winter tires MERCEDES-BENZ B-Class 2017 W246 User Guide

Permissible Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR): the gross weight of the vehicle, all pas-
sengers, load and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the maxi-
mum permissible weight that can be carried by
one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed the maximum permissible values (gross vehicle
weight and maximum gross axle weight rating),
have your loaded vehicle (including driver, occu- pants, cargo, and full trailer load if applicable)
weighed on a suitable vehicle weighbridge. All about wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading Stand- ards Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are U.S.
government specifications. Their purpose is to
provide drivers with uniform reliable information
on tire performance data. Tire manufacturers
have to grade tires using three performance fac-
tors: 0043tread wear grade, 0044traction grade and
0087 temperature grade. These regulations do not
apply to Canada. Nevertheless, all tires sold in
North America are provided with the corre-
sponding quality grading markings on the side-
wall of the tire.
Quality grades can be found, where applicable,
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width. Example:
R Treadwear grade: 200
R Traction grade: AA
R Temperature grade: A
All passenger car tires must conform to the stat-
utory safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified U.S.
government course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half times as well
on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and cli-
mate.
Traction G
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor- nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
! Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage to
the drive train.
The traction grades – from highest to lowest –
are AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as meas-
ured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road surfaces.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum tread
depth of 00CFin (4 mm) on all four winter tires. All about wheels and tires
269Wheels and tires Z

Observe the legally required minimum tire tread
depth (Y page 258). Winter tires can reduce the
braking distance on snow-covered surfaces in
comparison with summer tires. The braking dis-
tance is still much further than on surfaces that
are not icy or covered with snow. Take appro-
priate care when driving.
Further information on winter tires (M+S tires)
(Y page 259).
Temperature G
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause excessive heat
build-up and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus- tained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by law. Tire labeling
Overview 0043
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(Ypage 274)
0044 Department of Transportation, Tire Identifi-
cation Number (Y page 273)
0087 Maximum load rating (Y page 272)
0085 Maximum tire pressures (Y page 263)
0083 Manufacturer
0084 Tire material (Y page 273)
006B Tire size designation, load-bearing capacity
and speed rating (Y page 270)
006C Load index (Y page 272)
006D Tire name
The markings described above are on the tire in
addition to the tire name (sales designation) and the manufacturer's name.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating G
WARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tire damage or the tire bursting. There is a risk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the 270
All about wheels and tiresWheels and tires

the size description, depending on the man-
ufacturer (e.g. 245/40 ZR18).
The service specification is made up of load-
bearing index
0083and speed rating 0084.
R If the size description of your tire includes
"ZR" and there are no service specifications,
ask the tire manufacturer in order to find out
the maximum speed.
If a service specification is available, the max-
imum speed is limited according to the speed
rating in the service specification. Example:
245/40 ZR18 97 Y.In this example, "97 Y" is
the service specification. The letter "Y" rep-
resents the speed rating. The maximum
speed of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).
R The size description for all tires with maxi-
mum speeds of over 186 mph (300 km/h)
must include "ZR" andthe service specifica-
tion must be given in parentheses. Example:
275/40 ZR 18 (99 Y). Speed rating "(Y)" indi- cates that the maximum speed of the tire is
over 186 mph (300 km/h). Ask the tire man-
ufacturer about the maximum speed.
All-weather tires and winter tires Index Speed rating
Q M+S
1 up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S
1 up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S
1 up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S
1 up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
i
Not all tires with the M+S marking provide
the driving characteristics of winter tires. In
addition to the M+S marking, winter tires also
have the 004Dsnowflake symbol on the tire
wall. Tires with this marking fulfill the require- ments of the Rubber Manufacturers Associa-
tion (RMA) and the Rubber Association of
Canada (RAC) regarding the tire traction on
snow. They have been especially developed
for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your vehi-
cle from exceeding a speed of 100 mph
(160 km/h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the factory
may be higher than the maximum speed that the
electronic speed limiter permits. Make sure that your tires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for your vehicle can be
found in the "Tires" section (Y page 279).
Further information about reading tire data can
be obtained from any qualified specialist work-
shop.
Load index In addition to the load-bearing index, load
index 0043may be imprinted after the letters that
identify speed rating on the sidewall of the tire.
Speed rating (Y page 270).
R If no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above), represents a standard load
(SL) tire
R XL or Extra Load: represents a reinforced tire
R Light Load: represents a light load tire
R C, D, E: represents a load range that depends
on the maximum load that the tire can carry at a certain pressure
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating 1
Or M+S 004Dfor winter tires. 272
All about wheels and tiresWheels and tires

wise be adversely affected. In addition, when
driving with a load, tire dimension variations
could cause the tires to come into contact
with the bodywork and axle components. This
could result in damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle.
Mercedes-Benz accepts no liability for dam-
age resulting from the use of tires, wheels or
accessories other than those tested and
approved.
Information on tires, wheels and approved
combinations can be obtained from any quali- fied specialist workshop.
! Retreaded tires are neither tested nor rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz, since previ-
ous damage cannot always be detected on
retreaded tires. As a result, Mercedes-Benz
cannot guarantee vehicle safety if retreaded
tires are mounted. Do not mount used tires if
you have no information about their previous usage.
The recommended pressures for various oper-
ating conditions can be found:
R on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side
R in the tire pressure table in the charge socket
flap
Observe the notes on recommended tire pres-
sures under various operating conditions
(Y page 260).
Check tire pressures regularly, and only when
the tires are cold. Comply with the maintenance recommendations of the tire manufacturer in
the vehicle document wallet.
Notes on the vehicle equipment – always equip
the vehicle:
R with tires of the same size on a given axle (left
and right)
R with the same type of tire (summer tires,
MOExtended tires, winter tires)
Exception: it is permissible to install a differ-
ent type or make in the event of a flat tire.
Observe the "MOExtended tires (tires with
run-flat characteristics" section (Y page 242).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommended that you additionally
equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you mount tires that do not feature run-flat properties, e.g.
winter tires. A TIREFIT kit may be obtained from a qualified specialist workshop. 280
Wheel and tire combinationsWheels and tires