2019 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS Owners Manual

1Preceding letter
2Nominal tire width in millimeters
3Aspectratio in %
4Tirecode
5Rim diameter
6Load-bearing index
7Speedrating
8Load index
The data shown inthe image isexampledata.
Information aboutreading tire data can beobtained from anyqualified specialistworkshop.
Preceding letter11:RWithout: passengervehicle tires accordingtoEuropean manufacturingstandards.
R"P": passengervehicle tires accordingtoUSmanufacturingstandards.
R"LT": light truck tires accordingtoUS manu‐facturingstandards.
R"T": compact emergency sparewheels withhigh tire pressurethat are only designedfortemporary use in an emergency.
Aspectratio33:Ratio between tire height and tire width in per‐cent (tireheight dividedbytire width).
Tire code44(tiretype):R"R"radial tire
R"D": bias ply tire
R"B": bias belted tires
R"ZR":radial tire with a maximum speed above149mph (240 km/h) (optional)
Rim diameter55:The diameter ofthe bead seat (notthe diameteroftherimflange). Therim diameter is specifiedin inches (in).
Load-bearing index66:Numerical codethat specifiesthe maximumload-bearing capacity of a tire (e.g. "91" corre‐spondsto1356 lbs (615kg)).
The load-bearing capacity ofthe tire must be atleast halfthe permissible axle load ofyourvehi‐cle. Do notoverloadthe tiresbyexceedingthespecified load limit.
See also:
RMaximum permissible load ontheTireandLoading Information placard(page 399)
RMaximum tire load (page 405)
RLoad index
Speedrating77:Specifiesthe approved maximum speed ofthetire.
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An electronic speed limiter preventsyourvehicle fromexceeding a speed of130mph(210km/h).
Makesurethatyour tires havetherequiredspeedrating.You can obtain information ontherequired speedrating from an authorizedMercedes-Benz Center.
Summer tires
IndexSpeedrating
Qupto100mph (160 km/h)
Rupto106mph (170 km/h)
Supto112mph (180 km/h)
Tupto118mph (190 km/h)
Hupto130mph (210km/h)
Vupto149mph (240 km/h)
Wupto168mph (270 km/h)
IndexSpeedrating
Yupto186mph (300 km/h)
ZR...Y1upto186mph (300 km/h)
ZR...(..Y)1over186mph (300 km/h)
ZR1over149mph (240 km/h)
RSpecifyingthe speedrating asthe "ZR" indexin tire code4is optionalfor tires upto186mph (300 km/h).
RIfyour tire code4includes "ZR" andthereis no speedrating7,find out whatthe max‐imum speed is fromthe tire manufacturer.
RIf load-bearing index6and speedrating7are in brackets,the maximum speedrating ofyour tire is above186mph (300 km/h).Tofind outthe maximum speed, askthe tiremanufacturer.
All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeedrating
Q M+S2upto100mph (160 km/h)
T M+S2upto118mph (190 km/h)
H M+S2upto130mph (210km/h)
V M+S2upto149mph (240 km/h)
Winter tires beartheMsnowflake symboland fulfilltherequirements oftheRubber Manu‐facturers Association (RMA) andtheRubberAssociation of Canada (RAC)regardingthe tiretraction on snow.
Load index88:RNo specification given:standard load (SL)tire
R"XL" or "Extra Load":extra load tire orrein‐forced tire
R"Light Load": light load tire
1"ZR"stated inthe tire code.2Or "M+SM"for winter tires
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R"C", "D", "E": a loadrangethat depends onthe maximum loadthatthe tire can carryat acertain pressure
Definition oftermsfor tires and loading
Tirestructureandcharacteristics:describesthe number of layersorthe number ofrubber-coated belts inthe tire contact surface andthetirewall. These are made ofsteel,nylon, poly‐ester andother materials.
Bar:metric unitfor tire pressure.14.5038 pounds per squareinch (psi) and100 kilopascal (kPa) isthe equivalent of one bar.
DOT (Department ofTransportation):DOT-marked tires fulfilltherequirements oftheUS Department ofTransportation.
Averageweight ofthevehicle occupants:thenumber ofvehicle occupantsfor whichthevehi‐cle is designed, multipliedby150 lb (68kg).
UniformTireQuality GradingStandards:auniformstandardtogradethequality of tireswithregardtotreadquality,tire traction andtemperaturecharacteristics. Thequalitygrading
assessment is madebythe manufacturerfollow‐ing specifications fromtheU.S. government. Thequality grade of a tire is imprinted onthe sidewall ofthe tire.
Recommended tire pressure:therecommen‐ded tire pressure isthe tire pressure specifiedforthe tires mountedtothevehicle atthefac‐tory.
The tire and informationtable containstherec‐ommended tire pressuresfor cold tires,the max‐imum permissible load andthe maximum per‐missiblevehicle speed.
The tire pressuretable containstherecommen‐ded tire pressuresfor cold tires undervariousoperating conditions, i.e. loading and/or speedofthevehicle.
Increasedvehicleweight duetooptionalequipment:the combinedweight of allstandardand optional equipmentavailableforthevehicle,regardless of whether it is actually installed onthevehicle or not.
Rim:the part ofthe wheel on whichthe tire isinstalled.
GAWR (Gross AxleWeightRating):the GAWRisthe maximum permissible axle load. Theactual load on an axle must neverexceedthegross axleweightrating. The gross axleweightrating can befound onthevehicle identificationplate onthe B‑pillar onthe driver's side.
Speedrating:the speedrating is partofthe tireidentification. It specifiesthe speedrangeforwhich a tire is approved.
GVW (GrossVehicleWeight):the grossvehicleweight comprisestheweight ofthevehicleincluding fuel,tools,the spare wheel, accesso‐ries installed, occupants, luggage andthe trailerdrawbar noseweight, if applicable. The grossvehicleweight must notexceedthe grossvehicleweightratingGVWR as specified onthevehicleidentification plate onthe B‑pillar onthe driver'sside.
GVWR (GrossVehicleWeightRating):theGVWR isthe maximum permitted grossweightofthe fully ladenvehicle (weight ofthevehicleincluding all accessories, occupants, fuel, lug‐gageandthe trailer drawbar noseweight if appli‐cable). The grossvehicleweightrating is speci‐
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fied onthevehicle identification plate ontheB‑pillar onthe driver's side.
Maximumweight ofthe ladenvehicle:themaximumweight isthe sum ofthe curbweightofthevehicle,theweight ofthe accessories,themaximum load andtheweight of optional equip‐ment installed atthefactory.
Kilopascal (kPa):metric unitfor tire pressure.6.9 kPa correspondsto1 psi. Another unitfortire pressureis bar.100 kilopascal (kPa) equals1 bar.
Load index:in additiontothe load-bearingindex,the load index may also be imprinted onthe sidewall ofthe tire. This specifiesthe load-bearing capacity ofthe tire more precisely.
Curbweight:theweight of avehicle withstand‐ard equipment includingthe maximum capacityof fuel, oil and coolant. It also includesthe airconditioning system and optional equipment ifthese are installed onthevehicle, but does notinclude passengers or luggage.
Maximum tire load:the maximum tire load isthe maximum permissibleweight in kilograms orlbsfor whicha tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure:maxi‐mum permissible tire pressurefor one tire.
Maximum load on one tire:maximum load onone tire. This is calculatedbydividingthe maxi‐mum axle load of one axlebytwo.
PSI (pounds per square inch):standard unit ofmeasurementfor tire pressure.
Aspectratio:ratio between tire height and tirewidth in percent.
Tirepressure:pressure insidethe tire applyingan outwardforcetoeverysquare inch ofthe tire.The tire pressure is specified in pounds persquare inch (psi), in kilopascals (kPa) or in bar.The tire pressure should only be corrected whenthe tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure:the tires are cold whenthevehicle has been parkedfor at least3 hourswithout direct sunlight onthe tires orthevehiclehas been drivenfor lessthan 1 mile (1.6 km).
Tirecontact surface:the part ofthe tirethatcomes into contact with theroad.
Tirebead:the purpose ofthe tire bead istoensurethatthe tire sits securely onthe wheel
rim. There are several wire cores inthe tire beadtopreventthe tire fromchanging length onthewheelrim.
Sidewall:the part ofthe tire betweenthe treadandthe tire bead.
Weight of optional equipment:the combinedweight ofthe optional equipmentweighing morethanthereplacedstandard parts and morethan5 lbs (2.3kg).This optional equipment, such ashigh-performance brakes, level control system, aroof luggagerackor high-performance batteries,is not included inthe curbweight andtheweightofthe accessories.
TIN (Tire IdentificationNumber):a uniqueidentification number which can be usedby atire manufacturertoidentify tires,forexample,in a productrecall, andthus identifythe pur‐chasers. The TIN is made up ofthe manufactur‐er's identity code, tire size, tire type code andthe manufacturing date.
Load-bearing index:the load-bearing index is acodethat containsthe maximum load-bearingcapacity of a tire.
41 0Wheels and tires

Traction:traction isthe gripresulting from fric‐tion betweenthe tires andtheroad surface.
Wear indicator:narrowbars (treadwear bars)that are distributedoverthe tire contact surface.Ifthe tire tread is level withthe bars,thewearlimit of 1/16in (1.6 mm) has beenreached.
Distribution ofvehicle occupants:distributionofvehicle occupantsover designated seat posi‐tions in avehicle.
Maximum permissible payloadweight:nomi‐nal load and luggage load plus150 lb (68kg)multipliedbythe number of seats inthevehicle.
Changing a wheel
Notes on selecting, installing andreplacingtires
Mercedes-AMGvehicles:observethe notes inthe Supplement. Otherwise,you may notrecog‐nize dangers.
You can askfor informationregarding permittedwheel/tire combinations at an authorizedMercedes-Benz Center.
\nWARNINGRisk of accident duetoincor‐rect dimensions of wheels and tires
If wheels and tires ofthe wrong size areinstalled,the wheel brakes or wheel suspen‐sion components may be damaged.
Alwaysreplace wheels and tires withthosethat fulfillthe specifications ofthe original part.
Whenreplacing wheels, make suretofitthecorrect:
RDesignation
RModel
Whenreplacing tires, make suretoinstallthecorrect:
RDesignation
RManufacturer
RModel
\nWARNINGRisk of injurythroughexceed‐ingthe specified tire loadrating orthepermissible speedrating
Exceedingthe specified tire loadrating orthe permissible speedrating may leadtotiredamageandtothe tires bursting.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizesapprovedforyourvehicle model.
Observethe tire loadrating and speedratingrequiredforyourvehicle.
NOTEVehicle and tire damagethroughtire types and sizesthat havenot beenapproved
For safetyreasons, onlyuse tires, wheelsand accessories which havebeen speciallyapprovedbyMercedes-Benzforyourvehicle.
These tires are specially adaptedtothe con‐
trol systems, such as ABS, ESP®and4MATIC, and marked asfollows:
RMO = Mercedes-Benz Original
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RMOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended(run-flat tire onlyfor certain wheels)
RMO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original (only cer‐tain AMG tires)
Certaincharacteristics, such as handling,vehicle noise emissions, fuel consumption,etc. mayotherwise be adversely affected.Furthermore,other tire sizes couldresult inthe tiresrubbing againstthe body and axlecomponents when loaded. This couldresultin damagetothe tire orthevehicle.
Only use tires, wheels and accessoriesthathavebeenchecked andrecommendedbyMercedes-Benz.
NOTERisktodriving safety fromretrea‐ded tires
Retreaded tires are neithertested norrecom‐mendedbyMercedes-Benz, since previousdamage cannot always be detected onretreaded tires.
Forthisreason driving safety cannot be guar‐anteed.
Do not use used tires ifyou havenoinformation abouttheir previous usage.
NOTEPossible damagetowheels or tireswhen drivingover obstacles
Large wheels havea lower tire section width.The lowerthe tire section width,the greateristherisk of damagetowheels or tires whendrivingover obstacles.
Avoid obstacles or drive particularlycarefully.
NOTEDamagetoelectronic componentparts fromthe use of tire-mountingtools
Vehicles with a tire pressure monitoringsystem:Electronic component parts arelocated inthe wheel.Tire-mountingtoolsshould not be used inthe area ofthevalve.
This couldotherwise damagethe electroniccomponent parts.
Havethe tireschanged at aqualifiedspecialistworkshop only.
NOTEDamagetosummer tires at lowambienttemperatures
Atlow ambienttemperatures,tears couldformwhen driving with summer tires, caus‐ing permanent damagetothe tires.
Attemperatures below 45 °F (7 °C),use M+S tires .
Accessory partsthat are not approvedforyourvehiclebyMercedes-Benz or are not being usedcorrectly can impairthe operating safety.
Before purchasing and using non-approvedaccessories, visit aqualified specialistworkshopand inquire about:
RSuitability
RLegalstipulations
RFactoryrecommendations
\nWARNINGRisk of accident withhighperformance tires
The special tire tread in combination withtheoptimized tire compound meansthattherisk
412Wheels and tires

of skidding orhydroplaning onwetroads isincreased.
In addition,the tire grip is greatlyreduced ata low outsidetemperature and tirerunningtemperature.
Switch onthe ESP®and adaptyourdrivingstyle accordingly.
Use M+S tire at outsidetemperaturesof lessthan10°C (50 °F).
Observethefollowing when selecting, installingandreplacing tires:
ROnly use tires and wheels ofthe same type(summer tires, winter tires, MOExtendedtires) andthe same make.
ROnly install wheels ofthe same size on oneaxle (left andright).
It is only permissibletoinstall a differentwheel size intheevent of aflat tire in ordertodrivetothe specialistworkshop.
ROnly install tires ofthe correct size ontothewheels.
RVehicles with a tire pressure monitoringsystem:All installed wheels must be equip‐ped with functioning sensorsforthe tirepressure monitoring system.
RAttemperatures below 45 °F (7 °C), use win‐ter tires or all-season tires marked M+Sforall wheels.
Winter tires bearingtheMsnowflake sym‐bol in additiontothe M+S marking providethe best possible grip in wintryroad condi‐tions.
RFor M+S tires, only use tires withthe sametread.
RObservethe maximum permissible speedforthe M+S tires installed.
Ifthis is belowthevehicle's maximum speed,this must be indicatedbyan appropriatelabel inthe driver'sfield of vision.
RBreak in new tires at moderate speedsforthefirst 60 miles (100 km).
RReplacethe tires after sixyears atthe latest,regardless ofwear.
RWhenreplacing with tires that do notfea‐turerun-flatcharacteristics:vehicles withMOExtended tires are not equipped with aTIREFIT kit atthefactory.Equipthevehiclewith a TIREFIT kit afterreplacing with tiresthat do notfeaturerun-flatcharacteristics,e.g. winter tires.
For more information on wheels and tires, con‐tact aqualified specialistworkshop.
Be suretoalso observethefollowing furtherrelated subjects:
RNotes on tire pressure (page 392)
RTireand Loading Information placard(page 399)
RTiresize designation, load-bearing capacity,speedrating and load index(page 406)
RTirepressuretable (page 393)
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Notes onrotating wheels
\nWARNINGRisk of injurythrough differ‐ent wheel sizes
Interchangingthe front andrear wheels ifthewheels or tires havedifferent dimensionsmay severely impairthe drivingcharacteris‐tics.
The wheel brakes or wheel suspension com‐ponents may also be damaged.
Rotatefront andrear wheels onlyifthewheels and tires are ofthe same dimen‐sions.
Thewear patterns onthe front andrear wheelsdiffer:
RFront wheelswear more onthe shoulder ofthe tire
RRear wheelswear more inthe center ofthetire
Onvehiclesthat havethe same size front andrear wheels,rotatethe wheels accordingtotheintervals inthe tire manufacturer'swarranty
book inyourvehicle documents. Ifthis is notavailable,rotatethe tiresevery3,000to6,000 miles (5,000to10,000 km),depending onthewear. Ensurethatthe directionofrotation is maintained.
It is imperativetoobservethe instructions andsafety notes on "Changing a wheel" when doingso Preparingthevehiclefor a wheelchange(page415).
Notes onstoring wheels
Whenstoring wheels, observethefollowingnotes:
RAfterremoving wheels,storethem in a cool,dry and preferably dark place.
RProtectthe tires from contact withoil, greaseor fuel.
Overview ofthe tire-changetool kit
Mercedes-AMGvehicles:observethe notes inthe Supplement. Otherwise,you mayfailtorec‐ognize dangers.
Apartfrom some country-specificvariants,vehi‐cles are not equipped with a tire-changetool kit.For more information on whichtire-changetoolsarerequired and approvedfor performing awheelchange onyourvehicle, consult aqualifiedspecialistworkshop.
Yourequirethefollowingtools,for instance,tochange a wheel:
RJack
RChock
RLug wrench
RAlignment bolt
The tire-changetool kit is located underthetrunkfloor.
414Wheels and tires