Regular wheel and tire checks
G
WARNING
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 dam-
age and replace any damaged tires immedi-
ately.
Check the wheels and tires of your vehicle for
damage regularly, i.e. at least every two
weeks, as well as after driving off-road or on
rough roads. Damaged wheels can cause a
loss of tire pressure. Pay particular attention
to damage such as:
R cuts in the tires
R punctures
R tears in the tires
R bulges on tires
R deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tire tread across the whole
width of all the tires
(Y page 279). If neces-
sary, turn the front wheels to full lock in order
to inspect the inner side of the tire surface.
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 other valve caps
approved for your vehicle by dealers listed on
the inside of the front cover. Do not install any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure
monitor systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire
pressure if necessary (Y page 282).
The service life of tires depends on various
factors, including the following:
R Driving style
R Tire pressure
R Mileage Tire tread
G
WARNING
If there is insufficient tire tread, the tire trac-
tion decreases. The tire tread is no longer
able to dissipate water. This increases the risk of hydroplaning when the road surface
is wet, particularly when the vehicle's speed
is not adapted to the road conditions. There
is a risk of an accident.
When the tire pressure is too high or too
low, tires may wear differently at different
points on the tire tread. Therefore, regularly
check the tire tread depth and the condition
of the tread across the whole width of all
tires.
Minimum tire tread depth on:
R Summer tires: â in (3 mm
)
R M+S tires: ã in (4 mm)
For safety reasons, have the tires replaced
before they reach the legally prescribed min-
imum tire tread depth. Marker : shows the location where the bar
indicator (arrow) for tread wear is integrated
into the tire tread.
Tread wear indicators (TWIs) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned over the tire
tread. They are visible once the tire tread
depth is approximately á in (1.6 mm
). If this
is the case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced. Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
R Only mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
R Only use wheels with tire sizes approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels. Operation
279Wheels and tires Z
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
R the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
R the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as
steering and braking, may be greatly
impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires
including the spare wheel:
R monthly, at least
R if the load changes
R before beginning a long journey
R under different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
The tire pressure monitor will not warn you of: R an incorrectly set tire pressure
R sudden loss of tire pressure, for example
caused through intrusion from a foreign
object G
WARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tire
valves, the tire valves may be overloaded
and malfunction, which can cause tire pres-
sure loss. Due to their design, retrofitted tire
pressure monitors keep the tire valve open.
This can also result in tire pressure loss.
There is a risk of an accident.
Only screw the standard valve cap or other
valve caps approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle onto the tire valve. !
The pressure difference between tires on
any one axle must be no greater than
10 kPa
(0.1 bar/1.5 psi).
i The specifications shown on the sample
Tire and Loading Information placard and
tire pressure table are examples. Tire pres-
sure data are vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data illustrated here. The tire
pressure specifications that are valid for
your vehicle can be found on the Tire and
Loading Information placard and the tire
pressure table on the vehicle. H
Environmental note
Check the tire pressure regularly, at least
every
14 days.
General notes You will find information on tire pressure for
the vehicle's factory-mounted tires on the
plates described here.
The recommended tire pressure for various
operating conditions can be found on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the B-pillar
on the driver's side of the vehicle or on the tire
pressure table inside the fuel filler flap.
Further information on tire pressure can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop.
Tire and Loading Information placard Example: Tire and Loading Information placard
The Tire and Loading Information placard is on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle.
The Tire and Loading Information placard con-
tains recommended tire pressures : for cold
tires. Recommended tire pressures : are
valid for the maximum permissible load and up 282
Tire pressure
Wheels and tires
Maximum tire pressures
:
Maximum permitted tire pressure (exam-
ple)
Never exceed the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure. When adjusting the tire
pressures always observe the recommended
tire pressure for your vehicle
(Y page 282).
i The actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the val-
ues in the illustration. Tire valve (snap-in valve)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Tire valve that are not approved for your
vehicle by the distributor named on the
inside cover page may result in a loss of tire
pressure. This may affect road safety. There
is a risk of an accident.
Only use tire valve that are approved for
your vehicle by the distributor named on the
inside cover page. Always make sure you
have the correct tire valve type for the tires
on your vehicle.
! Do not screw additional weights (check
valves, etc.) onto the tire valves. The elec-
tronic components could thus be damaged.
i For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use tire valves that
have been tested for use on your vehicle. Checking the tire pressure manually
In order to determine and adjust the tire pres-
sures, proceed as follows: X Remove the valve cap of the tire you wish to
check.
X Press the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
X Read the tire pressure and compare it with
the recommended value on the loading
information table or the tire pressure table
( Y page
282).
X If the tire pressure is too low, increase it to
the recommended value.
X If the tire pressure is too high, release air by
pressing down the metal pin in the valve.
Use the tip of a pen, for example. Then,
check the tire pressure again using the tire
pressure gauge.
X Screw the valve cap onto the valve.
X Repeat the steps for the other tires. Tire pressure monitor
General notes In vehicles with a tire pressure monitor sys-
tem, the vehicle's wheels have sensors instal-
led which monitor the tire pressure in all four
tires. The tire pressure monitor warns you if
the pressure drops in one or more of the tires.
The tire pressure monitor only functions if the
corresponding sensors are installed on all
wheels.
Tire pressure display (only on vehicles with steer-
ing wheel buttons)
On vehicles with steering-wheel buttons, the
current pressure of the individual wheels in the
display can be shown via the Service menu. Tire pressure
285
Wheels and tires Z
For further information on displaying the cur-
rent tire pressures, refer to "Checking the tire
pressure electronically"
(Y page 287).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Risk of accident due to incorrect tire
pressure
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommen-
ded by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehi-
cle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If
your vehicle has tires of a different size than
the size indicated on the vehicle placard or
the tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-
inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle's han-
dling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver's responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination
of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale
will flash for approximately one minute and
then remain continuously illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illumina-
ted, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea-
sons, including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from func-
tioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or wheels
on your vehicle to ensure that the replace-
ment or alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function properly.
It is the driver's responsibility to set the tire
pressure to the recommended cold tire pres-
sure suitable for the operating conditions
(Y page
282).
Note that the correct tire pressure for the cur-
rent operating conditions must first be pro-
gramed into the tire pressure monitor. If a sub-
stantial pressure loss occurs, the warning
threshold for the warning message is aligned
to the taught-in reference values. Restart the
tire pressure monitor after adjusting the cold
tire pressure ( Y page 288). The current pres-
sures are saved as new reference values. This
will ensure that a warning message will only
appear if the tire pressure drops significantly.
The tire pressure monitor does not warn you if
a tire pressure is incorrect. Observe the notes
on the recommended tire pressure
(Y page 282).
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn
you of a sudden loss of pressure, e.g. following
penetration by a foreign object. In this event,
brake the vehicle until it comes to a standstill.
Avoid sudden steering movements.
The tire pressure monitor has a yellow h
warning lamp in the instrument cluster for indi-
cating pressure loss/malfunctions (USA) or
pressure loss (Canada). Depending on how the
warning lamp flashes or lights up, an underin-
flated tire or a malfunction in the tire pressure
monitor is displayed:
R if the h warning lamp is lit continuously,
the tire pressure on one or more tires is sig- 286
Tire pressure
Wheels and tires