2019 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS air suspension

Operating conditions:
Ravoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption.
Ralways make sure that the tire pressures
are correct.
Rdo not carry any unnecessary weight.
Rremove roof racks once you no longer need
them.
Ra regularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals.
Ralways have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style:
Rdo not depress the accelerator pedal when
starting the engine.
Rdo not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary.
Rdrive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front.
Ravoid frequent, sudden acceleration and
braking.
Rchange gear in good time and use each gear
only up to Ôof its maximum engine speed.
Rswitch off the engine in stationary traffic.
Rkeep an eye on the vehicle's fuel consump-
tion.
Environmental issues and recommen-
dations
When prompted by this Operator's Manual to
dispose of materials, please try to regenerate
and recycle these materials. Observe all rele-
vant environmental guidelines and regulations
when disposing of materials. This helps to pro-
tect the environment.
Operating safety and vehicle approval
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not have the prescribed service/
maintenance work or any required repairs
carried out, this can result in malfunctions or system failures. There is a risk of an accident.
Always have the prescribed service/mainte-
nance work as well as any required repairs
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. Check with your local gov- ernment’s disposal guidelines.
In California, you can find more information on
the Internet at www.dtsc.ca.gov.
Notes on operating the vehicle
There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
Rthe vehicle makes contact with the ground,
e.g. on a high curb or a loose road surface
Ryou drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, a speed bump or a pothole
Ra heavy object hits the underbody or chassis
component
In such situations, the body/frame, the under-
body, suspension parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components that have been damaged in this
way can unexpectedly fail or no longer be able to assimilate the loads occurring in the event of an
accident. If the underbody paneling is damaged,
flammable material, such as leaves, grass or
twigs, could collect between the underbody and
underbody paneling. These materials could
ignite if they remain in contact with hot compo-
nents of the exhaust system for an extended
period.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
30Introduction

Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models as
well as standard and optional equipment of your
vehicle that were available at the time of going
to print. Country-specific variations are possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to systems and functions relevant to
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 31).
Important safety notes
GWarning
A flat tire severely impairs the driving, steer-
ing and braking characteristics of the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
do not drive with a flat tire. Immediately
replace the flat tire with your spare wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used, the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires with those
that fulfill the specifications of the original
part.
When replacing wheels, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmodel
When replacing tires, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmanufacturer
Rmodel
Accessories that are not approved for your vehi-
cle by Mercedes-Benz or are not being used cor-
rectly can impair operating safety. Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop and inquire about:
Rsuitability
Rlegal stipulations
Rfactory recommendations
Information on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tires for your vehicle can be found
under "Wheel and tire combinations"
(
Ypage 302).
Information on your vehicle's tire pressure can
be found:
Rin the Tire and Loading Information placard on
the B-pillar, driver's side
Rin the tire pressure table inside the fuel filler
flap (Ypage 283)
Runder "Tire pressure tables" (Ypage 290)
Runder "Tire pressure" (Ypage 282)
Modifications to the brake system or wheels are not permitted. The use of a spacer and brake
dust shields is not permitted. This invalidates
the general operating permit for the vehicle.
Further information on wheels and tires can be
obtained at any qualified specialist workshop.
Operation
Information for a journey
If the vehicle is heavily laden, check the tire
pressures, and correct them, if necessary
(
Ypage 282).
While driving, pay attention to vibrations, noises
and unusual handling characteristics, e.g. pull-
ing to one side. This may indicate that the
wheels or tires are damaged. If you suspect that
a tire is defective, reduce your speed immedi-
ately. Stop the vehicle as soon as possible to
check the wheels and tires for damage. Hidden
tire damage could also be causing the unusual
handling characteristics. If you find no signs of
damage, have the tires and wheels checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that the
tires do not get deformed by the curb or other
obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over curbs,
speed humps or similar elevations, try to do so
slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, the
tires, particularly the sidewalls, can get dam-
aged.
Operation279
Wheels and tires
Z

Snow chains
GWARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
Rnever install snow chains to the front
wheels
Ralways install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
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.
Observe the country-specific laws and regula-
tions for operation with snow chains.
!Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
Rwheel
Rwheel housing
Rwheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
!Vehicles with steel wheels: if you mount
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps from
the relevant wheels before mounting the
snow chains.
Snow chains increase traction on roads in wintry conditions.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains or traction
aids which have been approved for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. The snow chains or traction aids
must be of class U or meet the SAE type U
specification. Information about snow chains can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Commercial Van Cen-
ter.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
RSnow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. When mounting the
snow chains, note the permissible tire and
snow chain dimensions. Observe the restric-
tions on the use of snow chains under
"Wheel/tire combinations" (
Ypage 302).
RMount snow chains only in pairs and only to
the rear wheels. Observe the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.
ROnly use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered by a layer of snow. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
a road that is not snow-covered.
RThe use of snow chains may be restricted by
local regulations. Observe the appropriate
regulations before mounting snow chains.
RWhen driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
of 30 mph (50 km/h).
RCheck the tension of the chains after a dis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km).
You may wish to deactivate ESP
®when pulling
away with snow chains installed (Ypage 66).
This allows the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving an increased driving force
(cut
ting action).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
Rthe tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
Rthe tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
Rthe driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
282Tire pressure
Wheels and tires

TIN (Tire Identification Number)
A unique identification number which can be
used by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is composed of the
manufacturer identification code, tire size, tire
model code and manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a code
that contains the maximum load bearing capa-
city of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the tires
and the road surface.
TWR (permissible trailer drawbar load)
The TWR is the maximum permissible weight
that may act on the ball coupling of the trailer
tow hitch.
Wear indicator
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of áin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Distribution of the vehicle occupants
The distribution of vehicle occupants over des-
ignated seat positions in a vehicle.
Maximum permissible payload weight
Nominal load and goods/luggage load plus
68 kg (150 lb s)multiplied by the number of
seats in the vehicle.
Changing wheels
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve. This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes under "Mounting a wheel" (
Ypage 299).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear wear pattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires in the center.
If your vehicle's tire configuration allows, you
can rotate the tires according to the intervals in
the tire manufacturer's warranty book in your
vehicle documents. If no warranty book is avail-
able, the tires should be rotated every 3,000 to
6,000 miles (5,000 to 10,000 km) or earlier if
tire wear requires. Do not change the direction
of rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and the
brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel is rota-
ted. Avoid oily or greasy cleaning agents.
Check the tire pressure and reactivate the tire
pressure monitor if necessary.
Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro-
planing. You will only gain these benefits if the
correct direction of rotation is observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates its
correct direction of rotation.
You may mount a spare wheel against the direc-tion of rotation. Observe the time restriction on
use as well as the speed limitation specified on
the spare wheel.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the tires
from contact with oil, grease and fuel.
298Changing wheels
Wheels and tires