Check wheels and tires for damage at least once
a month. Check wheels and tires afterdriving
off-road or on rough roads. Damaged wheels
can cause a loss of tire pressure. Pay particular
attention to damage such as:
Rcuts inthe tires
Rpunctures
Rtears inthe tires
Rbulges on tires
Rdeformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
the tire (
Ypage 282). Ifnecessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock inorder to inspect the
inner sideof the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the valve against dirtand moisture. Do not mount
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your veh icle. Do not use any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure
monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires par-
ticularly prior to long tr ips.Adjust the tire pres-
sure as necessary (
Ypage 284).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (
Ypage 304).
The service lifeof tires depends, among other
things, on the foll owing factors:
Rdriving style
Rtire pressure
Rdistance covered
Notes on tire tread
GWAR NING
In suff icient tire tread willreduce tire traction.
The tire isno longer abletodissipat e water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, inparticular where
speed isnot adapted to suit the driving con-
dit ions. There isa risk of acc ident.
If the tire pressure istoo high or too low,tires
may exhibit diff erent levelsof wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
widt h of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
RSummer tires: âin(3 mm)
RM+S tires: ãin(4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribe d limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Marking :shows where the bar indicator
(arrow) for tread wear is integrated into the tire
tread.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire tread.
They are vis ibleonce a tread depth of approx-
imately áin (1.6 mm) has been reached. If this
is the case, the tire isso worn that it must be
replaced.
Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
ROnly mount tires and wheels of the same type
and make.
Exception: itis permissible to install a differ-
ent type or make in the event of a flat tire.
Observe the "MOExtended tires (tires with
run-flat characteristics" section (
Ypage 266).
ROnly mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
RBreak in new tires at moderate speeds for the
first 60 miles(100 km). They only reach their
full performance after this distance.
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 six years at the latest,
regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (
Ypage 304).
282Operation
Wheels and tires
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 active tire pressure monitor and
only on wheels specifically tested by Mercedes- Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with a
flat tire (
Ypage 266).
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 can 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 (
Ypage 299).
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.
GWARNING
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
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.
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), use winter
tires or all-season tires. 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.
Use M+S tires of the same make and tread on all
wheels to maintain safe handling characteris-
tics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
Once the winter tires are mounted:
XCheck the tire pressures (Ypage 287).
XRestart the tire pressure monitor
(Ypage 287).
For more information on driving with the emer-
gency spare wheel, see (
Ypage 304).
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 a risk 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.
Winter operation283
Wheels and tires
Z
You can find more tire pressure values for
various operating conditions in the tire pres-
sure table inside the fuel filler flap
(
Ypage 284).
XMake sure that the tire pressure is correct on
all four wheels.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position2
in the ignition lock.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Servicemenu.
XPress the9or: button to select
Tire Pressure.
XPress the abutton.
The multifunction display shows the current
tire pressure for the individual tires or the
Tire pressures will be displayed
after driving a few minutesmessage.
XPress the :button.
The UseCurrentPressuresasNewRef‐erenceValuesmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
XPress the abutton.
The TirePress.MonitorRestartedmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
After driving for a few minutes, the system
checks whether the current tire pressures are within the specified range. The new tire pres-
sures are then accepted as reference values
and monitored.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
XPress the %button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Loading the vehicle
Instruction labels for tires and loads
GWARNING
Overloaded tires can overheat, causing a
blowout. Overloaded tires can also impair the steering and driving characteristics and lead
to brake failure. There is a risk of accident.
Observe the load rating of the tires. The load
rating must be at least half of the GAWR of
your vehicle. Never overload the tires by
exceeding the maximum load. Two instruction labels on your vehicle show the
maximum possible load.
(1) The Tire and Loading Information placard is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The Tire
and Loading Information placard shows the
maximum permissible number of occu-
pants and the maximum permissible vehicle
load. It also contains details of the tire sizes
and corresponding pressures for tires
mounted at the factory.
(2) The vehicle identification plate is on the B- pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle iden-
tification 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 infor-
mation 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.
:B-pillar, driver's side
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
290Loading 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 290).
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
Information 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 occu-
pantsOccupant 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)
Step 3
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Permissible load (maxi-
mum gross vehicle
weight rating from the
Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard minus
the gross weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
750 lbs (340 kg) =
750 lbs (340 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
540 lbs (245 kg)
=960 lbs (435 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs (612 kg)
292Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires
Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total cargo care-
fully, you should still make sure that the gross
vehicle weight rating and the gross axle weight
rating are not exceeded. Details can be found on
the vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on
the driver's side of the vehicle (
Ypage 290).
Permissible Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR): the gross weight of the vehicle, all pas-
sengers, load and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the maxi-
mum permissible weight that can be carried by
one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed the
maximum permissible values (gross vehicle
weight and maximum gross axle weight rating),
have your loaded vehicle (including driver, occu-
pants, cargo, and full trailer load if applicable)
weighed on a suitable vehicle weighbridge.
All about wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are U.S.
government specifications. Their purpose is to
provide drivers with uniform reliable information
on tire performance data. Tire manufacturers
have to grade tires using three performance fac- tors: :tread wear grade, ;traction grade and
= temperature grade. These regulations do not
apply to Canada. Nevertheless, all tires sold in
North America are provided with the corre- sponding quality grading markings on the side-
wall of the tire.
Quality grades can be found, where applicable,
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
Example:
RTreadwear grade:
200
RTraction grade:AA
RTemperature grade: A
All passenger car tires must conform to the stat-
utory safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified U.S.
government course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half times as well
on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and cli-
mate.
Traction
GWARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
!Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage to
the drive train.
The traction grades – from highest to lowest –
are AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as meas-
ured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road surfaces.
All about wheels and tires293
Wheels and tires
Z
tire pressure
Pressure inside the tire applying an outward
force to every square inch of the tire's surface.
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:
Rif the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and
Rif 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 thebead 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 manuf acturer 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 áin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at their
designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(150 lbs) multiplied by the number of seats in
the vehicle.
Changing a wheel
Flat tire
The "Breakdown assistance" section
(Ypage 266 )contains information and notes on
how to deal with a flat tire. Information on driv-
ing with MOExtended tires in the event of a flat
tire can be found under "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics" (
Ypage 266).
Vehicle with emergency spare wheel: in the
event of a flat tire, the emergency spare wheel is
mounted as described under "Mounting a
wheel" (
Ypage 300).
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Changing a wheel299
Wheels and tires
Z
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve. This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
(
Ypage 300).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear wear pattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires in the center.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can rotate the wheels accord-
ing to the intervals in the tire manufacturer's
warranty book in your vehicle documents. If no
warranty book is available, the tires should be
rotated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to
10,000 km). Depending on tire wear, this may
be required earlier. Do not change the direction
of wheel rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and the
brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel is rota-
ted. Check the tire pressure and reactivate the
tire pressure monitor if necessary (
Ypage 289).
Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro-
planing. These advantages can only be gained if
the tires are installed corresponding to the
direction of rotation.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates its
correct direction of rotation.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the tires
from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel.
Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
XApply the parking brake.
XBring the front wheels into the straight-ahead
position.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS‑ GO:
XOpen the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0.
This is the same as the SmartKey having been
removed.
XRemove the Start/Stop button from the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 122).
XIf included in the vehicle equipment, remove
the tire-change tool kit from the vehicle
(
Ypage 266).
XSafeguard the vehicle against rolling away.
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away
If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock, it
can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(
Ypage 266).
The folding wheel chock is an additional safety
measure to prevent the vehicle from rolling
away, for example when changing a wheel.
XFold both plates upwards :.
XFold out lower plate;.
XGuide the lugs on the lower plate fully into the
openings in base plate =.
300Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires
XPlace chocks or other suitable items under
the front and rear of the wheel that is diago-
nally opposite the wheel you wish to change.
Raising the vehicle
GWARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the
appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate jack-
ing point of the vehicle. The base of the jack
must be positioned vertically, directly under
the jacking point of the vehicle.
!The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jacking points. Other-
wise, your vehicle could be damaged.
Observe the following when raising the vehicle:
RTo raise the vehicle, only use the vehicle-spe-
cific jack that has been tested and approved
by Mercedes-Benz. If used incorrectly, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
RThe jack is designed only to raise and hold the
vehicle for a short time while a wheel is being
changed. It must not be used for performing
maintenance work under the vehicle.
RAvoid changing the wheel on uphill and down-
hill slopes.
RBefore raising the vehicle, secure it from roll-
ing away by applying the parking brake and
inserting wheel chocks. Do not disengage the
parking brake while the vehicle is raised.
RThe jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a large,
flat, load-bearing underlay must be used. On a
slippery surface, a non-slip underlay must be
used, e.g. rubber mats.
RDo not use wooden blocks or similar objects
as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the jack will not
be able to achieve its load-bearing capacity
due to the restricted height.
RMake sure that the distance between the
underside of the tires and the ground does not
exceed 1.2 in (3 cm).
RNever place your hands and feet under the
raised vehicle.
RDo not lie under the vehicle.
RDo not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
RDo not open or close a door or the trunk lid
when the vehicle is raised.
RMake sure that no persons are present in the
vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
XUsing lug wrench :, loosen the bolts on the
wheel you wish to change by about one full
turn. Do not unscrew the bolts completely.
The jacking points are located just behind the
front wheel housings and just in front of the rear
wheel housings (arrows).
Vehicles with AMG equipment: to protect the
vehicle body, the vehicle has covers next to the
jacking points on the outer sills.
Changing a wheel301
Wheels and tires
Z