traction control MERCEDES-BENZ B-Class 2017 W246 Owner's Manual

COMAND/mbrace
If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle's
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain sit-
uations, and the location of the vehicle may be
compiled through COMAND or the mbrace sys-
tem.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual or the Digital Operator's
Manual and/or the mbrace Terms and Condi-
tions. Event data recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag deploy-
ment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
R How various systems in your vehicle were
operating
R Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened
R How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and
R How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recordedby your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situa-
tion occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR
under normal driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g. name, gender, age and crash location)
are recorded. However, other parties, such as
law enforcement could combine the EDR data
with the type of personally identifying data rou- tinely acquired during a crash investigation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the EDR is needed to read data that is recorded by an EDR, and
special equipment is required. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment, can read the information by accessing the
vehicle or the EDR. EDR data may be used in civil and criminal mat-
ters as a tool in accident reconstruction, acci-
dent claims and vehicle safety. Since the Crash
Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to extract
data from the EDR is commercially available,
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ("MBUSA") expressly
disclaims any and all liability arising from the
extraction of this information by unauthorized
Mercedes-Benz personnel.
MBUSA will not share EDR data with others
without the consent of the vehicle owners or, if
the vehicle is leased, without the consent of the
lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law enforce- ment; by federal, state or local government; in
connection with or arising out of litigation involv-
ing MBUSA or its subsidiaries and affiliates; or,
as required by law.
Warning: The EDR is a component of the
Restraint System Module. Tampering with, alter-
ing, modifying or removing the EDR component may result in a malfunction of the Restraint Sys-
tem Module and other systems.
State laws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-empted. This means that in the event of such conflict, the
federal regulation governs. As of February 2013, 13 states have enacted laws relating to EDRs. Information on copyright
General information
Information on license for free and open-source
software used in your vehicle and its electronic
components is available on the following web-
site:
http://www.mercedes-benz.com/opensource Registered trademarks
R Bluetooth ®
is a registered trademark of Blue-
tooth SIG Inc.
R DTS™ is a registered trademark of DTS, Inc.
R Dolby ®
and MLP™ are registered trademarks
of DOLBY Laboratories.
R BabySmart™, ESP ®
and PRE-SAFE ®
are reg-
istered trademarks of Daimler AG.
R HomeLink ®
is a registered trademark of John-
son Controls. Information on copyright
29Introduction Z

R
to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi- cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking. ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When towing your vehicle with the front axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 253).
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 254).
If the 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp and the 00BB
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 195) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 168).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety

Characteristics of ESP
®General information
If the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58).
You can select between the following states of
ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin. !
Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the on-
board computer (Y page 162).
ESP ®
deactivated:
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP ®
activated:
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R Engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
R Traction control is still activated.
R STEER CONTROL is no longer active
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have Driving safety systems
63Safety
Z

are completely filled at the same time, the driver
has adopted the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel
consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus fr. Start
Bonus fr. Start does not
indicate a fixed consumption reduction.
In addition to driving style, the actual consump- tion is affected by other factors, such as:
R Load
R Tire pressure
R Cold start
R Choice of route
R Active electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant", drive the vehicle
in drive program E+orE.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform a manual rest
(Y page 158).
For more information on the ECO display, see
(Y page 156). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you increase the recuperation level on slip- pery road surfaces, the drive wheels may lose
their traction. There is an increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Do not increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces. The braking performance of the electric motor
using recuperative braking is, in some operating
modes, either reduced or not effective:
R when the condition of charge of the high-volt-
age battery increases
R if the high-voltage battery is not yet at a nor-
mal operating temperature
R when driving close to the maximum speed
R when the vehicle is almost stationary
R in transmission position N
R during and after ESP stability control
If you do not make an additional effort to apply
the brake yourself, the braking effect may not be
sufficient. If necessary, counteract the reduced regenerative braking effect by applying the
brake yourself.
Downhill gradients On long, steep gradients, you must reduce the
load on the brakes by selecting maximum recu-
peration. This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
Recuperation allows the vehicle to be deceler-
ated without placing a load on the braking sys-
tem.
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light pres-
sure to the pedal. This results in excessive and
premature wear to the brake pads.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly. Driving tips
133Driving and parking Z

their traction. There is an increased danger of
skidding and accidents.
Do not increase the recuperation level on slip- pery road surfaces.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur- faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 259).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (Y page 259).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 259). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into transmis-
sion position D-
(Y page 115) on long and steep
downhill gradients. This increases recuperation
in overrun mode. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 20 mph (30 km/h) and the tech-
nically permitted maximum speed of the vehicle. Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady
speed for a prolonged period.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
Activates or increases speed
0044 Activates or reduces speed
0087 Deactivates cruise control
0085 Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds. 136
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Tires
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions Please
Please
Correct
Correct Tire
Tire
Pressure
Pressure The tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X Check the tire pressures at the next opportunity (Y page 263).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
X Restart the tire pressure monitor (Y page 265).Check Tires Check Tires The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly. The
wheel position appears in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
Tire pressures that are too low pose the following hazards: R they may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed increase
R they 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.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 128).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a flat
tire (Y page 241).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page 263).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Warning Tire Mal‐ Warning Tire Mal‐
function function The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped suddenly. The wheel
position appears in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
Driving with a flat tire poses a risk of the following hazards: R a flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-up
and possibly a fire
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 128).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a flat
tire (Y page 241). Display
messages
185On-board computer and displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
0051
0051 Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and 0050 0050Solutions 00E5
0051
The yellow ESP ®
warning lamp flashes while the vehicle is in motion.
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of skidding or at
least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 63) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 62). 00BB
0051
The yellow ESP ®
OFF warning lamp is lit while the drive system is running.
ESP ®
is deactivated. ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle if it starts to skid or if a
wheel starts to spin.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
Further driving systems or driving safety systems are thus restricted.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 63) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 62).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Contact a qualified specialist workshop and have ESP ®
checked. 196
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

with run-flat characteristics)" section
(Y page 242).
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R Break in new tires at moderate speeds for the
first 60 miles (100 km). The ne w tires only
reach their full performance after this dis-
tance.
R Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
R Replace the tires after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear. MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive your vehi- cle even if there is a total loss of pressure in one
or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be used in conjunc-
tion with an active tire pressure monitor and
only on wheels specifically tested by Mercedes- Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with a
flat tire (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. Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 275). Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), summer
tires lose el asticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehicle to M+S tires. Using summer tires at very cold
temperatures could cause cracks to form, thereby damaging the tires permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage. 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 damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately. M+S tires
G
WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
00CF in(4 mm) are not suitable for use in winter
and do not provide sufficient traction. There is
a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than 00CFin
(4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), use winter
tires or all-season tires. Both types of tire are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the 004Dsnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tires will allow driving safety systems
such as ABS and ESP ®
to function optimally in
winter. These tires have been developed specif-
ically for driving in snow.
Use M+S tires of the same make and tread on all wheels to maintain safe handling characteris-
tics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
When you have mounted the M+S tires:
X Check the tire pressures (Y page 260).
X Restart the tire pressure monitor
(Y page 265). Snow chains
G
WARNING
If snow chains are mounted on the rear
wheels, the snow chains could cause abrasion Winter operation
259Wheels and tires
Z

to the vehicle body or to chassis components.
This could cause damage to the vehicle or the tires. There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never mount snow chains on the rear
wheels
R only mount snow chains in pairs on the
front wheels.
! On some tire sizes there is not enough space
for snow chains. To avoid damage to the vehi-
cle or tires, observe the "Wheel and tire com- binations" section under "Tires and wheels".
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have been specially approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist workshop.
If you intend to mount snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R Snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible wheel-
tire combinations (Y page 279).
R Only use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to a road that is not snow-covered.
R Local regulations may restrict the use of snow
chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if
you wish to mount snow chains.
R Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
R Do not use Parking Pilot when snow chains
are installed (Y page 142).
You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 62)
when pulling away with snow chains installed .
You can thereby allow the wheels to spin in a
controlled manner, achieving an increased driv- ing force (cutting action). 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 steer-
ing 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 includ-
ing 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.
i The data on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard and tire pressure table shown
here are examples. Tire pressure specifica-
tions are vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data shown here. The tire pressure
specifications that are valid for your vehicle
can be found on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard and tire pressure table on the
vehicle.
General notes The recommended tire pressures for the tires
mounted at the factory can be found on the
labels described here.
Further information on tire pressures can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop. 260
Tire pressureWheels and tires

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