Load index
8 8:
R "Light load": light load tires
R "C": commercial tires Information on definitions (tires and load‐
ing)
Ti re stru ctu reand characteristics: describes
th e number of la yers or the number of rubber-
coated la yers inthe tire tread and the tire wall.
These are made of steel, nylon, pol yester and
ot her materials.
Bar: metric unit for tire pressu re.
14 .5038 pounds per square inch (psi) and
10 0 kilopascals (kPa) are the equivalent of 1 bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation): DOT
mar ked tires fulfill there qu irements of the
U. S. Depa rtment of Transpor tatio n.
Av erage weight of vehicle occupants: the
number of occupants for which theve hicle is
designed multiplied by150 lbs (68 kg).
Un iform Tire Quality Grading Standards: a uni‐
fo rm standard tograde thequ ality of tires with
re ga rdsto tread quality, tire traction and temp er‐
ature characteristics. The quality grading assess‐
ment is made bythe manufacturer in accordance
with test specifications of theU. S. go vernment.
The quality grade of a tire is imprinted on the
side wall of the tire.
Re commended tire pressu re:there commen‐
ded tire pressure is the pressure specified forthe
tires ins talled on theve hicle at thefa ctor y.
The Tire and Loading In form ation placard con‐
ta ins there commended tire pressures for cold
tires, the maximum permissible load and the
maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table con tains there commen‐
ded tire pressures for cold tires under various
operating conditions, i.e. load and/or speed of
th eve hicle.
Increased vehicle weight due tooptional
equipment: the combined weight of all standard
and optional equipment available forth eve hicle,
re ga rdless of whe ther it is actually ins talled on
th eve hicle or not.
Rim: the part of the wheel on which the tire is
ins talled.
GA WR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): GAWR is the
gross axle weight rating. The actual load on an
axle mu stneverexc eed the Gross Axle Weight Ra
ting. You can find the Gross Axle Weight Rating
on the B-pillar on the driver's side.
Speed rating: the speed rating is pa rtof the tire
identification. It specifies the speed range for
which a tire is appr oved.
GV W (Gross Vehicle Weight): the Gross Vehicle
We ight includes thewe ight of theve hicle includ‐
ing fuel, tools, the spare wheel, accessories
ins talled, occupants, luggage and the trailer
dr aw bar nose weight if applicable. The Gross Vehi‐
cle Weight must ne verexc eed the Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating (GVWR) specified on the B-pillar on
th e driver's side.
GV WR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): the
GV WR is the maximum permitted gross weight of
th e fully laden vehicle (weight of theve hicle
including all accessories, occupants, fuel, lug‐
ga ge and the trailer dr awbar nose weight if appli‐
cable). The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is speci‐
fi ed on theve hicle identification plate on the B-
pillar on the driver's side.
Maximum weight of the laden vehicle: the
maximum weight is the sum of theve hicle's curb
we ight, weight of the accessories, maximum load
and thewe ight of thefa ctory ins talled optional
equipment.
Kilopascal (kPa): metric unitfor tire pressu re.
6.9 kPa are the equivalent of 1 psi. Ano ther unit
fo r tire pressu reis bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are
th e equivalent of 1 bar.
Load index: in additiontothe load-bearing index,
th e load index may also be imprinted on the side‐
wa ll of the tire. This specifies the load-bearing
capacity more precisel y.
Curb weight: thewe ight of a vehicle with stand‐
ard equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant. It also includes the air-
conditioning sy stem and optional equipment if
th ese are ins talled on theve hicle, but does not
include passengers or luggage.
Maximum tire load: the maximum tire load is
th e maximum permissible weight in kilog rams or
lbs for which a tire is appro ved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure: maximum
permissible tire pressure for one tire.
Maximum load on one tire: maximum load on
one tire. This is calculated bydividing the maxi‐
mum axle load for one axle bytwo.
PSI (pounds per square in ch):standard unit of
measurement for tire pressu re. Wheels and tires
323
Aspect
ratio: relationship between tire height
and tire width in percent.
Ti re pressure: pressure inside the tire applying
an outward forc eto eve rysquare inch of the
tire's su rface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa)
or in bar. The tire pressure should only be cor rec‐
te d when the tires are cold.
Ti re pressure on cold tires: the tires are cold
when theve hicle has been par ked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least thre e hours and
th eve hicle has been driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
Ti re contact sur face: the part of the tire that
comes into con tact wi th thero ad.
Ti re bead: the purpose of the tire bead is to
ensure that the tire sits securely on the wheel
ri m. There are se veral wire cores in the tire bead
to preve ntthe tire from changing length on the
wheel rim.
Side wall:the part of the tire between the tread
and the tire bead.
Special equipment weight: the combined
we ight of those optional extras that we igh more
th an there placed standard parts and more than
5 lbs (2.3 kg). These op tionalextras, su chas
high-pe rformance brakes, le vel control sy stem, a
ro of luggage rack or a high-per form ance batter y,
are not included in the curb weight and the
we ight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number): a unique iden‐
tification number which can be used bya tire
manufacturer toidentify tires, forex ample for a
product recall, and thus identify the pur chasers.
The TIN is made up of the manufacturer identifi‐
cation code, tire size, tire type code and the man‐
ufacturing date.
Load-bearing index: the load-bearing index (also
load index) is a code that con tains the maximum
load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Tr action: traction is there sult of friction between
th e tires and thero ad sur face.
We ar indicator: narrow bars (tread wear bars)
th at are distributed overth e tire tread. If the tire
tread is le vel with the bars, thewe ar limit of
1/ 16 in (1.6 mm) has been reached.
Distribution of vehicle occupants: distribution
of vehicle occupants over designated seat posi‐
tions in a vehicle. Maximum permissible pa
yload weight: nomi‐
nal load and luggage load plus 150 lbs (68 kg)
multiplied bythe number of seats in theve hicle. Changing a wheel
Note
s on selecting, installing and replacing
tires Yo
u can ask for information rega rding permit ted
wheel/tire combinations at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct sizes of wheels and tires
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used,
th e wheel brakes or wheel suspension com‐
ponents may be damaged. #
Alwaysre place wheels and tires with
ones that fulfill the specifications of the
original part.
Fo r wheels, pay attention tothefo llowing:
R Designation
R Type
R Perm issible wheel load
R Wheel of fset
Fo r tires, pay attention tothefo llowing:
R Designation
R Manufacturer
R Type
R Load-bearing index
R Speed rating &
WARNING Risk of inju rythro ugh exceed‐
ing the specified tire load rating or the
permissible speed rating
Exceeding the specified tire load rating or the
permissible speed rating may lead totire
dama geand tothe tires bur sting. #
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
appr ovedfo ryo ur vehicle model. #
Obser vethe tire load rating and speed
ra ting requ ired foryo ur vehicle. 324
Wheels and tires
*
NO
TEVehicle and tire damage thro ugh
tire types and sizes that ha venot been
appr oved Fo
r saf etyre asons, only use tires, wheels and
accesso ries which ha vebeen specially
appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz foryo ur vehicle.
These tires ha vebeen specially adap tedfor
use with the cont rol sy stems, such as ABS or
ESP ®
.
Otherwise, cer tain properties, such as han‐
dling characteristics, vehicle noise and con‐
sum ption could be adversely af fected. Fur‐
th ermore, other tire size could result in the
tires rubbing against the body and axle com‐
ponents when loaded. This could result in
damage tothe tire or theve hicle. #
Only use tires, wheels and accessories
th at ha vebeen checked and recommen‐
ded byMercedes-Benz. *
NO
TEDriving sa fety put at risk by retrea‐
ded tires Re
treaded tires are not checked or recom‐
mended byMercedes-Benz, as pr evious dam‐
age is not alw ays de tected du ring there tread
process.
Driving sa fety cannot, therefore, be guaran‐
te ed. #
Do not use used tires when their pr evi‐
ous usage is unknown. *
NO
TEDama getoelectronic component
parts thro ugh the use of tire-ins talling
to ols Ve
hicles with a tire pressure monitoring
sy stem: there are electronic component
parts in the wheel. Tire -ins talling tools should
not be applied in the area of theva lve.
Otherwise, the electronic component parts
could be damaged. #
Always ha vetires changed at a qualified
specialist workshop. Ac
cessories that are not appr ovedfo ryo ur vehi‐
cle byMercedes-Benz, or are not being used cor‐
re ctly, can impair ope rating sa fety. Before pu
rchasing and using non-appr oved
accesso ries, visit a qualified specialist workshop
and inquire about:
R Suitability
R Legal stipulations
R Factory recommendations
Obser vethefo llowing points when selecting,
ins talling and replacing tires:
R Use only tires and wheels of the same type,
design (winter tires, all-season tire) and
make.
R Only ins tall wheels of the same size and tread
design on one axle (left and right).
It is only permissible toins tall a dif fere nt
wheel size tothis in theeve nt of a flat tire in
order todrive tothe specialist workshop.
R Only ins tall tires of the cor rect size onto the
wheels.
R Ve
hicles with a tire pressure monitoring
sy stem: all ins talled wheels must be equip‐
ped with functioning sensors forth e tire pres‐
sure monitoring sy stem.
R Attemp eratures below 50 °F (10 °C), use
winter tires or all-season tires mar ked M+S
fo r all wheels.
Wi nter tires bearing the004D snowflake sym‐
bol in addition tothe M+S marking pr ovide
th e best possible grip in wintry road condi‐
tions.
R Only use tires with the same tread.
R Obser vethe maximum permissible speed for
th e ins talled tires.
If th is is below theve hicle's maximum per‐
missible speed, this must be indicated in an
appropriate label in the driver's field of vision.
R Break in new tires at moderate speeds forthe
fi rs t 60 miles (100 km).
R Replace the tires af ter six years at the latest,
re ga rdless of wear.
Fo r more information on wheels and tires, con‐
ta ct a qualified specialist workshop.
% Ve
hicles with twin tires: Wheels and tires
325
Fo
rve hicles with twin tires with a GVW of
11 ,030 lbs or 12,125 lbs, only use tires with
th e dimension LT215/85 R16 whi chhave
been appr ovedfo rth is vehicle bythe manu‐
fa cturer. It is not permissible touse tires with
dif fere nt dimensions; doing so may lead to a
ge neral ope rating pe rmit being rende red
in va lid.
% Ve
hicles with single tires:
Fo rve hicles with single tires with a GVW less
th an or equal to9,480 lbs, only use tires with
th e dimension LT245/75 R16 whi chhave
been appr ovedfo rth is vehicle bythe manu‐
fa cturer. It is not permissible touse tires with
dif fere nt dimensions; doing so may lead to a
ge neral ope rating pe rmit being rende red
in va lid.
% Ve
hicles with Super Single tires:
Fo rve hicles with single tires with a GVW of
11 ,030 lbs, only use tires with the dimen‐
sions 225/ 75R16C (FA) and 285/65 R16C
(RA) which ha vebeen appr ovedfo rth is vehi‐
cle bythe manufacturer. It is not permissible
to use tires with dif fere nt dimensions; doing
so may lead toage neral ope rating pe rmit
being rende red in valid.
Be sure toalso obse rveth efo llowing fur ther rela‐
te d subjects:
R Notes on tire pressure (/ page310)
R Tire and Loading In form ation placard
(/ page 317)
R Tire size designation, load-beari ng capacity,
speed rating and load ind ex (/page 321)
R Tire pressure table
R Notes on the emer gency spa rewheel
(/ page 332) Note
s onchanging wheels &
WARNING Risk of inju rythro ugh dif fer‐
ent wheel sizes
Inter changing the front and rear wheels if the
wheels or tires ha vediffere nt dimensions may
se verely impair the driving characteristics.
The wheel brakes or wheel suspension com‐
ponents may also be damaged. #
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the
wheels and tires are of the same dimen‐
sions. On
vehicles that ha vethe same size front and
re ar wheels, rotate the wheels according tothe
inter vals in the tire manufacturer's warranty book
in your vehicle documents. If this is not available,
ro tate the tires every3,000 (5,000) to
6,000 miles (10,000 km), depending on the
degree of wear. Ensure that the direction of rota‐
tion is maintained.
It is imperati vetoobser vethe instructions and
saf ety no tes on "Changing a wheel" when doing
so. Wheel size categories of wheels
The de
term ined vehicle speed is displa yed in the
instrument clus ter and is impor tant for control‐
ling the driving saf ety sy stems and driving sys‐
te ms. The display accuracy of the speedome ter
and the odome ter is legally prescribed. De term in‐
ing the speed is dependent on the tire size or the
ro lling circumference of the tires. The rim diame‐
te r is alw ays specified in inches.
Fo rth is reason, theve hicle contro l units can be
coded forth efo llowing wheel size categories:
Wheel size category 3
R 225/75 R16C FA
R 285/65 R16C RA
R LT24 5/75 R16
R LT21 5/85 R16
% Mercedes-Benz
recommends that youstay
within a wheel size category when changing a
tire. In this wa y,yo uav oid recoding the con‐
trol units.
If yo uch ange the wheel size of your vehicle, for
ins tance when changing wheels for winter opera‐
tion, check that it is assigned tothe cor rect
wheel size catego ry. If the wheel size category
ch anges, you must ha veyour vehicle's control
units recoded at a qualified specialist workshop.
Otherwise, the display accuracy of the speedom‐
et er and the odome ter will be outside the legally
prescribed tolerance. It may also be lo wer,i.e.
th e cur rent road speed is then higher than the
speed shown on the speedome ter.If a deviation
is outside thera nge of tolerance, driving saf ety
sy stems and driving sy stems may be operation‐
ally impaired or may de tect a malfunction and
switch themselves off. 326
Wheels and tires
Information on
the direction of the tires' rota‐
tion Ti
re s with a specified direction of rotation ha ve
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro‐
planing. You will on lyga in these benefits if the
cor rect direction of rotation is obser ved.
An ar rowonthe side wall of the tire indicates its
cor rect direction of rotation.
Yo u may also ins tall a spare wheel against the
direction of rotation. Obser vethe time restriction
on use as well as the speed limitation specified
on the spare wheel. Information on
storing wheels Obser
vethefo llowing when storing wheels:
R Wheels that ha vebeen remo ved should be
st ored in a cool, dry and, if possible, dark
place.
R Protect the tires from oil, grease and fuel. Overview of
the tire-chan getool kit Necessary tire-changing
tools may include, for
ex ample:
R Jack
R Wheel wrench
% Yo
u will find the maximum load capacity of
th e jack stated on the adhesive label
attached tothe jac k.
The jack is maintenance-free. If there is a
malfunction, please contact a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop.
Ve hicles with rear wheel drive The tire-change
tool kit is located in stowage
compartment 1abo vethestep of the co-driv‐
er's door and in thestow age compartment in the
fo ot we ll on the co-driver side. Preparing
theve hicle for a wheel change Re
quirements:
R The requ ired tire-change tool is available.
R The vehicle is not on a slope.
R The vehicle is on solid, non-slippery and le vel
ground. #
Appl yth e parking brake. #
Movethe front wheels tothest ra ight-ahead
position. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission toposition 005D. #
Switch off the engine. #
Make sure that the engine cann otbe star ted. #
Take theve hicle tool kit from thefo ot we ll on
th e co-driver side (/ page 305). Ve
hicles with rear-wheel drive #
Take the jack and the tire-change tool kit out
of thestow age compartment (/ page 327). #
If necessar y,remo vethe hub cab. #
Assemble the lug wrench extension using the
middle rod and thero d with the lar gest diam‐
et er from theth re e-piece jack pump le ver. #
Starting with the middle rod, slide the lug
wrench extension as far as it will go onto the
lug wrench. #
Using the lug wrench, loosen the wheel nuts
or bolts on the wheel you wish tochange by Wheels and tires
327
about one full turn. Do not unscr
ewthe wheel
nuts or bolts comple tely. #
Raise theve hicle (/ page 328). Ra
ising theve hicle when changing a wheel &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom jack tip‐
ping
If yo u park a vehicle with air suspension, the
air suspension may remain activated for up to
one hour, even when the ignition is switched
off. If youth en raise theve hicle with the jac k,
th e air suspension will attem pttoadjust the
ve hicle le vel.
The jack may tip. #
Press the Service button on the air sus‐
pension remo tecontrol before raising
th eve hicle.
This pr events au tomatic readjustment
of theve hicle le vel and pr events it from
being raised or lo wered manually. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom incor rect
positioning of the jack
If yo u do not position the jack cor rectly at the
appropriate jacking point of theve hicle, the
jack could tip wi th theve hicle raised. #
Only position the jack at the appropriate
jacking point of theve hicle. The base of
th e jack must be positioned vertically
under the jacking point of theve hicle. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom vehicle tip‐
ping
On slopes, the jack could tip with theve hicle
ra ised. #
Neverch ange a wheel on a slope. #
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. *
NO
TEVehicle damage from the jack If
yo u do not position the jack cor rectly at the
appropriate jack support point of theve hicle,
th e jack could tip over with theve hicle raised. #
The jack is designed exclusively for
jacking up theve hicle at the jack sup‐
port points. Re
quirements: R
There are no persons in theve hicle.
R The vehicle is prepared forch anging a wheel
(/ page 327).
Only position the jack on the jack support points
intended forth is purpose. You could otherwise
damage theve hicle.
Impor tant no tes on using the jack:
R Only use theve hicle-specific jack that has
been tested and appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz
to raise theve hicle. If the jack is used incor‐
re ctl y,it could tip over while theve hicle is
ra ised.
R The jack is designed only toraise theve hicle
fo r a short time while a wheel is being
ch anged and is not suitable for car rying out
maintenance workunder theve hicle.
R Avoid changing a wheel on uphill and downhill
slopes.
R The jack must be placed on a firm ,fl at and
non-slip sur face. If necessar y,use a lar ge,
fl at, load bearing and non-slip unde rlay.
R The base of the jack is positioned vertically
under the jack support point.
Saf ety instructions while theve hicle is raised:
R Do not put your hands or feet under theve hi‐
cle.
R Do not lie underneath theve hicle.
R Do not start theve hicle and do not release
th e parking brake.
R Do not open or close any doors.
Ve hicles with rear wheel drive Jack
support points 328
Wheels and tires
Only use
the middle rod and the pump le verrod
with the largest diame terfo rth e jack as a lug
wrench extension. Only inse rtthe middle rod on
th e lug wrench, and alw ays as far as it will go.
Otherwise, thero ds could bend and deform so
much that they can no longer be used as pu mp
le ve rs forth e jac k. #
Toprepare the hydraulic jack: insertthe
th ird rod of pump le ver1 forth e jack into
th e lug wrench extension. #
Close pressure release scr ew3. #
Todo this, use theflattened section on pump
le ve r1 toturn pressure release scr ew3
clockwise tothestop.
% Do not turn pressure
release scr ew3 more
th an one or two full turns. Hydraulic fluid
could otherwise escape. #
Insert pump le ver1 with the largest rod into
th ere cess on the jack and secure byturning
it clo ckwise. #
Place the jack vertically beneath the jack sup‐
port points described belo w. Jack support point, front axle
Jack support point,
rear axle (e xamp le:chassis
up to3.5 t) Jack
support point, rear axle (e xamp le: Cargo
Va n and Passenger Van up to4.0 t) Wheels and tires
329
Jack support point,
rear axle (vehicles 5.0 t) #
Place the jack beneath the jack support
point. #
Vehicles with all-wheel drive: turn jack
spindle 2counter-clockwise as far as it will
go. #
Raise theve hicle until the tire is raised a max‐
imum of 1.2 in (3 cm) off the ground. #
Loosen and remo vethe wheel (/ page 330). Re
moving a wheel Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is raised (/ page 328).
When changing a wheel, avoid applying any
fo rc eto the brake discs since this could
impair the le vel of com fort when braking.
* NO
TEDama getothre ading from dirt on
wheel bolts #
Do not place wheel bolts in sand or on a
dirty sur face. #
Unscr ewthe wheel bolts or nuts with the
wheel nut wrench. #
On front wheels with wheel nuts, remo vethe
wheel nut co ver. #
Remo vethe wheel. Installing a new wheel
Re
quirements:
R The wheel is remo ved (/ page 330). &
WARNING Risk of accident from losing a
wheel
Oiled, greased or damaged wheel bolt/wheel
nut thre ads or wheel hub/wheel mounting
bolt thre ads can cause the wheel bolts/wheel
nuts tocome loose.
As a result, you could lose a wheel while driv‐
ing. #
Never oil or grease theth re ads. #
Intheeve nt of damage totheth re ads,
con tact a qualified specialist workshop
immediatel y. #
Have the damaged wheel bolts or dam‐
aged hub thre ads replaced. #
Do not continue driving. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom tightening
wheel bolts and nuts
If yo u tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when theve hicle is raised, the jack could tip. #
Only tighten wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when theve hicle is on the ground. #
Obser vethe no tes on thech oice of tires
(/ page 324). #
For saf etyre asons, only use wheel bolts or
wheel nuts which ha vebeen appr ovedby
Mercedes-Benz and forth e wheel in question.
When you ins tallth esteel spare wheel, it is
essential you use short wheel bolts for a steel
wheel. Using other wheel bolts when ins talling
th esteel spare wheel may lead todamage tothe
brake sy stem. 330
Wheels and tires