Driving and operating235The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 288.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load of:
● 60 kg (Grand Sport with all engines except B20DTH /
B20NFT / D20DTR)
● 75 kg (Sports Tourer, Country Tourer with all engines except
B20DTH / B20NFT / D20DTR)
● 90 kg (All bodystyles with engines B20DTH / B20NFT /
D20DTR)
is specified on the towing equipment
identification plate and in the vehicle
documents. Always aim for the
maximum load, especially in the case
of heavy trailers. The vertical coupling load should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by 80 kg
(engines B20NFT / B20DTH /
D20DTR: 90 kg), the gross vehicle
weight rating must not be exceeded.
If the permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
The folding coupling ball bar
cannot be removed from the
vehicle. When driving without a
trailer, fold in the coupling ball bar.
9 Warning
Make sure that no one is in the
pivot zone of the coupling ball bar. Risk of body injury.
When releasing the stowed
coupling ball bar, make sure to
stand left of the grip.
Release stowed coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left to the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
Vehicle care241Caution
Do not press the bonnet into the
latch to avoid dents.
Active bonnet 3 70.
Engine oil
Check the engine oil level manually
on a regular basis to prevent damage
to the engine. Ensure that the correct specification of oil is used.
Recommended fluids and lubricants
3 285.
The maximum engine oil
consumption is 0.6 litres per 600 miles.
Check with the vehicle on a level
surface. The engine must be at
operating temperature and switched
off for at least five minutes.
Caution
It is the owner's responsibility to
maintain the proper level of an
appropriate quality oil in the
engine.
Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean,
reinsert fully, pull out and read the
engine oil level.
Different dipsticks are used
depending on engine variant.
250Vehicle care
4. Turn the bulb socketanticlockwise and remove it from
the light assembly.
5. Disengage the plug connector by pressing the retaining lug.
6.Remove and replace the bulb unit
and attach the plug connector.
Note that the bulb and the socket
are one unit and have to be
changed together.
7. Insert the bulb socket into the light
assembly by turning clockwise
and engage.
8. Mount the light assembly by tightening the three screws.
9. Attach the faceplate and tighten the screw.
10. Grand Sport, Sports Tourer
Attach and engage the cover.
Tail lights Tail lights and brake lights are
designed as LEDs. In case of failure,
have LEDs replaced by a workshop.
Turn signal lights, rear fog lights and
reverse lights are designed for bulbs
and can be changed as follows.Grand Sport
Light assembly in the body
1. Remove the cover on the respective side.
256Vehicle care4. Insert bulb holder and turnclockwise.
5. Insert left end of the lamp, slide to
the left and insert right end.
Number plate light
The number plate light is designed as
LEDs and can not be changed. In
case of defective LEDs, have them
replaced by a workshop.
Interior lights
Courtesy light, reading lights
Have bulbs replaced by a workshop.
Load compartment light
Have bulbs replaced by a workshop.
Instrument panel illumination
Have bulbs replaced by a workshop.Electrical system
Fuses Data on the replacement fuse must
match the data on the defective fuse.
There are three fuse boxes in the
vehicle:
● engine compartment
● instrument panel
Before replacing a fuse, turn off the
respective switch and the ignition.
A blown fuse can be recognised by its melted wire.Caution
Do not replace the fuse until the
cause of the fault has been
remedied.
Some functions are protected by
several fuses.
Fuses may also be inserted without
existence of a function.
Fuse extractor
A fuse extractor may be located in the
fuse box in the engine compartment.
Vehicle care263GSi with Michelin Pilot Super Sport or
Pilot Sport 4 S tyres
This model is factory-fitted with high
performance sports tyres, which have
a reduced performance at low
temperature.9 Danger
Use winter tyres at temperatures
below 0 °C, otherwise damage of
the high performance sports tyres
is possible.
Tyre designations
E.g. 215/60 R 16 95 V
215:tyre width, mm60:cross-section ratio (tyre height
to tyre width), %R:belt type: RadialRF:type: RunFlat16:wheel diameter, inches95:load index e.g. 95 is equivalent
to 690 kgV:speed code letter
Speed code letter:
Q:up to 100 mphS:up to 112 mphT:up to 118 mphH:up to 130 mphV:up to 150 mphW:up to 168 mph
Choose a tyre appropriate for the
maximum speed of your vehicle.
The maximum speed is achievable at kerb weight with driver (75 kg) plus
125 kg payload. Optional equipment
could reduce the maximum speed of
the vehicle.
Performance 3 295.
Directional tyres
Directional tyres should be mounted
so that they rotate in the correct
direction. The proper rotation
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
Tyre pressure
Check the pressure of cold tyres at
least every 14 days and before any
long journey. Do not forget the spare
wheel. This also applies to vehicles
with tyre pressure monitoring system.
Tyre pressure 3 303.
The tyre pressure information label
on the left door frame indicates the
original equipment tyres and the
correspondent tyre pressures.
The tyre pressure data refers to cold
tyres. It applies to summer and winter tyres.
Always inflate the spare tyre to the
pressure specified for full load.
The ECO tyre pressure serves to
achieve the smallest amount of fuel
consumption possible.
Make sure tyre loading setting
matches the current tyre pressure.
Tyre loading 3 264.
264Vehicle careIncorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify drive axle and body style.
2. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 293.
3. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all possible tyre combinations 3 303.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
9 Warning
For specific tyres the
recommended tyre pressure as
shown in the tyre pressure table may exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Never exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
After adjusting tyre pressure, select
the according tyre loading setting on
the page Tyre load in the Driver
Information Centre, 3 113.
Temperature dependency The tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase. Tyre pressure
values provided on the tyre
information label and tyre pressure
chart are valid for cold tyres, which
means at 20 °C.
The pressure increases by nearly
1.5 psi for a 10 °C temperature
increase. This must be considered
when warm tyres are checked.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the Driver Information Centre shows
the real tyre pressure. A cooled down
tyre will show a decreased value,
which does not indicate an air leak.
Tyre pressure monitoringsystem
The tyre pressure monitoring system
checks the pressure of all four wheels once a minute when vehicle speed
exceeds a certain limit.Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns just about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.
Vehicle care265All wheels must be equipped with
pressure sensors and the tyres must have the prescribed pressure.
Notice
In countries where the tyre pressure
monitoring system is legally
required, the use of wheels without
pressure sensors will invalidate the
vehicle operating permit.
Select the Tyre pressure monitoring
page under the Info Menu in the
Driver Information Centre 3 113.
System status and pressure warnings
are displayed by a message
indicating the corresponding tyre in the Driver Information Centre.
The system considers the tyre
temperature and the tyre loading
setting for the warnings.
Tyre loading setting, see below in this chapter.
Temperature dependency 3 263.
Baselevel display: If the pressure of a
tyre decreases significantly, the
respective tyre pressure value is displayed inverted.
Midlevel and uplevel display: Tyre
pressure values in normal range are
shown in green letters. If the pressure
of a tyre decreases significantly, the
respective value will turn its colour to
amber.
A detected low tyre pressure
condition is indicated by the control
indicator w 3 110.
If
w illuminates, stop as soon as
possible and inflate the tyres as
recommended 3 303.
Ensure that vehicle loading status
matches selected tyre pressure.
Vehicle loading status, see below in
this chapter.
After inflating, some driving may be
required to update the tyre pressure
values in the Driver Information
Centre. During this time w may
continue to illuminate.
If w illuminates at lower temperatures
and extinguishes after some driving,
this could be an indicator for
approaching a low tyre pressure
condition. Check tyre pressure.
Vehicle messages 3 124.
Only mount wheels with pressure
sensors, otherwise the tyre pressure
will not be displayed and w
illuminates continuously.
A spare wheel or temporary spare
wheel is not equipped with pressure
sensors. The tyre pressure
monitoring system is not operational
for these wheels. Control indicator w
Vehicle care267If this happens, repeat learning
process. Keep your vehicle stationary
for approx. 20 minutes and then drive again for 10 minutes as described
above.
Tread depth Check 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.
If there is more wear at the front than
the rear, swap round front wheels and rear wheels periodically. Ensure that
the direction of rotation of the wheels
remains the same.
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
speedometer as well as the nominal
tyre pressure and make other vehicle modifications.After converting to a different tyre
size, have the label with tyre
pressures replaced and the tyre
pressure monitoring system
reinitialised. 3 2649 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.