MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-CLASS SUV 2013 Owners Manual

Tire characteristics
i
Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in
sidewall 0043 and under tire tread 0044. 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.
14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) and 100 kilopascals (kPa) are the equivalent of
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 for which the
vehicle is designed 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 applies to
the tires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard
contains the recommended tire pressures

for
cold tires on a fully loaded vehicle and for the
maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the
recommended pressures for cold tires for
various operating conditions, i.e. differing
load and speed conditions. 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. Definition of terms for tires and loading
349
Wheels and tires Z

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum
gross axle weight
rating. 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. Speed rating
The speed rating is part of the tire
identification. It specifies the speed

range for
which the tire is approved. GTW (Gross Trailer Weight)
The GTW is the weight of a trailer including
the weight of the load, luggage, accessories
etc. on the trailer. GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes 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
corresponds to 1 psi. Another unit for tire
pressure is bar. 100 kilopascals

(kPa) are the
equivalent of 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. 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. 350
Definition of terms for tires and loading
Wheels and tires

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. Tire pressure of cold tires
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked without
direct sunlight on the tires

for at least three
hours and
R if the vehicle has not been driven further
than 1 mile (1.6 km) 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
parts and more than 2.3 kg (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 the weight of the
accessories. 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 loading
351
Wheels and tires Z

Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are
distributed over the tire tread.
If the tire tread
is level with the bars, the wear limit of 00CD in
(1.6 mm) has been reached. Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions. Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(150 lbs)
multiplied by

the number of seats in
the vehicle. Changing a wheel
Flat tire
You can find
information on

what to do in the
event of a flat tire in the "Flat tire" section
(Y page 312).
Information on driving with MOExtended tires
in the event of a flat tire can be found under
"MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
characteristics" (Y page 313). Rotating the wheels
G
WARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have

different dimensions.
The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of
accident.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels
and tires are of the same dimensions.
! On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are
located in the wheel. Tire-mounting tools should not be used
near the valve. This could damage the
electronic components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
(Y page 353).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating

conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear wear pattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires
in the center.
If your vehicle's tire configuration allows, you
can rotate the wheels according to the
intervals in the tire manufacturer's warranty
book in your vehicle documents. If no
warranty book is available, the tires should be
rotated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to
10,000 km), or earlier if tire wear requires. Do
not change the direction of wheel rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is rotated. Check the tire pressures.
Information on changing tires and mounting
the spare wheel ( Y page 352). Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if

there is a risk
of hydroplaning. You will only gain these
benefits if the correct direction of rotation is
maintained.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates
its correct direction of rotation. Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not

being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tires from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel. 352
Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires

Cleaning the wheels
G
WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior
damage
to the tires or chassis components.
Components damaged in this way may fail
unexpectedly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced
immediately. Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
X Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 160).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 141).
X If included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away. Securing the vehicle to prevent it
from rolling away
If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock,
it can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(Y page 312).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
safety measure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel.
X
Fold both plates upwards 0043.
X Fold out lower plate 0044.
X Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate 0087. Securing the vehicle on level ground
X
On level ground: place chocks or other
suitable items under the front and rear of
the wheel that is diagonally opposite the
wheel you wish to change. Mounting a wheel
353
Wheels and tires Z

Securing the vehicle on slight downhill gradients
X
On light downhill gradients: place
chocks or other suitable items in front of
the wheels of the front and rear axle. Raising the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the
appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate
jacking point of the vehicle. The base of the
jack must be positioned vertically, directly
under the jacking point of the vehicle.
The following must be observed
when raising
the vehicle:
R to raise the vehicle, only use the vehicle-
specific jack that has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. If used
incorrectly, the jack could tip over with the
vehicle raised.
R the jack is designed only to raise and hold
the vehicle for a short time while a wheel
is being changed. It is not suited for
performing maintenance work under the
vehicle.
R avoid changing the wheel on uphill and
downhill slopes.
R before raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and inserting wheel chocks. Never disengage the parking brake while the
vehicle is raised.
R the jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a
large, load-bearing underlay
must be

used.
On a slippery surface, a non-slip underlay
must be used, e.g. rubber mats.
R do not use wooden blocks or similar
objects as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the
jack will not be able to achieve its load-
bearing capacity due to the restricted
height.
R make sure that the distance between the
underside of the tires and the ground does
not exceed 1.2 inches (3 cm).
R never place your hands and feet under the
raised vehicle.
R never lie under the raised vehicle.
R never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
R never open or close a door or the tailgate
when the vehicle is raised.
R make sure that no persons are present in
the vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
! The jack is designed exclusively for
jacking up the vehicle at the jacking points.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged. 354
Mounting a wheel
Wheels and tires

X
Using lug wrench 0043, loosen the bolts on
the wheel you wish to
change by about one
full turn. Do not unscrew the bolts
completely. The jacking points are located just behind the
wheel housings of the front wheels and just
in front of the wheel housings of the rear
wheels (arrows).
X
Take the ratchet wrench out of the vehicle
tool kit and place it on the hexagon nut of
the jack so that the

letters AUF are visible. X
Position jack 0087 at jacking point 0044. X
Turn ratchet wrench 0085 until jack 0087 sits
completely on jacking point 0044 and the
base of the jack lies evenly on the ground.
X Turn ratchet wrench 0085 until the tire is
raised a maximum of 1.2

in (3 cm) from the
ground. Removing a wheel
! Do not place wheel bolts in sand or on a
dirty surface. The bolt and wheel hub
threads could otherwise be damaged

when
you screw them in.
X Unscrew the wheel bolts.
X Remove the wheel. Mounting a new wheel
G
WARNING
Oiled or greased wheel bolts or damaged
wheel bolts/hub threads can cause

the wheel Mounting a wheel
355
Wheels and tires
Z

bolts to come loose. As a result, you could
lose a wheel while driving. There is a risk of
accident.
Never oil or grease wheel bolts. In the event
of damage to the
threads,
contact a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. Have the
damaged wheel bolts or hub threads
replaced/renewed. Do not continue driving. G
WARNING
If you tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is raised, the jack could tip
over. There is a risk of injury.
Only tighten the wheel bolts or wheel nuts
when the vehicle is on the ground.
Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section ( Y page 352).
Only use wheel bolts that

have been designed
for the wheel and the vehicle. For safety
reasons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you only use wheel bolts which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the
respective wheel. 0043
Wheel bolts for all wheels supplied by the
factory
0044 Wheel bolts for the collapsible spare
wheel
! Always use wheel bolts 0044 to mount the
collapsible spare wheel. Using other

wheel
bolts to mount the collapsible spare wheel
could damage the brake system. Be sure to use the original-length wheel bolts
when re-mounting the original wheel after it
has been repaired.
!
To prevent damage to
the

paintwork, hold
the wheel securely against the wheel hub
while screwing in the first wheel bolt. X
Clean the wheel and wheel hub contact
surfaces.
X Place the new wheel on the wheel hub and
push it on.
X Tighten the wheel bolts until they are
finger-tight.
X Inflate the collapsible spare wheel
(Y page 360).
Only then lower the vehicle. Lowering the vehicle
G
WARNING
The wheels could work loose if the wheel nuts
and bolts are not tightened to the specified
tightening torque. There is a risk of accident.
Have the tightening torque immediately
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a wheel is changed.
! Inflate the collapsible spare wheel using
the tire inflation compressor before
lowering the vehicle. The wheel rim could
otherwise be damaged. 356
Mounting a wheel
Wheels and tires

X
Place the ratchet wrench onto the hexagon
nut of the jack so that the letters AB are
visible.
X Turn the ratchet wrench until the vehicle is
once again standing firmly on the ground.
X Place the jack to one side.
X Tighten the wheel bolts evenly in a
crosswise pattern in the sequence
indicated ( 0043 to 0083). The tightening
torque
must be 110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
X Turn the jack back to its initial position and
store it together with the rest of the tire-
change tool kit in the cargo compartment.
X Transport the faulty wheel in the cargo
compartment.
X Check the tire pressure of the newly
mounted wheel and adjust it if necessary.
Observe the recommended tire pressure
(Y page 331).
For further information on stowing the
collapsible spare wheel, see (Y page 361).
i Vehicles with tire pressure monitor: all
wheels mounted must be equipped with
functioning sensors. Wheel and tire combinations
General notes
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use tires and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your
vehicle. These tires have been specially adapted for
use with the control systems, such as ABS
or ESP
®
, and are marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires featuring run-flat characteristics)
R MO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original (only
certain AMG tires)
Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tires
may

only be used on wheels that have been
specifically approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Only use tires, wheels or accessories
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Certain characteristics, e.g. handling,
vehicle noise emissions or fuel
consumption, may otherwise 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 vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz accepts no liability for
damage 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
qualified specialist workshop.
! Retreaded tires are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, since
previous 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.
i The recommended pressures for various
operating conditions can be found:
R on the Tire and Loading Information
placard with the recommended tire
pressures on the B-pillar on the driver's
side
R in the tire pressure table on the inside of
the fuel filler flap Wheel and tire combinations
357
Wheels and tires Z

Observe the notes on recommended tire
pressures under various operating
conditions (
Y page 331).
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.
i Notes on the vehicle equipment
– always
equip the vehicle with:
R tires of the same size on a given axle
(left/right)
R the same type of tires at a given time
(summer tires, winter tires, MOExtended
tires)
i On the following pages, you can find
information on approved wheel rims and
tire sizes for equipping your vehicle with
winter tires. Winter tires are not available
at the factory as standard equipment or
optional extras.
If you would like to equip your vehicle with
approved winter tires, you may also, in
certain circumstances, require rims of the
appropriate size. The size of the approved
winter tires may deviate from that of the
standard tires. This is dependent on the
model and the equipment installed at the
factory.
The tires and wheel rims, as well as further
information, can be obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop.
i Overview of abbreviations used in the
following tire tables:
R BA: both axles
R FA: front axle
R RA: rear axle In the following table, the wheel/tire
combinations are assigned to the vehicle
models through variants, e.g. V1, V2 etc.: V1
GLK 250 BlueTEC, GLK 350
17
,
GLK 350 4MATIC 17 i
Not all wheel and tire combinations are
available at the factory for all countries.
17 BlueEFFICIENCY358
Wheel and tire combinations
Wheels and tires