Protecting the environment
General notes
H Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of compre-
hensive environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
that form the basis of our existence on this
planet to be used sparingly and in a manner
that takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tire wear are affected
by these factors: R
operating conditions of your vehicle R
your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions: R
avoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption. R
always make sure that the tire pressures
are correct. R
do not carry any unnecessary weight. R
remove roof racks once you no longer need
them. R
a regularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals. R
always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style: R
do not depress the accelerator pedal when
starting the engine. R
do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary. R
drive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. R
avoid frequent, sudden acceleration and
braking. R
change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to
Drivin g tips
General notes
Important safet y notes
G WARNING
If you switch of f th e ignition whil e driving,
safety-relevant function s are only available
wit h limitations, or no t at all. Thi s could affect,
fo r example, th e powe r steerin g and th e brake
boostin g effect . You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake . There is a ris k
of an accident.
Do no t switch of f th e ignition whil e driving.
G WARNING
If you operat e mobile communication equip -
men t whil e driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also los e contro l
of th e vehicle. There is a ris k of an accident.
Only operat e this equipmen t when th e vehicle
is stationary.
Observ e th e lega l requirements fo r th e country
in whic h you are driving. Some jurisdiction s pro -
hibi t th e driver from usin g a mobile phone whil e
drivin g a vehicle.
If you mak e a cal l whil e driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operat e th e telephon e
when th e traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure , pull over to a saf e location and stop
befor e operatin g th e telephone.
Bear in min d that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), th e vehicle cover s a
distanc e of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel: R
The tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure. R
Remove unnecessary loads. R
Remove roof racks when they are not needed. R
Warm up the engine at low engine speeds. R
Avoid frequent acceleration or braking. R
Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main- tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
G WARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. Details can be found
in the Maintenance Booklet. Driving tips 143
Driving and parking Z
with run-flat characteristics)" section
( Y
page 267).R
Only mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels. R
Break in new tires at moderate speeds for the
first 60 miles (10 0 km). Th e ne w tires only
reach their full performance after this dis-
tance. R
Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning). R
Replace the tires after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear.
MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive your vehi-
cle even if there is a total loss of pressure in one
or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be used in conjunc-
tion with an activated tire pressure loss warning
system (Canada only) or tire pressure monitor
(USA only) and only on wheels specifically tes-
ted by Mercedes-Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with a
flat tire ( Y
page 267).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommended that you additionally
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 workshop.
Winter operation
General notes Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section ( Y
page 301).
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 tires. Using summer tires at very cold temperatures could cause cracks to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage.
G WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
M+S tires
G WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
PSI (pounds per square inch) A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio Relationship between tire height and tire width
in percent.
Tire pressure This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-
ward force to each square inch of the tire's sur-
face. The tire pressure is specified in pounds per
square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be corrected when
the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure The tires are cold: R
if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and R
if the vehicle has not been driven further than
1 mile (1.6 km)
Tread The part of the tire that comes into contact with
the road.
Bead The tire bead ensures that the tire sits securely
on the wheel. There are several steel wires in the
bead to prevent the tire from coming loose from
the wheel rim.
Sidewall The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-
formance battery, are not included in the curb
weight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used by
a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for example
for a product recall, and thus identify the pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er's identity code, tire size, tire type code and
the manufacturing date. Load bearing index The load bearing index (also load index) is a code
that contains the maximum load bearing capa-
city of a tire.
Traction Traction is the result of friction between the tires
and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of