of recalls
and other safety-relevant matters. It makes it
possible for the purchaser to easily identify
the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identi-
fication code 0044, tire size0087, tire type
code 0085and manufacturing date 0083.
All about wheels and tires193
>> Wheels and tires.
Z
DOT (Department of Transportation):tire
symbol 0043indicates that the tire complies
with the requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code: manufac-
turer identification code 0044provides
details on the tire manufacturer. New tires
have a code with two symbols. Retreaded tires
have a code with four symbols.
For further information about retreaded
tires, see (
Ypage 200).
Tire size: identifier 0087describes the tire
size.
Tire type code: tire type code0085can be used
by the manufacturer as a code to describe
specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufacture0083
provides information about the age of a tire.
The first and second positions represent the
week of manufacture, starting with "01" for
the first calendar week. Positions three and
four represent the year of manufacture. For
example, a tire that is marked with "3208",
was manufactured in week 32 in 2008.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics
This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in sidewall 0043
and under tire tread 0044.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Definition of terms for tires and loading
Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of plies or the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Bar
Metric unit for tire pressure. 14.5038 pounds
per square inch (psi) and 100 kilopascals
(kPa) are the equivalent of 1 bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT marked tires fulfill the requirements of
the United States Department of Transporta-
tion.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants for which the vehicle
is designed multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lbs).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A uniform standard to grade the quality of
tires with regards to tread quality, tire trac-
tion and temperature characteristics. The
quality grading assessment is made by the
manufacturer following specifications from
the U.S. government. The ratings are molded
into the sidewall of the tire.
Recommended tire pressures
The recommended tire pressure applies to the
tires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard
contains the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires on a fully loaded vehicle and for
the maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the recom-
mended pressures for cold tires for various
operating conditions, i.e. differing load and
speed conditions.
Increased vehicle weight due to optional
equipment
The combined weight of all standard and
optional equipment available for the vehi-
cle, regardless of whether it is actually
installed on the vehicle or not.
194All about wheels and tires
>> Wheels and tires.