tire size MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2017 User Guide

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", and the 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 M snowflake 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 130 mph
(210 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 367). 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 C may also be imprinted on the sidewall
of the tire. You will find this after the letter that
identifies the speed rating ( Y
page 357).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
Maximum tire load C is the maximum permis-
sible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissible1
Or M+S M for winter tires. All about wheels and tires 359
Wheels and tires Z

load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side ( Y
page 353).
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) US tire regulations stipulate that every tire man-
ufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN in or on
the sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identification number. The
TIN enables the tire manufacturers or retreaders
to inform purchasers of recalls and other safety-
relevant matters. It makes it possible for the
purchaser to easily identify the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identifica-
tion code D , tire size

Tire pressure This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-
ward force to each square inch of the tire's sur-
face. 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.
Cold tire pressure The tires are cold: R
if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight 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 5 lbs (2.3 kg). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-
formance 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 ti re manufacturer to identify tires, for example
fo r a product recall, and thus identify the pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er'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 capa-
city of a tire. Traction Traction is the result of friction between the tires
and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of

Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
( Y
page 363).
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.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can rotate the wheels accord-
ing to the intervals in the tire manufacturer's
warranty book in your vehicle documents. If no
warranty book is available, the tires should be
rotate every 3,000 to 6,000 mile s (5,00 0 to
10,000 km). Earlier may be necessary, depend-
ing on the degree of tire wear. 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 rota-
ted. Check the tire pressure and, if necessary,
restart the tire pressure loss warning system
( Y
page 352) or the tire pressure monitor
( Y
page 351).
Direction of rotation Tires with a specified direction of rotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro-
planing. These advantages can only be gained if
the tires are installed corresponding to the
direction of rotation.
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.
Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground. X
Apply the electric parking brake manually. X
Bring the front wheels into the straight-ahead
position. X
Shift the transmission to position P . X
Make sure that the vehicle level is set to "Nor-
mal" for AIRMATIC ( Y
page 182) or Active
Body Control (ABC) ( Y
page 180).X
Switch off the engine. X
Open the driver's door.
The vehicle electronics now have status 0 .
This is the same as the SmartKey having been
removed. X
Remove Start/Stop button from ignition lock
( Y
page 145).
or, if the SmartKey is inserted in the ignition
lock: X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Make sure that the engine cannot be started
via your smartphone ( Y
page 147).X
If included in the vehicle equipment, remove
the tire-change tool kit from the vehicle. X
Safeguard the vehicle against 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 327).
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 C .X
Fold out lower plate D .X
Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into the
openings in base plate

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 fuel filler flap
Observe the notes on recommended tire pres-
sures under various operating conditions
( Y
page 346).
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 tires at a given time
(summer tires, winter tires, MOExtended
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 328).
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.368
Wheel-tire combination
Wheels and tires