Number of seats
:Maximum number of seats
;Maximum permissible gross vehicle weight
rating
Maximum number of seats :determines the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information plac-
ard.
iThe details on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard illustration are only an exam-
ple. 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 Loading Information placard.
Determining the maximum load
Individual steps
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575 in
accordance with the "National Traffic and 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 your vehicle's
Tire and Loading Information placard.
XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be travel-
ing in your vehicle.
XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX lbs.
XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load capa- city. For example, if the "XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 pound
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 Ò750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
XStep 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehi-
cle. For reasons of safety, that weight must
not exceed the available cargo and luggage
cargo capacity calculated in step 4.
XStep 6 (if applicable): If you intend to tow a
trailer behind your vehicle, the load on the
trailer is transferred to your vehicle. Please
consult the Tire and Loading Information plac-
ard, to determine how this reduces the avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
Example: Steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples of how to calculate total load and cargo capacities with varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use a maximum
load 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 .
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Step 1Combined 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)
Loading the vehicle255
Wheels and tires
Z
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Step 2Number 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)
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Step 3Permissible cargo and
trailer load/nose-
weight (maximum
gross vehicle weight
rating from the Tire
and Loading Informa-
tion placard minus the
gross weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs
(680 kg)Ò750 lbs
(340 kg) =
750 lbs (340 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) Ò540 lbs
(245 kg) =
960 lbs (435 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) Ò150 lbs
(68 kg) =
1350 lbs
(612 kg)
The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Further information can be found under "Towing a trailer" (
Ypage 156).
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 about this can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on
the driver seat frame of your vehicle
(
Ypage 272).
Gross vehicle weight: the gross weight of the
vehicle, all passengers, cargo and trailer load/
noseweight (if applicable) must not exceed the
permissible gross vehicle weight. Gross axle weight rating:
the maximum per-
missible load 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.
256Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires
Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached, the
trailer load/noseweight is included in the load
along with occupants and luggage. The trailer
load/noseweight is usually approximately 10%
of the gross weight of the trailer and its load.
What you should know about wheels
and tires
Tire labeling
Overview
:DOT, Tire Identification Number
(Ypage 259)
;Maximum tire load (Ypage 259)
=Maximum tire pressure (Ypage 249)
?Manufacturer
ATire material (Ypage 259)
BTire size designation, load-bearing capacity
and speed index (Ypage 257)
CTire 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 index
and speed index
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 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.
: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.
What you should know about wheels and tires257
Wheels and tires
Z
Maximum tire load
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 254).
iThe actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the values
in the illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations stipulate that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN in
or on the sidewall of each 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 identifica-
tion code ;, tire size =, tire type code ?and
manufacturing date A.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol :indicates that the tire complies with the requirements of the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code:
manufac-
turer identification code ;provides details on
the tire manufacturer. New tires have a code
with two symbols. Retreaded tires have a code
with four symbols.
Further information about retreaded tires
(
Ypage 243).
Tire size: identifier=describes the tire size.
Tire type code: tire type code?can be used by
the manufacturer as a code to describe specific
characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufactureA
provides information about the age of a tire. The first and second positions represent the week of
manufacture, starting with "01" for the first cal-
endar 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 :and
under tire tread ;.
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Definitions for tires and loading
Tire structure and characteristics
Describes the number of layers or the number of
rubber-coated belts in the tire tread and the tire
wall. These consist of steel, nylon, polyester,
and other materials.
What you should know about wheels and tires259
Wheels and tires
Z
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 Transportation.
Average weight of vehicle occupants
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 regard to tread quality, traction and tem-
perature characteristics. The quality grading
assessment is made by the manufacturer fol-
lowing specifications from the U.S government.
The quality grade of a tire is imprinted on the
sidewall of the tire.
Recommended tire pressure
The recommended tire pressures are the pres-
sures specified for the tires mounted on the
vehicle at the factory.
The tire and load information table
8contains the
recommended tire pressures for cold tires, the
maximum permissible load and the maximum
permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the recommen- ded tire pressure for cold tires under various
operating conditions, i.e. loading and/or speed
of the vehicle.
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.
Wheel rim
The part of the wheel on which the tire is moun-
ted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
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 Rating can be found on the vehicle iden- tification plate on the driver seat frame
(
Ypage 272).
Speed index
The speed index is part of the tire identification.
It specifies the speed range for which the tire is
approved.
GTW (Gross Trailer Weight)
GTW is the total of weight of a trailer and the
weight of the load, accessories etc. on the
trailer.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weight of
the vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
accessories installed, occupants, luggage and
the drawbar noseweight if applicable. The gross
vehicle weight may never exceed the gross vehi-
cle weight rating (GVWR) specified on the vehi-
cle i
dentification plate at the base of the driver's
seat (Ypage 272).
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permitted gross
weight of the fully laden vehicle (weight of the
vehicle including all accessories, occupants,
fuel, luggage and the drawbar noseweight if
applicable). The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is
specified on the vehicle identification plate on
the driver seat frame (
Ypage 272).
Maximum weight of the laden vehicle
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 are the
equivalent of 1 ps i.Another tire pressure unit is
bar. 100 kilopascal s(kPa) are the equivalent of
1 bar.
Load index
In addition to the load bearing index, a load
index can be stamped onto the sidewall of the
tire. It specifies the load-bearing capacity of the
tire more precisely.
8Only for vehicles with a gross weight of less than 10,000 lbs (4536 kg).
260What you should know about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires
Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum filling capacity of fuel,
oil, and coolant. It also includes the air-condi-
tioning system and optional equipment if these
are installed on the vehicle, but does not include
passengers or luggage.
Maximum tire load
The maximum tire load in kilograms or pounds is
the maximum weight for which a tire is
approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
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.
PSI (Pounds per square inch)
Standard unit of measurement for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and width in
percent.
tire pressure
Pressure inside the tire applying an outward
force to every square inch of the tire's surface.
Tire pressure is specified in pounds per square
inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar. Tire pres-
sure should only be corrected when the tires are
cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked for at least
three hours without direct sunlight on the
tires, and
Rif the vehicle has not been driven further than
1 mile (1.6 km)
Tire tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tire bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits securely
on t
he 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
tire 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, a roof rack or a high-performance bat-
tery, are not included in the curb weight and the
weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
A unique identification number which can be
used by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is composed of the
manufacturer identification code, tire size, tire
model code and 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.
TWR (permissible trailer drawbar load)
The TWR is the maximum permissible weight
that may act on the ball coupling of the trailer
tow hitch.
Wear indicator
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tir e tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of áin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Distribution of the vehicle occupants
The distribution of vehicle occupants over des-
ignated seat positions in a vehicle.
Maximum permissible payload weight
Nominal load and goods/luggage load plus
68 kg (150lbs) multiplied by the number of
seats in the vehicle.
What you should know about wheels and tires261
Wheels and tires
Z
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 252). 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 246).
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.
You must observe the correct wheel and
tire dimensions as well as the wheel type.
When using a spare wheel of a different size, do
not exceed the maximum speed of 80 km/h.
General notes
!
Check the spare wheel regularly to see that
it is secure and has the prescribed tire pres-
sure.
The procedure for mounting the spare wheel is
described in "Mounting a wheel" (
Ypage 263).
The following should be checked regularly, par-
ticularly prior to long journeys:
Rthe tire pressure of the spare wheel, which
should then be corrected if necessary
(
Ypage 246).
Rthe fastenings of the spare wheel bracket.
The spare wheel is located in a spare wheel
bracket under the rear of the vehicle.
Replace the tires after 6 years at the latest,
regardless of wear. This also applies to the spare
wheel.
9Only for vehicles with a gross weight of less than 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg).
268Spare wheel
Wheels and tires
iIf you have mounted a spare wheel, the tire
pressure monitor (Ypage 249) will not func-
tion for this wheel. The spare wheel is not
equipped with a sensor for monitoring tire
pressure.
Removing and installing the spare
wheel
Cargo Van/Passenger Van
Bolt covers for the safety catches (example: Cargo
Van)
Removing
XOpen the rear doors.
XPlace a screwdriver into recesses ;and then
pry off covers :.
XUsing the lug wrench from the vehicle tool kit
(Ypage 236), unscrew the now visible bolts
counter-clockwise by approximately 20 turns.
Spare wheel carrier under the vehicle
XSlightly raise spare wheel bracket Aand
unhook left-hand retaining hook =.
XAssemble the pump lever for the jack and
slide it into sleeve?on spare wheel bracket
A.
XRaise spare wheel bracket Awith the pump
lever and unhook right-hand retaining hook
=.
XSlowly lower spare wheel bracket Adown to
the ground.
XLift spare wheel bracket Aslightly and pull
the pump lever out of sleeve ?.
Spare wheel in the spare wheel carrier
XUse the pump lever to lift the spare wheel
beyond the rear edge of the spare wheel car-
rier.
XCarefully remove the spare wheel from spare
wheel bracket A.
The spare wheel is heavy. When the spare
wheel is removed, the center of gravity
changes due to the heavy weight of the wheel.
The spare wheel may slip down or tip over.
Installing
XCarefully place the spare wheel onto spare
wheel bracket A.
The spare wheel is heavy. When you place the
spare wheel onto spare wheel bracket A, the
center of gravity changes due to the weight of
the wheel. The spare wheel may slip down or
tip over.
XSlide the pump lever for the jack into
sleeve ?on spare wheel bracket A.
XRaise spare wheel bracket Awith the pump
lever and attach right-hand retaining hook =.
XSlightly raise spare wheel bracketAand
attach left-hand retaining hook =.
XPull the pump lever out of sleeve ?.
XUsing the lug wrench, tighten the retaining
hook bolts by turning them clockwise.
XReplace and engage covers:.
XClose the rear doors.
Spare wheel269
Wheels and tires
Z