Page 281 of 308

Wheels
Concealed damage
Dam ag
e t
o tyres and rims is often not readily
visible. If you notice unusual vibrations or the
vehicle pulling to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tyres is damaged. They
should be checked immediately by a Techni-
cal Service.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the di-
rection of rotation on tyres with directional
tread. Always observe the direction of rota-
tion indicated when fitting the wheel. This
guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid
aquaplaning, excessive noise and wear. WARNING
● New tyr e
s do not have maximum grip dur-
ing the first 500 km. Drive particularly care-
fully to avoid possible accidents.
● Never drive with damaged tyres. This may
cause an ac
cident.
● If you notice unusual vibrations or if the ve-
hicle p
ulls to one side when driving, stop the
vehicle immediately and check the tyres for
damage. Tyre pressure monitoring system
Fig. 238
Location of the tyre pressure sticker. The maximum tyre pressure values are shown
on a s
tic
k
er stuck to the back of the left front
door frame ›››
Fig. 238.
1. Read the required tyre inflation pressure from the stic
ker. The values refer to Sum-
mer tyres.
2. The tyre pressures should only be checked when the tyre
s are cold. The slightly raised
pressures of warm tyres must not be re-
duced.
3. Adjust the tyre pressure to the load you are carr
ying. Tyre pressure
The correct
tyre pressure is especially impor-
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and before starting a journey.
Depending on the vehicle, tyre pressure can
be adjusted to medium load to improve driv-
ing comfort (“comfort” tyre pressure). When
driving with comfort tyre pressure fuel con-
sumption may increase slightly. WARNING
A tyre can easily burst if the pressure is too
low , c
ausing an accident!
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with in-
sufficient
pressure flexes more. In this way it
becomes too hot, and this can cause tread
separation and tyre blow-out. Always observe
the recommended tyre pressures.
● If the tyre pressure is too low or too high,
the tyre
s will wear prematurely and the vehi-
cle will not handle well. Risk of accident! For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel con-
sumption. 279
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 285 of 308

Wheels
WARNING
● When the tyr e pr
essure control lamp lights
up, reduce speed immediately and avoid any
sudden turning or braking manoeuvre. Stop
when possible, and check the tyre pressure
and status.
● The driver is responsible for maintaining
correct
tyre pressures. For this reason, tyre
pressure must be regularly checked.
● Under certain circumstances (e.g. when
driving in a s
porty manner, in winter condi-
tions or on a dirt track) the tyre control lamp
may light up belatedly or may function incor-
rectly. Note
If the battery is disconnected, the yellow
warnin g l
amp lights up after turning the
ignition on. This should turn off after a brief
journey. Spare wheel (temporary spare
wheel)*
Loc
ation and u
se of the temporary
spare wheel The temporary spare wheel is stored under
the floor p
anel
in the lug
gage compartment
and is attached by a thumbnut. How to use the temporary spare wheel
If y
ou ever have a punctured tyre or loss of
pressure, the temporary spare wheel is only
intended for temporary use until you reach a
workshop. Change it for a duty wheel as soon
as possible.
Please note the following restrictions when
using the temporary spare wheel. This tem-
porary spare wheel has been specially de-
signed for your vehicle, thus, it cannot be
changed with the temporary spare wheel
from another vehicle.
No other type of tyre (normal summer or win-
ter tyre) may be fitted on the compact tempo-
rary spare wheel rim.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, snow chains must not
be used on the temporary spare wheel.
If you have a puncture on one of the front
wheels when using snow chains, fit the tem-
porary spare wheel in place of one of the rear
wheels. Fit the snow chains on the rear wheel
that you have removed and replace the punc-
tured front wheel with this wheel.
Getting the spare wheel out of vehicles with
the Beats Audio ®
sound system (6 speakers
with 1 subwoofer)*
● Disassemble the subwoofer's
floor panel
(carpet) as follows: ●
Pul
l the carpet upwards to remove it.
● Disconnect the subwoofer's
speaker cable.
● Turn the securing wheel anti-clockwise.
● Remove the subwoofer
speaker and the
spare wheel.
● When replacing the spare wheel, place the
subwoofer
speaker in the direction indicated
by the arrow and with the word “FRONT” fac-
ing forward.
● Reconnect the speaker cable and firmly ro-
tate the sec
uring wheel clockwise so that the
subwoofer system and wheel are firmly in
place. WARNING
● Aft er fittin
g the temporary spare wheel,
check the tyre pressures as soon as possible.
Failure to do so may cause an accident. The
tyre pressure is listed on the back of the left
front door frame.
● Do not drive at over 80 km/h (50 mph)
when the temporar
y spare wheel is fitted on
the vehicle: risk of accident!
● Avoid heavy acceleration, hard braking and
fas
t cornering: risk of accident!
● Never use more than one temporary spare
wheel at the s
ame time, risk of accident.
● No other type of tyre (normal summer or
winter ty
re) may be fitted on the compact
temporary spare wheel rim. 283
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Page 289 of 308

Technical specifications
Drawbar loads
The maximum permitt ed dr
a
wbar load on the
ball joint of the towing bracket must not ex-
ceed 75 kg.
In the interest of road safety, we recommend
that you always tow approaching the maxi-
mum drawbar load. The response of the trail-
er on the road will be poor, if the drawbar
load is too small.
If the maximum permissible drawbar load
cannot be met (e.g. with small, empty and
light-weight single axle trailers or tandem
axle trailers with a wheelbase of less than 1
metre), a minimum of 4% of the actual trailer
weight is legally required for the drawbar
load. WARNING
● For s af
ety reasons, you should not drive at
speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph) when towing
a trailer. This also applies in countries where
higher speeds are permitted.
● Never exceed the maximum trailer weights
or the drawb
ar load. If the permissible axle
load or the permissible total weight is excee-
ded, the driving characteristics of the vehicle
may change, leading to accidents, injuries
and damage to the vehicle. Wheels
Ty
r
e pressure and wheel bolts Tyre pressures
The stic
k
er with the tyre pressure values can
be found on the back of the left front door
frame. The tyre pressure values given there
are for cold tyres. Do not reduce the slightly
raised pressures of warm tyres ››› .
The pre s
sure for winter tyres is 0.2 bar higher
than that of summer tyres (2.9 psi / 20 kPa).
Wheel bolts
After the wheels have been changed, the
tightening torque of the wheel bolts should
be checked as soon as possible with a torque
wrench ››› . The tightening torque for steel
and al lo
y
wheels is 120 Nm. WARNING
● Check the ty
re pressure at least once per
month. Checking the tyre pressure is very im-
portant. If the tyre pressure is too high or too
low, there is an increased danger of accidents
- particularly at high speeds.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
is t
oo low, they could loosen while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tight-
ening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and
threads can be damaged. Note
We recommend that you ask your Technical
Serv ic
e for information about appropriate
wheel, tyre and snow chain size. 287
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety