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Vehicle care191Tread depthCheck tread depth at regular
intervals.
Tyres should be replaced for safety
reasons at a tread depth of 2–3 mm
(4 mm for winter tyres).
For safety reasons it is recommended
that the tread depth of the tyres on
one axle should not vary by more than
2 mm.
The legally permissible minimum
tread depth (1.6 mm) has been
reached when the tread has worn
down as far as one of the tread wear
indicators (TWI). Their position is
indicated by markings on the
sidewall.
Tyres age, even if they are not used.
We recommend tyre replacement
every 6 years.
Changing tyre and wheel size
If tyres of a different size than those fitted at the factory are used, it may be necessary to reprogramme the
nominal tyre pressure and make
other vehicle modifications.
After converting to a different tyre
size, have the label with tyre
pressures replaced.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
3 189.9 Warning
The use of unsuitable tyres or
wheels may lead to accidents and will invalidate the vehicle
operating permit.
Wheel covers
Wheel covers and tyres that are
factory approved for the respective
vehicle and comply with all of the
relevant wheel and tyre combination
requirements must be used.
If the wheel covers and tyres used are
not factory approved, the tyres must
not have a rim protection ridge.
Wheel covers must not impair brake
cooling.9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel
covers could lead to sudden
pressure loss and thereby
accidents.
Page 194 of 241

192Vehicle careTyre chains
Tyre chains are only permitted on the
front wheels.
Always use fine mesh chains that add no more than 15 mm to the tyre tread
and the inboard sides (including chain lock).
For tyre size 215/60 R17, consult a
workshop.
9 Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
Wheel covers on steel wheels may
come into contact with parts of the
chains. In such cases, remove the
wheel covers.
Tyre chains may only be used at
speeds up to 50 km/h and, when
travelling on roads that are free of
snow, they may only be used for brief
periods since they are subject to rapid wear on a hard road and may snap.
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit Minor damage to the tyre tread or
sidewall can be repaired with the tyre
repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding four mm or
that is at tyre sidewall near the rim
cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
If the vehicle has a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage
first gear or reverse gear.
The tyre repair kit is located under the
driver's seat.
Vehicle tools 3 186.
1. Remove the compressor and sealant bottle from the tyre repairkit case.
2. Remove the electrical connection cable and air hose from the
compartments on the underside
of the compressor.
Page 195 of 241
Vehicle care193
3. Screw the air hose to theconnection on the sealant bottle.
4. Fit the sealant bottle into the retainer on the compressor.
Set the compressor near the tyre
in such a way that the sealant
bottle is upright.
5. Unscrew valve cap from defective
tyre.6. Screw the filler hose to the tyre valve.
7. The switch on the compressor must be set to O.
8. Connect the electrical connection cable to the power outlet or
cigarette lighter socket.
To avoid discharging the vehicle
battery, we recommend running
the engine.9. Set the rocker switch on the compressor to I. The tyre is filled
with sealant.
10. The compressor pressure gauge briefly indicates up to six bar
(600 kPa/87 psi). Then the
pressure starts to drop.
11. All of the sealant is pumped into the tyre. Then the tyre is inflated.
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194Vehicle care
12. The prescribed tyre pressureshould be obtained within
15 minutes.
Tyre pressure 3 223.
When the correct pressure is
obtained, switch off the
compressor.
If the prescribed tyre pressure is
not obtained within 15 minutes,
remove the tyre repair kit. Move
the vehicle one tyre rotation
(approx. 2 m). Reattach the tyre
repair kit and continue the filling
procedure for 15 minutes. If the
prescribed tyre pressure is still not
obtained, the tyre is too badly
damaged. Seek the assistance of
a workshop.
Drain excess tyre pressure with
the button beside the pressure
indicator.
Do not run the compressor for
longer than 15 minutes.
13. Detach the tyre repair kit.
14. Remove any excess sealant using a cloth.
15. Take the label indicating maximum permitted speed from
the tyre repair kit and affix in the
driver's field of view.
16. Store the sealant bottle in the plastic bag. Return tyre repair kit
to case and stow under the driver's seat.
17. Continue driving immediately so that the sealant is evenly
distributed throughout the tyre.
After driving approx. 10 km, but no more than 10 minutes, stop and
check tyre pressure using the
compressor. Screw air hose from
compressor directly onto tyre
valve when doing this.
18. If the tyre pressure is more than 2.2 bar (220 kPa/31 psi), set it to
the correct value. Repeat the
procedure until there is no more
loss of pressure.
If the tyre pressure has fallen
below 2.2 bar (220 kPa/31 psi),
the vehicle must not be driven.
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Vehicle care195Seek the assistance of a
workshop.
19. Detach the tyre repair kit, return to
case and stow under the driver's
seat.9 Warning
Do not allow the sealant to contact
skin, eyes or clothing. If swallowed seek medical assistance
immediately.
Note
The driving characteristics of the
repaired tyre is severely affected,
therefore have this tyre replaced.
If unusual noise is heard or the
compressor becomes hot, turn
compressor off for at least
30 minutes.
Pay attention to storage information
and expiry date on sealant bottle. Its
sealing capability is not guaranteed
after this time.
Replace the used sealant bottle.
Dispose of the sealant bottle as
prescribed by applicable laws.
Wheel changing
Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel
3 192.
Make the following preparations and
observe the following information:
● Park the vehicle on a level, firm and non-slippery surface. The
front wheels must be in the
straight-ahead position.
● Apply the parking brake and engage first gear or reverse gear.
● Remove the spare wheel 3 197.
● Never change more than one wheel at a time.
● Use the jack only to change wheels in case of puncture, not
for a seasonal winter or summer
tyre change.
● The jack is maintenance-free. ● If the ground on which the vehicle
is standing is soft, a solid board
(max. 1 cm thick) should be
placed under the jack.
● Remove heavy objects out of the
vehicle before jacking up.● No people or animals may be in the vehicle when it is jacked-up.
● Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.
● Do not start the engine when the vehicle is raised on the jack.
● Clean wheel bolts / nuts and thread with a clean cloth before
mounting the wheel.9 Warning
Do not grease wheel bolt, wheel
nut and wheel nut cone.
1. Remove the wheel cover (using the hook supplied).
Vehicle tools 3 186.
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196Vehicle care
2.Loosen each of the wheel bolts by
half a turn using the wheel
wrench. Ensure the wrench is
securely located. The wrench
should turn anticlockwise to
loosen the bolts. Invert the wrench if necessary.3. Place lifting pad spigot of the jack
under the jacking hole located
nearest the wheel concerned.
Ensure the jack is positioned
correctly. The jack base must be
on the ground directly below the
jacking hole in a manner that
prevents it from slipping.
4. Install wrench onto the jack and raise the vehicle by turning the
wrench until the wheel is clear of
the ground.
5. Unscrew wheel bolts completely by turning anticlockwise and wipe
clean with a cloth.
Put wheel bolts somewhere
where the threads will not be
soiled.
6. Change the wheel. Spare wheel 3 197.
7. Screw in the wheel bolts.
8. Lower the vehicle and remove jack.
9. Tighten each of the wheel bolts in
a crosswise sequence using the
wheel wrench. Ensure the wrench
is securely located. The wrench
should turn clockwise to tighten the bolts. Invert the wrench if
necessary.
Tightening torque is 160 Nm.
10. Replace the wheel cover, ensuring that the valve hole in thewheel cover is aligned with the
tyre valve before installing.
Note
If applicable, fit anti-theft bolts
nearest the tyre valve (otherwise it
may not be possible to refit the wheel
cover).
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Vehicle care19711. Stow the replaced wheel 3 197
and the vehicle tools 3 186.
12. Have the new wheel balanced on the vehicle.
Check the tyre pressure of the
installed tyre 3 223.
Check the wheel bolt torque.
Have the defective tyre renewed or repaired as soon as possible.
Spare wheel Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel
3 192.
The spare wheel can be classified as
a temporary spare wheel depending
on the size compared to the other
mounted wheels and country
regulations. In this case a permissible maximum speed applies, even
though no label at the spare wheel
indicates this.Caution
The use of a spare wheel that is smaller than the other wheels or in combination with winter tyres
could affect driveability. Have the defective tyre replaced as soon as
possible.
It may be necessary to jack the
vehicle up to gain access to the spare
wheel on a fully loaded vehicle with a
flat rear tyre.
Wheel changing 3 195.
The spare wheel is mounted under
the rear underbody and may be
secured using a security bolt that can
only be removed using the wheel bolt sleeve supplied.
Vehicle tools 3 186.9 Warning
Due to the weight of the tyre
assembly, exercise caution when
releasing the spare wheel carrier.
Do not fully remove bolt 1.
Support the spare wheel with a
suitable object to prevent the
wheel falling suddenly when
loosening the carrier bolts - risk of injury!
To release the spare wheel carrier,fully remove bolt 2 then loosen bolt 1,
ensuring it is not fully removed. Then
move the spare wheel carrier up and
down and from side to side, until it
clears bolt 1, and lower the carrier
assembly.
When installing the wheel ensure that
the spare wheel carrier is correctly
positioned before tightening the bolts.
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198Vehicle careSummer and winter tyres
If you use winter tyres, the spare wheel may still be fitted with a
summer tyre.
If you use the spare wheel when it is
fitted with a summer tyre the vehicle's driveability may be affected,
especially on slippery road surfaces.
Directional tyres Fit directional tyres such that they rollin the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
● Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed
or repaired as soon as possible
and fit it instead of the spare
wheel.
● Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
● Drive particularly carefully on wet
and snow-covered road
surfaces.Jump starting
Do not start with a quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged battery
can be started using jump leads and
the vehicle battery of another vehicle.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains
sulphuric acid which can cause
injuries and damage in the event
of direct contact.
● Never expose the battery to naked flames or sparks.
● A discharged vehicle battery canalready freeze at a temperature
of 0 °C. Defrost the frozen battery
before connecting jump leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a battery.
● Use a booster battery with the same voltage (12 V). Its capacity
(Ah) must not be much less than
that of the discharged battery.
● Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of
at least 16 mm 2
(25 mm 2
for
diesel engines).
● Do not disconnect the discharged
vehicle battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.
● Do not lean over the battery during jump starting.
● Do not allow the terminals of one
lead to touch those of the other
lead.
● The vehicles must not come into contact with each other during
the jump starting process.