Page 329 of 354

Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
XSpecification for maximumgross vehicle
weight :is listed in the Tire and Loading
Informatio nplacard: "The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs."
The gross weight of all vehicleo ccupants, load
and luggage must not exceed the specified
value.
iThe specifications shownont he Tire and
Loading Informatio nplacard in the illustration
are examples. The maximu mpermissible
gross vehiclew eight rating is vehicle-specific
and may differf rom that in the illustration.
You can find the vali dmaximu mpermissible
gross vehiclew eight rating for you rvehicl eon
the Tire and Loading Informatio nplacard.
Number of seats
Maximu mnumber of seats :indicates the
maximu mnumber of occupants allowe dto
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Informatio nplac-
ard.
iThe specifications shownont he Tire and
Loading Informatio nplacard in the illustration
are examples. The number of seats is vehicle-
specific and can diffe rfrom the details shown.
The number of seats in you rvehicl ecan be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Determinin gthe correct load limit
Step-by-ste pinstructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Cod eofU .S. FederalR egulations, Part 575 pur-
suant to the "National Traffi cand Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966".
XStep 1: Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on you rvehicle’s
Tire and Loading Informatio nplacard.
XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the drivera nd passengers that wil lberiding in
you rvehicle.
XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of the
drivera nd passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX lbs.
XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the avail-
abl eamount of cargo and luggage loa dcapa-
city. For example, if the "XXX "amount equals
1400 lbs and there wil lbefive 150-lb pas-
sengers in you rvehicle, the amount of avail-
abl ecargo and luggage loa dcapacity is
650 lbs (1400 -750 (5 x150) = 650 lbs).
XStep 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehi-
cle. That weight may not safel yexceed the
available cargo and luggage loa dcapacity cal-
culated in step 4.
Loading the vehicle327
Wheels and tires
Z
Page 330 of 354

Example: steps1to3
The followingtable showsexamples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with varying
seating configurations and number and sizeofo ccupants. The followingexamples useaload limit of
1500 lbs (68 0kg). This is for illustration purposes only. Makesure you are usingt heactual load
limit for your vehicle state donyour vehicle's Tire and Loading Information placard (
Ypage 326).
The greate rthe combined weightoft heoccupants, th elower th emaximum luggage load.
Step 1
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo (data from
th eT irea nd Loading
Information placard)1500 lbs (68 0kg)1500 lbs (68 0kg)1500 lbs (68 0kg)
Step 2
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Number of people in
thev ehicle (driver and
occupants)531
Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1
Weigh toftheoccu-
pantsOccupan t1:150lbs
(68 kg)
Occupan t2:180lbs
(82 kg)
Occupan t3:160lbs
(73 kg)
Occupan t4:140lbs
(63 kg)
Occupan t5:120lbs
(54 kg)Occupan t1:200lbs
(91 kg)
Occupan t2:190lbs
(86 kg)
Occupan t3:150lbs
(68 kg)Occupan t1:150lbs
(68 kg)
Gross weight of all
occupants75 0lbs (34 0kg)540lbs (24 5kg)150lbs (68 kg)
Step 3
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Permissible load (maxi-
mu mg ross vehicle
weight ratin gfromt he
Tir ea nd Loading Infor-
mation placar dminus
th eg ross weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs (68 0kg)Ò
75 0lbs (34 0kg) =
75 0lbs (34 0kg)1500 lbs (68 0kg)Ò
54 0lbs (24 5kg)
=960 lbs (43 5kg)1500 lbs (68 0kg)Ò
15 0lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs (61 2kg)
328Loading th evehicle
Wheels and tires
Page 331 of 354

Vehicleidentificatio nplate
Even if yo uhavec alculate dthe totalc argo care-
fully ,you shoul dstillm ake sure thatt he gross
vehicl eweigh trating and the gross axl eweigh t
rating are not exceeded .Detail scan be found on
the vehicl eide ntificatio nplate on the B-pillar on
the driver' ssideoft he vehicl e(
Ypage 326).
Permissibl eGrossVehicl eWeight Rating
(GVWR): the gross weight of the vehicle, al lpas -
sengers ,loa da nd traile rload/n oseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicl eweigh t.
Gros sAxleW eight Ratin g(GAWR): the maxi-
mump ermissibl eweigh tthatc an be carrie dby
one axl e(front or rea raxle).
To ensure thaty ourvehicl edoesn ot exceed the
maximu mpermissibl evalue s(gros sv ehicle
weight and maximu mgross axl eweigh trating),
have your loaded vehicl e(including driver, occu-
pants, cargo, and ful ltraile rloa difa pplicable)
weighed on asuitabl evehicl eweigh bridge.
Alla bout wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overvie wofTire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard sare U.S.
government specifications. Their purpose is to
provid edrivers with uniform reliabl einformation
on tire performanc edata. Tire manufacturers
have to grade tire susing thre eperformanc efac-
tors: :trea dwearg rade, ;tractio ngrade and
= temperature grade .These regulations do not
appl ytoC anada. Nevertheless ,alltire ssoldi n
North America are provided with the corre- sponding quality grading marking
sonthe side-
wall of the tire.
Quality grade scan be found, where applicable,
on the tire sidewall between trea dshoulde rand
maximu msection width.
Example:
RTreadwear grade: 200
RTraction grade:AA
RTemperature grade: A
All passenger car tire smustc onform to the stat-
utory safety requirements in additio ntothese
grades.
iThe actual value sfor tire sare vehicle-spe-
cifi cand mayd eviate from the value sinthe
illustration.
Treadwear
The treadwea rgrade is acomparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on aspecified U.S.
government course.F or example,atire graded
150 woul dwearo ne and one-hal ftime sasw ell
on the government test trac kasat ire graded
100.
The relative performance of tire sdepen ds upon
the actual conditions of thei ruse,h owever, and
mayd epartsignificantly from the norm du eto
variations in driving habits, service practices
and difference sinroadc haracteristic sand cli-
mate.
Traction
GWARNING
The tractio ngrade assigned to thist ire is
based on straight-ahea dbraking traction
tests ,and does not includ eacceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak tractio nchar-
acteristics.
!Avoi dwheelspin.T hisc an lead to damage to
the drive train.
The tractio ngrade s–from highest to lowest –
are AA, A, Band C. Those grade srepresent the
tire's ability to stop on we tpavement as meas-
ured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete .Atire marked Cmayhave poor traction
performance.
Al la bout wheels and tires329
Wheel sand tires
Z
Page 332 of 354

The safe speed onawet, snow covered or icy
road is alwaysl ower than on dry road surfaces.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends aminimum tread
depth of ãin (4 mm) on all four winter tires.
Observe the legally required minimum tire tread
depth (
Ypage 317). Winter tires can reduce the
braking distance on snow-covered surfaces in
comparison with summer tires. The braking dis-
tanc eiss till much further than on surfaces that
are not icy or covered with snow. Take appro-
priate care when driving.
Further information on winter tires (M+S tires)
(
Ypage 318).
Temperature
GWARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for atire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessivel oading, either separately or
in combination, can cause excessiveh eat
build-up and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A(the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistanc etothe
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus-
tained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessivet emperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade Ccorresponds to alevel of
performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades BandArepresent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Tire labeling
Overview
:Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard
(Ypage 334)
;DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 333)
=Maximum tire load (Ypage 332)
?Maximum tire pressure (Ypage 322)
AManufacturer
BTire material (Ypage 333)
CTire size designation, load-bearing capacity
and speed rating (Ypage 330)
DLoad index (Ypage 332)
ETire name
The markings described above are on the tire in
addition to the tire name (sales designation) 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 capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tire damage or the tire bursting. There is ar isk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the
330All about wheelsa nd tires
Wheels and tires
Page 333 of 354

tire load rating and speedrating required for
your vehicle.
:Tire width
;Nomina laspec tratio in %
=Tire code
?Rimd iame ter
ALoadbeari ng index
BSpeed rating
General: depending on the manufacturer's
standards ,the size imprinted in the tire wall may
not contain any letters or mayc ontain one letter
thatp recedes the size description.
If there is no letter preceding the size descrip-
tio n(as shown above): these ar epassenger
vehicl etiresa ccording to Europea nmanufac-
turing standards.
If "P "precedes the size description: these are
passenge rvehicl etiresa ccording to U.S. man-
ufacturin gstandards.
If "LT" precedes the size description: these are
light truck tire saccording to U.S. manufacturing
standards.
If "T "precedes the size description: compact
emergency wheels with high tire pressure that
ar eo nlyd esig nedf or temporary us einanemer-
gency.
Tire width: tire width:shows the nominal tire
width in millimeters.
Height-width ratio: aspect ratio;is the size
ratio between the tire height and tire width and
is shown in percent. The aspect ratio is calcula-
ted by dividing the tire width by the tire height.
Tire code: tire code=specifie sthe tire type.
"R "r epresents radial tires; "D" represents diag-
ona ltires
; "B" represents diagona
lradial tires.
Optionally ,tire sw itham aximum spee dofover
149 mph (24 0km/h )mayhave "ZR" in the size description, depending on the manufacturer
(e.g. 245/40Z
R18).
Rim diameter: rim diameter?is the diameter
of the bead seat, not the diamete rofthe rim
flange .The ri mdiame teriss pecifie din
inches (in).
Load-bearin gind ex: load-bearing index Ais a
numerical cod ethats pecifie sthe maximum
load-bearing capacity of atire.
Do not overload the tire sbyexceeding the
specifie dloa dlimit .The maximu mpermissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Informatio nplacard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (
Ypage 326).
Example:
Load-bearin gindex 91 indicates amaximum
load of 1,356 lb (61 5kg)thatt he tire scan bear.
For furthe rinformation on the maximum tire
load in kilograms and lbs, see(
Ypage 332).
For furthe rinformation on the load bearing
index, see" Loadindex" (
Ypage 332).
Speed rating: speedrating Bspecifie sthe
approved maximum spee dofthe tire.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and mayd eviate
fromt he data in the example.
Regardles softhe spee drating ,alway sobser ve
th
e spee dlimit s. Drive carefull yand adap tyou r
drivin gstyle to the trafficc onditions.
Summe rtires
IndexSpeed rating
Qup to 100 mph (16 0km/h)
Rup to 106 mph (17 0km/h)
Sup to 112 mph (18 0km/h)
Tup to 118 mph (19 0km/h)
Hup to 130 mph (21 0km/h)
Vup to 149 mph (24 0km/h)
Wup to 168 mph (27 0km/h)
Yup to 186 mph (30 0km/h)
ZR...Yup to 186 mph (30 0km/h)
ZR...(..Y)ove r186 mph (300 km/h)
ZRove r149 mph (240 km/h)
ROptionally ,tire sw itham aximum spee dof
ove r149 mph (24 0km/h )mayhave "ZR" in
Alla bout wheels an dtires331
Wheel sand tires
Z
Page 334 of 354

the size description, depending on the man-
ufacturer (e.g. 245/40ZR18).
The service specification is made up of load-
bearing index Aand spee drating B.
RIf the size description of your tire includes
"ZR" and there ar enoservice specifications,
as kt he tire manufacturer in order to fin dout
the maximum speed.
If as ervice specification is available, the max-
imum spee dislimited according to the speed
rating in the service specification. Example:
245/40Z R1897Y.Int his example ,"97 Y" is
the service specification. The letter "Y" rep-
resents the speed rating. The maximum
speed of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).
RThe size descriptionf or all tires with maxi-
mum speedsofo ver 186 mph (300 km/h)
must include "ZR", andthe service specifica-
tion must be given in parentheses .Example:
275/40 ZR 18 (99 Y) .Speed rating "(Y)" indi-
cates that the maximum speed of the tire is
over 186 mph (300 km/h). Ask the tire man-
ufacturer abou tthe maximum speed.
All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeed rating
QM +S1up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
TM+S1up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
HM +S1up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
VM+S1up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all tires with the M+S marking provide
the driving characteristics of winter tires. In
addition to the M+S marking, winter tires also
have the isnowflake symbo lonthe tire
wall. Tires with this marking fulfill the require-
ments of the Rubber Manufacturers Associa-
tion (RMA) and the 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 you rvehi-
cle from exceeding aspeed of 130 mph
(210 km/h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the factory
may be higher than the maximum speed that the
electronic speed limiter permits. Make sure that you
rtires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for you rvehicle can be
found in the "Tires" section (
Ypage 340).
Further information abou treading tire data can
be obtained from any qualifieds pecialist work-
shop.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, load
index :may also be imprinted on the sidewall
of the tire. You wil lfind this after the letter that
identifiest he speed rating (
Ypage 330).
RIf no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above), represents astandard load
(SL) tire
RXL or ExtraL oad: represents areinforced tire
RLight Load: represents alightl oad tire
RC, D, E: represents aload range that depends
on the maximum load that the tire can carry at
ac ertain pressure
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
1Or M+S ifor winter tires.
332Allabout wheels and tires
Wheelsa nd tires
Page 335 of 354

Maximum tire load:is the maximum permis-
sible weight for which the tire is approved.
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 326).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
US tire regulations stipulate that every tire man-
ufacturer or retreader must imprint aTIN in or on
the sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is aunique 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 identifica-
tion code ;,tire size =,tire type code ?and
manufacturing date A.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol :marks that the tire complies with the
requirements of the U.S. DepartmentofT rans-
portation.
Manufacturer identification code: manufac-
turer identification code ;provides details on
the tire manufacturer. New tires have acode
with two symbols. Retreaded tires have acode
with four symbols.
For further information about retreaded tires,
see (
Ypage 340).
Tire size: identifier=describes the tire size.
Tire type code: tire type code?can be used by
the manufacturer as acode to describe specific
characteristics of the tire. Date of manufacture:
date of manufactureA
provides information about the age of atire. The
first and second positions represent the week of
manufacture, startin gwith "01" for the first cal-
endar week. Positions three and four represent
the year of manufacture. For example, atire 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 :and
under tire tread ;.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Definition of termsf or 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 of1bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT-marked tires fulfill the requirements of the
USD epartmen tofTransportation.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants for which the vehicle
is designed multiplied by 68 kilograms (150 lbs).
All about wheels and tires333
Wheels and tires
Z
Page 336 of 354

Uniform TireQualityG rading Standards
Aunifor mstandard to grade the quality of tires
with regards to tread quality, tire traction and
temperature characteristics. The quality grad-
ing assessmentism ade by the manufacturer
following specification sfrom the U.S .govern-
ment .The ratings are molded int othe sidewall of
the tire.
Recommended tir epressures
The recommended tire pressure applies to the
tires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard con-
tains the recommended tire pressures for cold
tires on afully loaded vehicle and for the maxi-
mum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the recommen-
ded pressures for cold tires for various operat-
ing conditions, i.e. differingl oad and speed con-
ditions.
Increased vehicle weight due to optional
equipment
The combined weight of all standard and
optional equipment available for the vehicle,
regardless of whether it is actually installed on
the vehicle or not.
Rim
This is the part of the wheel on which the tire is
mounted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum gross axle weight
rating. The actual load on an axle must never
exceed the gross axle weight rating. The gross
axle weight ratin gcan be found on the vehicle
identification plate on the B-pillar on the driver's
side.
Speed rating
The speed ratin gispart of the tire identification.
It specifies the speed range for which the tire is
approved.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weight of
the vehicle includin gfuel, tools, the spare wheel,
accessories installed, occupants, luggage and
the drawbar noseweight ,ifapplicable. The gross
vehicle weight must not exceed the gross vehi-
cle weight ratin gGVWR as specified on the vehi-
cle identification plate on the B-pillar on the
driver'ss ide.
GVWR(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible gross
weight of afully loaded vehicle (the weight of the
vehicle includin gall accessories, occupants,
fuel, luggage and the drawbar n
oseweight
,if
applicable). The gross vehicle weight ratin gis
specified on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver'ss ide.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is the sum of:
Rthe curb weight of the vehicle
Rthe weight of the accessories
Rthe load limit
Rthe weight of the factory installed optional
equipment
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa corre-
sponds to1psi. Another unit for tire pressure is
bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are the equivalent of
1b ar.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearin gindex ,the load
index may also be imprinted on the sidewall of
the tire. This specifies the load-bearin gcapacity
more precisely.
Curb weight
The weight of avehicle with standard equipment
includin gthe maximum capacityoff uel, oil and
coolant .Italso includes the air-conditionin gsys-
tem and optional equipment if these are instal-
led in the vehicle, but does not include passen-
gers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum permis-
sible weight in kilogram sorlbs for which atire is
approved.
Maximum permissible tir epressure
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.
334All about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires