If
"LT" precedes thesize descriptio n:these are
light truck tiresaccording toU.S. manufactur-
ing standards.
If "T" precedes thesize descriptio n:compact
emergency wheelswith high tirepressu rethat
are only desig nedfortemporary useinan
emergency.
Tire width: tirewidth0043 shows thenominal
tire widthinmill imeters.
Aspec tratio: aspectratio 0044isthe size ratio
betwee nthe tire height andtirewidthand is
shown inpercent. Theaspe ctratio iscalcul a-
ted bydivid ingthe tire widthby the tire height.
Tire code :tire code 0087specifie sthe tire type.
"R" represents radialtires; "D"represents
dia gonal tires;"B"represents diagonal radial
tires.
Optional ly,tires withamaximum speedofover
149 mph (240 km/h )may have "ZR"in the
size descriptio n,dependi ngon the manufac-
turer (e.g.245/40 ZR18) .
Rim diameter: rimdiameter 0085isthe diame-
ter ofthe bead seat,notthediameter ofthe
rim flange. Therimdiameter isspecifie din
inches (in).
Load-be aringindex: load-bearing index0083is
a numerical codethatspecifie sthe maximum
load -bearing capacityof atire.
Do not overloa dthe tires byexceeding the
specifie dload limit.The maximum permissible
load canbefound onthe vehicle 'sTire and
Loadi ngInformation placard onthe B-pilla ron
the driver's side(Ypage 317).
Example:
Load-be aringindex 91indicates amaximum
load of1,356 lb(615 kg)that thetires can
bear. Forfurther information onthe maximum
tire load inkilogra msand lbs,see
(Y page 323).
For further information onthe load beari ng
index, see"Loa dindex" (Ypage 323).
Speed rating: speedrating0084specifie sthe
appro vedmaximum speedofthe tire.
i Tire
data isvehicle -specific andmay devi-
ate from thedata inthe example .
Rega rdless ofthe speed rating, always observe
the speed limits.Drive careful lyand adapt
you rdriving styletothe traffic conditions. Summer
tires Index Speed
rating Q up
to100 mph (160 km/h) R up
to106 mph (170 km/h) S up
to112 mph (180 km/h) T up
to118 mph (190 km/h) H up
to130 mph (210 km/h) V up
to149 mph (240 km/h) W up
to168 mph (270 km/h) Y up
to186 mph (300 km/h) ZR...Y up
to186 mph (300 km/h) ZR...(..Y) over
186mph (300 km/h ) ZR over
149mph (240 km/h ) R
Optional ly,tires withamaximum speedof
over 149mph (240 km/h) mayhave "ZR"in
the size descriptio n,dependi ngon the man-
ufacturer (e.g.245/40 ZR18).
The service specifica tionismade upofload -
beari ngindex 0083and speed rating0084.
R Ifthe size descriptio nof you rtire include s
"ZR "and there arenoservice specifica tions,
ask thetire manufacture rin order tofind
out themaximum speed.
If aservice specifica tionisavai lable,the
maximum speedislimi ted according tothe
speed ratinginthe service specifica tion.
Example: 245/40ZR1897Y.Inthis exam-
ple, "97Y"isthe service specifica tion.The
letter "Y"represents thespeed rating. The
maximum speedofthe tire islimi ted to
186 mph (300 km/h).
R The size descriptio nfor alltires withmaxi-
mum speed sof over 186mph (300 km/h)
must include "ZR"and theservice specifica -
tion must begiven inparentheses .Example:
275/40 ZR18 (99 Y).Speed rating"(Y)"
indicates thatthemaximum speedofthe
tire isover 186mph (300 km/h). Askthe
tire manufacture rabou tthe maximum
speed . 322
Al
labout wheelsand tiresWheel sand tires
The
TINisaunique identific ationnumber. The
TIN enables thetire manufact urersorretread-
ers toinform purchasers ofrecalls andother
safety-relevan tmatter s.Itmakes itpossible
for the purchaser toeasily identify theaffect ed
tires.
The TINismade upofmanufact ureridentific a-
tion code 0044,tire size 0087,tire type code 0085
and manufact uringdate0083.
DOT (Departm entofTra nsport ation): tire
symbol 0043marks thatthetire complies with
the requirement sof the U.S. Departm entof
Transport ation.
Manufa ctureridentification code:manufac-
turer identific ationcode0044provides detailson
the tire manufact urer.Newtireshave acode
with twosymbols. Retreaded tireshave acode
with foursymbols.
For further informationabout retreaded tires,
see (Ypage 330).
Tire size: identifier 0087describes thetire size.
Tire typecode: tiretype code 0085can beused
by the manufact urerasacode todescribe
specific characteristics ofthe tire.
Date ofmanu factur e:date ofmanufact ure
0083 provides informationabout theage ofa
tire. Thefirst andsecond positions represent
the week ofmanufact ure,start ingwith "01"
for the first calendar week.Positions threeand
four represent theyear ofmanufact ure.For
example, atire that ismarked with"3208",
was manufact uredinweek 32in2008 .
i Tire
data isvehicle-spec ificand may devi-
ate from thedata inthe example. Tire
chara cteristics This
inform ationdescribes thetype oftire cord
and thenumber oflayers insidewall 0043and
under tiretread 0044.
i Tire
data isvehicle-spec ificand may devi-
ate from thedata inthe example.
Definition ofterm sfor tires andload-
ing Tire
plycomposition andmaterial used
Descr ibesthenumber ofplies orthe number
of layers ofrubber-coat edfabric inthe tire
tread andsidewall .These aremade ofsteel,
nylon, polyester andother materials.
Bar
Metric unitfortire pressure. 14.5038pounds
per square inch(psi) and100 kilopascals (kPa)
are the equivalent of1bar.
DOT (Departm entofTransport ation)
DOT- marked tiresfulfill therequirement sof
the USDepartm entofTransport ation.
Norm aloccupant weight
The number ofoccupant sfor which thevehicle
is designed multiplied by68 kilograms
(150 lbs).
Uniform TireQuality Grading Stand ards
A uniform standard tograde thequality oftires
with regards totread quality, tiretract ionand
temperat urecharact eristics. Thequality grad-
ing assessment ismade bythe manufact urer
following specification sfrom theU.S. govern-
ment .The ratings aremolded intothesidewall
of the tire. 324
All
about wheelsand tiresWheels andtires
pounds
persquare inch(psi), inkilopascal
(kPa) orinbar. Thetirepressure shouldonly
be corr ectedwhen thetires arecold.
Cold tirepr essure
The tires arecold:
R ifthe vehicle hasbeen parked withthetires
out ofdirect sunlight foratleast three hours
and
R ifthe vehicle hasnotbeen driven further
than 1mile (1.6km)
Tr ead
The part ofthe tire that comes intocon tact
with theroad.
Bead The tirebead ensures thatthetire sits
securely onthe wheel. Thereareseveral steel
wires inthe bead topreven tthe tire from com-
ing loose fromthewheel rim.
Sidewall The part ofthe tire between thetread andthe
bead.
Weight ofoptiona lextr as
The combin edweight ofthose option alext ras
that weigh morethanthereplaced standard
parts andmore than2.3kg(5lbs). These
option alext ras, such ashigh-per formance
brakes, levelcontrol, aroof rack orahigh-per -
form ance battery,are not included inthe curb
weight andtheweight ofthe access ories.
TIN (Tire Identificat ionNum ber)
This isaunique identifierwhich canbeused
by atire manufact urertoident ifytires, for
example foraproduct recall,andthus ident ify
the purchasers .The TINismade upofthe
manufact urer'sidentitycode, tiresize, tire
type code andthemanufac turingdate.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index(alsoloadindex )is a
code thatcontains themaximum loadbearing
capacit yof atire.
Tr action
Tract ionisthe result offric tion between the
tires andtheroad surface. Tr
eadwear indicators
Narrow bars(tread wearbars) thataredistrib-
uted overthetire tread. Ifthe tire tread islevel
with thebars, thewear limitof00CD in(1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Occupant distribut ion
The distribut ionofocc upants inavehicle at
their designat edseatin gposition s.
Tota lload limit
Nomin alload andluggage loadplus68kg
(150 lbs)multiplied bythe number ofseats in
the vehicle. Changing
awheel Flat
tire
The "Breakdown assistance"sect ion
(Y page 288)con tains information andnotes
on how todeal with aflat tire. Informat ionon
driving withMOEx tended tires inthe event ofa
flat tire can befound under "MOEx tended tires
(tires withrun-flatcharact eristics"
(Y page 289). Rota
tingthewheels G
WARN
ING
Rotatin gthe fron tand rear wheels ifthe
wheels ortires have differen tdimension s
may severely impairthedriving charact eris-
tics .The servic ebrake orwheel suspension
compon entsmay alsobedamaged. Thereis
a risk ofan acciden t.
Rotate frontand rear wheels onlyifthe
wheels andtires areofthe same dimen-
sions.
! On
vehicles equipped withatire pressure
monit or,elect ronic compon entsare located
in the wheel.
Tire-m ountin gtools should notbeused near
the valve. Thiscould damage theelect ronic
compon ents.
Only have tireschang edataqualified spe-
cialist worksh op.
Observe theinstruct ions andsafety notesin
the "Changing awheel" section(Ypage 326). 326
Changing
awheelWheels andtires
The
wear pattern son the front andrear tires
differ, depending onthe operating conditions.
Rotate thewheels beforeaclear wearpattern
has formed onthe tires. Fronttires typically
wear more onthe shoulders andtherear tires
in the cent er.
On vehicles thathave thesame sizefront and
rear wheels, youcan rotat ethe wheels accord-
ing tothe inter valsinthe tire manufact urer's
warranty bookinyour vehicle document s.Ifno
warranty bookisavailabl e,the tires should be
rotat edevery 3,000 to6,000 miles(5,000 to
10,00 0km). Dependin gon tire wear, thismay
be required earlier.Donot change thedirec-
tion ofwheel rotation.
Clean thecont actsurfaces ofthe wheel and
the brake discthoroughly everytimeawheel
is rotat ed.Check thetire pressure and,ifnec-
essary, restartthetire pressure losswarning
system (Canada only)orthe tire pressure
monit or(USA only). Direction
ofrota tion
Tires withaspecified directionofrotat ionhave
additional benefits,e.g. ifthere isarisk of
hydroplaning. Theseadvantages canonly be
gained ifthe tires areinstalled correspon ding
to the direction ofrotat ion.
An arrow onthe sidewall ofthe tire indicates
its correc tdirection ofrotat ion. Storing
wheels
Stor ewheels thatarenot being usedinacool,
dry and preferably darkplace. Protectthe tires
from oil,grease, gasoline anddiesel. Mounting
awheel
Prepa ringthevehicle X
Stop thevehicle onsolid, non-slippery and
level ground.
X Apply theelectric parking brakemanually.
X Bring thefront wheels intothestraight-
ahead position.
X Shift thetrans mission toposition 005D.
X Switch offthe engine. X
Vehicles withoutKEYLESS-GO: remove
the Smart Keyfrom theignition lock.
X Vehicles
withKEYL ESS-GO start-func-
tion orKEYL ESS-GO: openthedriver's
door.
The vehicle electron icsare now inposition
0092. This isthe same as“key removed”.
X Vehicles
withKEYL ESS-GO start-func-
tion orKEYL ESS-GO: removetheStart /
Stop button fromtheignition lock
(Y page 125).
X Make surethattheengine cannotbe start ed
via your smartphon e(Y page 84).
X Ifincluded inthe vehicle equipment, remove
the tire- change toolkitfrom thevehicle.
X Safeguard thevehicle against rollingaway
(Y page 145).
i Apart
fromcertaincount ry-specific varia-
tions, thevehicles arenot equipped witha
tire- change toolkit.Some toolsforchanging
a wheel arespecific tothe vehicle. Formore
inform ationonwhich toolsarerequired to
perform awheel change onyour vehicle,
consult aqualified specialist workshop.
Necessary tire-changing toolscaninclude,
for example:
R Jack
R Wheel chock
R Lug wrench
Securing thevehicle toprevent itfrom
rolling away If
your vehicle isequipped withawheel chock,
it can befound inthe tire- change toolkit
(Y page 288).
The folding wheelchock isan additional safety
measure toprevent thevehicle fromrolling
away ,for example whenchanging awheel. Changing
awheel
327Wheels andtires Z
which
havebeen approv edbyMerc edes-
Ben zspec ifically foryour vehic le.
These tires have been speciallyadapte dfor
use with thecon trol syst ems, suchasABS
or ESP®
,and aremark edasfollo ws:
R MO =Merc edes- BenzOrig inal
R MOE =Merc edes- BenzOrig inalExten ded
(tir es feat uringrun -flat char acterist ics)
R MO1 =Merc edes- BenzOrig inal(onlycer -
tain AMG tires)
Merc edes- BenzOrig inalExten ded tires may
only beused onwheels that have been spe-
cif ically approv edbyMerc edes- Benz.
On lyuse tires, wheels oracc esso riestested
and approv edbyMerc edes- Benz.Cert ain
char acterist ics,e.g.hand ling,vehic lenois e
emiss ionsorfuel consumpt ion,may other-
wise beadver selyaffected. Inaddit ion,
when drivingwith aload, tiredimen sionvar-
iatio nscould cause thetir es tocom eint o
con tactwith thebodywor kand axle compo-
nen ts.This could result indamage tothe
tir es orthevehic le.
Merc edes- Benzacc eptsno liabilit yfor dam-
age result ingfromtheuse oftires, wheels
or acc esso riesotherthan those tested and
approv ed.
In for mat ionontires, wheels andapprov ed
com binat ionscanbeobt ained fromany
qualified specialist workshop.
! Retr
eaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
omm endedbyMerc edes- Benz,sin ce prev i-
ous damage cannot always bedet ectedon
ret readed tires. Asaresult ,Merc edes- Benz
can not guaran teevehic lesafet yif ret readed
tir es are moun ted.Do not moun tused tires
if you have noinform ation about their prev i-
ous usage.
The recomm endedpres sures forvario usoper -
atin gcon ditions canbefoun d:
R on theTire andLoadin gIn for mat ionplacar d
on theB- pillar onthedriv er's side
R in thetir epres sure table inthefuel filler flap
Obser vethenot eson rec omm endedtirepres -
sures under variousoper atingcon ditions
(Y page 308).
Check tirepres sures regular ly,and only when
th etir es are cold .Comply withthemain te-
nan cerec omm endation sof thetir eman ufac-
tur erinthevehic ledoc umen twallet. Not
eson thevehic leequipme nt–always
equip thevehic le:
R with tires ofthesame sizeon agiven axle
(left andright)
R with thesame typeoftire(summ ertires,
MOE xtend edtires, wint ertires)
Ex cept ion:itis perm issible toins tall adiff er-
ent type ormak ein theeven tof aflat tire.
Obser vethe"MOE xtend edtires (tires with
run -flat char acterist ics"section
(Y page 289).
Vehic lesequipped withMOExtend edtires are
not equipped withaTIRE FITkit atthefac tory.
It is theref orerecomm endedthat you addit ion-
ally equip yourvehic lewith aTIRE FITkitifyou
moun ttir es that do not feature run-flat prope r-
ties ,e.g .wint ertires. ATIRE FITkit may be
obt ained fromaqualified specialist workshop. Emer
gency sparewheel Imp
ortant safety notes G
WAR
NING
The wheel ortiresiz eas well asthetir etype
of thespare wheel oremer gencyspare
wheel andthewheel tobe replac edmay dif-
fer .Moun tingan emer gencyspare wheel
may severelyimpair thedriv ingchar acteris-
tic s.Ther eis arisk ofan acc iden t.
To avoid hazardous situation s:
R adapt yourdrivingstyle acc ordin glyand
driv ecar efully.
R nev ermoun tmor eth an one spare wheel
or emer gencyspare wheel that diff ers in
siz e.
R only useaspare wheel oremer gency
spare wheel ofadiff eren tsiz ebrief ly.
R do not swit chESP®
off .
R have aspare wheel oremer gencyspare
wheel ofadiff eren tsiz ereplac edatthe
near estqualified specialist workshop.
Obser vethat thewheel andtiredimen -
sion sas well asthetir etype must becor -
rec t.
When usinganemer gencyspare wheel or
spare wheel ofadiff eren tsiz e,you must not Emer
gency sparewheel
331Wheels andtires Z