weight MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 2012 Owner's Manual

engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away, make sure that the
steering can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.GWARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may only tow the vehicle a maximum
distance of 30 miles (50 km). A towing
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be
exceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles
(50 km), the vehicle must loaded onto a
transporter.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to position P when
the driver's or front-passenger door are
opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
The automatic transmission must be in
position N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
the ignition lock
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 80). You
could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit ( Y page 294).GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers.
Example: towing eye covers
Towing and tow-starting307Breakdown assistanceZ

When you restart the tire pressure monitor,
all existing warning messages are deleted and
the warning lamps go out. The monitor uses
the currently set tire pressures as the
reference values for monitoring.
The tire pressure monitor must be restarted
when you set the tire pressure to a new value
(as a result of changed drive or load
characteristics, for example). The tire
pressure monitor then monitors the new tire
pressure values.
i Canada only: in most cases, the tire
pressure monitor recognizes the new
reference values automatically. However,
you can also define reference values
manually as described here.
Restart the tire pressure monitor after you
have set the tire pressure to the value
recommended for the desired driving
situation ( Y page 317). Only correct tire
pressures on cold tires. Comply with the
recommended tire pressures on the Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side. Additional tire pressure
values for driving at high speeds or with heavy
loads can be found in the tire pressure table
on the inside of the fuel filler flap.XMake sure that the tire pressure is correct
on all four wheels.XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Serv. menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Tire Pressure .XPress the a button.
The multifunction display shows the
current tire pressure of the individual tires
or the Tire pressures will be
displayed after driving a few
minutes message.XPress the : button.
The Use Current Pressures as New
Reference Values message appears in
the multifunction display.If you wish to confirm the restart:XPress the a button.
The Tire Press. Monitor Restarted
message appears in the multifunction
display.
After driving for a few minutes, the system
checks whether the current tire pressures
are within the specified range. The new tire
pressures are then accepted as reference
values and monitored.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
XPress the % button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Loading the vehicle
Instruction labels for tires and loads
GWARNING
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
driver's door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also result
in handling or steering problems, or brake
failure.
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1)The Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The
Tire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum permissible number
of occupants and the maximum
permissible vehicle load. It also contains
details of the tire sizes and
corresponding pressures for tires
mounted at the factory.(2)The vehicle identification plate is on the
B-pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle
identification plate informs you of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
of the vehicle weight, all vehicleLoading the vehicle325Wheels and tiresZ

occupants, the fuel and the cargo. You
can also find information about the
maximum gross axle weight rating on the
front and rear axle.
The maximum gross axle weight rating is
the maximum weight that can be carried
by one axle (front or rear axle). Never
exceed the maximum load or the
maximum gross axle weight rating for the
front or rear axle.:B-pillar, driver's side
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
i The specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the
illustration are examples. The maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight rating is
vehicle-specific and may differ from that in
the illustration. You can find the valid
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight
rating for your vehicle on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
XThe Tire and Loading Information placard
gives you details on maximum permissible
gross vehicle weight rating :: "The gross
weight of occupants and luggage must
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX
pounds."
The gross weight of all vehicle occupants,
cargo, luggage and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the specified
value.
Number of seats
i The specifications shown on the Tire and
Loading Information placard in the
illustration are examples. The number of
seats is vehicle-specific and can differ from
the details shown. The number of seats in
your vehicle can be found on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
Maximum number of seats : determines the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Steps for determining the correct load
limit
Step-by-step instructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
326Loading the vehicleWheels and tires

pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".XStep 1: Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on
your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard.XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX lbs.XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs and there will be five
150 lbs passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs).X Step 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.XStep 6 (if applicable): If your vehicle will
be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle ( Y page 329).Loading the vehicle327Wheels and tiresZ

Example: step 1 to 3
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with
varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use
a cargo limit of 1500 lbs (680 kg). This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you are
using the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on the vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard ( Y page 326).
Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 1Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo (data from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 2Number of people in
the vehicle (driver
and occupants)531Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1Weight of the
occupantsOccupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg)
Occupant 2:
180 lbs (82 kg)
Occupant 3:
160 lbs (73 kg)
Occupant 4:
140 lbs (63 kg)
Occupant 5:
120 lbs (54 kg)Occupant 1:
200 lbs (91 kg)
Occupant 2:
190 lbs (86 kg)
Occupant 3:
150 lbs (68 kg)Occupant 1:
150 lbs (68 kg)Gross weight of all
occupants750 lbs (340 kg)540 lbs (245 kg)150 lbs (68 kg)328Loading the vehicleWheels and tires

Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 3Permissible cargo
and trailer load/
noseweight
(maximum gross
vehicle weight rating
from the Tire and
Loading Information
placard minus the
gross weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
750 lbs (340 kg)
= 750 lbs
(340 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
540 lbs (245 kg)
= 960 lbs
(435 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg) -
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs
(612 kg)
The higher the weight of all the occupants, the smaller the maximum load for luggage.
Further information can be found under "Towing a trailer" ( Y page 329).
Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total load
carefully, you should still make sure that the
gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle
weight rating are not exceeded. Details can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
( Y page 325).
Gross vehicle weight: the gross weight of
the vehicle, all passengers, cargo and trailer
load/noseweight (if applicable) must not
exceed the permissible gross vehicle weight.
Gross axle weight rating: the maximum
permissible load 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, occupants, cargo, and full
trailer load if applicable) weighed on a
suitable vehicle weighbridge.
Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached,
the trailer load/noseweight is included in the
load along with occupants and luggage. The
trailer load/noseweight is usually
approximately 10% of the gross weight of the
trailer and its load.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
luggage. Mercedes-Benz does not
recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Maximum load rating
GWARNING
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
driver's door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also result
in handling or steering problems, or brake
failure.
Maximum load rating329Wheels and tiresZ

iThe actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the
values in the illustration.
Maximum tire load : is the maximum
permitted weight for which the tire is
approved.
Further information on tire loads
( Y page 331).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading
Standards
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a U.S.
Government requirement. Their purpose is to
provide drivers with consistent and reliable
information regarding tire performance. Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires
using three performance factors: tread
wear :, tire traction ;, and temperature
resistance =. Although not a Government of
Canada requirement, all tires made for sale in
North America have these grades branded on
the sidewall.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Where applicable, the tire grading
information can be found on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and maximum
tire width.
For example:Tread wearTractionTemperature200AAA
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear 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 climate conditions.
Traction
GWARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
330Uniform Tire Quality Grading StandardsWheels and tires

have a code with two symbols. Retreaded
tires have a code with four symbols.
Further information about retreaded tires
( Y page 314).
Tire size: identifier = describes the tire size.
Tire type code: tire type code ? can be
used by the manufacturer as a code to
describe specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufacture
A provides information about the age of a
tire. The first and second positions represent
the week of manufacture, starting with "01"
for the first calendar week. Positions three
and four represent the year of manufacture.
For example, a tire that is marked with
"3208", was manufactured in week 32 in
2008.
Tire characteristics
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
This information describes the tire cord and
the number of layers in sidewall : and under
the tread ;.
Definition of terms for tires and
loading
Tire ply composition and material
used
Describes the number of plies or the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Bar
Metric unit for tire pressure. There are
14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) to
1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa) to
1 bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT marked tires fulfill the requirements of
the United States Department of
Transportation.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is
designed to seat, multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lbs).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
A uniform standard to grade the quality of
tires with regards to tread quality, tire traction
and temperature characteristics. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
are molded into the sidewall of the tire.
Recommended tire pressure
The recommended tire pressure for your
vehicle under normal driving conditions. You
will find the recommendation on the Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side of your vehicle. The
recommended tire pressure provides the best
balance between handling characteristics,
ride comfort and wear. Supplemental
information pertaining to special driving
situations can be found on the tire inflation
Definition of terms for tires and loading335Wheels and tiresZ

pressure label on the inside of the fuel filler
flap.
Increased vehicle weight due to
optional equipment
This is the combined weight of all standard
and optional equipment available for the
vehicle, regardless of whether it is actually
installed on the vehicle or not.
Rim
This is the part of the wheel on which the tire
is mounted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible axle
weight. The actual load on an axle must never
exceed the gross axle weight rating. The
gross axle weight rating can be found on the
vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on
the driver's side.
Tire speed rating
The tire speed rating is part of the tire
identification. It specifies the speed range for
which the tire is approved.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight comprises the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools, the
spare wheel, accessories installed,
occupants, luggage and the drawbar
noseweight if applicable. The gross vehicle
weight must not exceed the gross vehicle
weight rating GVWR as specified on the
vehicle identification plate on the B pillar on
the driver's side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible gross
weight of a fully loaded vehicle (the weight of
the vehicle including all accessories,
occupants, fuel, luggage and the drawbar
noseweight if applicable). The gross vehicle
weight rating is specified on the vehicle
identification plate on the B-pillar on the
driver's side.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is the sum of the curb
weight of the vehicle, the weight of the
accessories, the total load limit and the
weight of the optional equipment installed at
the factory.
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa is the
equivalent of 1 psi. Another unit for tire
pressure is bar. There are 100 kilopascals
(kPa) to 1 bar.
Load index
In addition to the load bearing index, the load
index may also be imprinted on the sidewall
of the tire. This specifies the load bearing
capacity more precisely.
Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant. It also includes the air-
conditioning system and optional equipment
if these are installed in the vehicle, but does
not include passengers or luggage.
336Definition of terms for tires and loadingWheels and tires

Maximum load rating
The maximum load rating in kilograms or
pounds is the maximum weight for which a
tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one
tire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividing the maximum axle load of one axle
by two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to each square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal
(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should only
be corrected when the tires are cold. For this,
the vehicle must have been stationary for at
least three hours or not have traveled more
than 1.6 km (1 mile) in this time.
Tire pressure of cold tires
Tire pressure when the vehicle has been
stationary for at least three hours or not have
traveled more than 1.6 km (1 mile) in this
time.
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on the wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
part and more than 2.3 kilograms (5 lbs).
These optional extras, such as high-
performance brakes, level control, a roof rack
or a high-performance battery, are not
included in the curb weight and accessory
weight.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used
by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is made up of the
manufacturer's identity code, tire size, tire
type code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a
code that contains the maximum load bearing
capacity of a tire.
Definition of terms for tires and loading337Wheels and tiresZ