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 258). In order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface, turn the steering
wheel to full lock.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not install
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or a valve cap approved by Mercedes-
Benz for your vehicle. Do not use any other valve
caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure monitoring
systems.
You should regularly check the pressure of all
your tires including the spare wheel, particularly
prior to long trips. Adjust the tire pressure as
necessary (
Ypage 260).
The service life of tires depends, among other
things, on the following factors:
RDriving style
RTire pressure
RDistance covered
Notes on tire tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of 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
width 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 prescribed 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 visible once a tread depth of approx-
imately áin (1.6 mm) has been reached. If this
is the case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced.
Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
ROnly mount tires and wheels of the same type
and make.
ROnly mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
RBreak in new tires at moderate speeds for the
first 60 miles (100 km). The new tires only
reach their full performance after this dis-
tance.
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. This also applies to the
spare wheel.
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 275).
258Winter operation
Wheels and tires
Drivingwit hsummer tire s
At temperature sbelo w45 ‡(+7 †), elasticity in
summer tires is significantly lower and thus also
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.
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.
Do not exceed a maximum speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h) if a spare wheel of a different size is
installed.
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.
When you have mounted the M+S tires:
XCheck the tire pressures (Ypage 263).
XRestart the tire pressure monitor
(Ypage 265).
Snow chains
GWARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As a result, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There is
a risk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
!Information about the use of snow chain
compatible AMG winter tires is applicable for
AMG tires. Use of snow chains is only per-
missible with these tires.
!On some tire sizes there is not enough space
for snow chains. To avoid damage to the vehi- cle or tires, observe the "Wheel and tire com-
binations" section under "Tires and wheels".
Winter operation259
Wheels and tires
Z
All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeedrating
Q M+S1up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S1up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S1up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S1up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all tires with the M+S marking pro vide
the driving characteristics of winter tires. In
addit ion to the M+S marking, winter tires also
have the isnowflake symbol on the tire
wall. Tires with th ismarking fulf illthe require-
ments of the RubberManufacturers Associa-
tion (RMA) and the RubberAssociation of
Canada (RAC) regarding the tire traction on
snow. They have been especially developed
for driv ing on snow.
When the electronic speedlimiterisset, your
veh icle is prevented from excee ding 130 mph
(210 km /h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the factory
may behigher than the maximum speed that the
electronic speedlimiter permits.
Make sure that your tires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. You
can find information on th isunder "Tires"
(
Ypage 279).
Further information about reading tire data can
be obtained from any qualified specialist work-
shop.
Load index
In addit ion to the load bearing index, load
index :may be impr inted after the letters that iden
tify speed index Bon the sidewall of the
tire (
Ypage 270).
RIf no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above) indicates a standard-load tire (SL ).
RXL or Extra Load: represents a reinforced tire
RLight Load: represents a light load tire
RC,D, E: represents a load range that depends
on the maximum load that the tire can carry at
a certain pressure
iTire data isvehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load :isthe 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 befound on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side(
Ypage 266).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cif icand 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.
1Or M+S ifor winter tires.
272All about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires
The tightening torque must be96 lb-ft
(130 Nm).
XDismantle the pump lever.
XPush the jack piston back in and close the
drain plug.
XUse the nuts to secure the faulty wheel to the
spare wheel bracket (Ypage 245).
XStow the jack and the vehicle tools in the
vehicle again.
XCheck the tire pressure of the newly installed
wheel and adjust it if necessary.
Observe the recommended tire pressure
(
Ypage 260).
If you are driving with the emergency spare
wheel installed, the tire pressure monitor can-
not function reliably. Only restart the tire pres-
sure monitor when the defective wheel has been replaced with a new wheel.
All mounted wheels must be equipped with func-
tioning sensors for the tire pressure monitor.
Wheel and tire combinations
You can ask for information regarding permittedwheel/tire combinations at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use tires, wheels and
accessories which have been specifically
approved by Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle.
These are specially adapted to the various
driving safety systems, such as ABS or ESP
®.
Only use tires, wheels and accessories tested
and recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Cer-
tain characteristics, such as handling, vehicle
noise emissions, fuel consumption, etc. may
otherwise be adversely affected. In addition,
other wheel sizes may cause the tires to rub
against the vehicle body and axle compo-
nents, when under load. This may result in
damage to the tire or to the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz is not responsible for any
damage caused by using tires, wheels or
accessories different from those recommen-
ded.
Information on tires, wheels and permissible
combinations can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop.
!Retreaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz, since previ- ous damage cannot always be detected on
retreaded tires. As a result, Mercedes-Benz
cannot guarantee vehicle safety if retreaded
tires are mounted. Do not mount used tires if
you have no information about their previous
usage.
The recommended pressures for various oper-
ating conditions can be found:
Ron the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side
Rin the tire pressure table in the fuel filler flap
Observe the notes on recommended tire pres-
sures under various operating conditions
(
Ypage 260).
Check tire pressures regularly, and only when
the tires are cold. Comply with the maintenance
recommendations of the tire manufacturer in
the vehicle document wallet.
Notes on equipping the vehicle:
Ralways install tires of the same size on one
axle (left/right)
Ralways install the same type of tires on your
vehicle (summer tires, winter tires, all-
weather tires, all-terrain tires)
Spare wheel
If the tire and wheel dimensions of the spare
wheel differ from the wheel to be replaced, the
spare wheel is an emergency spare wheel.
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.
Spare wheel279
Wheels and tires
Z