tow MERCEDES-BENZ GL 2012 Owners Manual

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.
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
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 353).Loading the vehicle351Wheels and tiresZ

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 353).
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 (Y page 349).
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 between
8% and 15% of the gross weight of the trailer
and its cargo.
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.
i The actual values for tires are specific to
each vehicle and may deviate from the
values in the illustration.
Maximum load rating353Wheels and tiresZ

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.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the
tires and the road surface.
TWR (Tongue Weight Rating)
The TWR specifies the maximum permissible
weight that the ball coupling of the trailer tow
hitch can support.
Definition of terms for tires and loading361Wheels and tiresZ