Winter operation

Please bear the following in mind

At the onset of winter, have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at an authorized Mercedes- Benz Center.

Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel" section.

Driving with summer tires

At temperatures below 45 °F (+7 °C), the elasticity of summer tires and therefore also traction and braking capability are reduced considerably — equip your vehicle with M+S tires. Using summer tires at very cold temperatures could cause tears to form, thereby damaging the tires permanently.

Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for this type of damage.

M+S tires

At temperatures below 45 °F (+7 °C), use winter tires or all-season tires. Both types of tire are identified by the M+S marking.

Only winter tires bearing the
snowflake 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, as these tires have been designed specifically for driving on snow.

Use M+S tires of the same make and tread on all wheels to maintain safe handling characteristics.

WARNING
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6 inch (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no longer suitable for winter operation.

Always observe the maximum permissible speed specified for the M+S tires you have mounted.

Once you have mounted the winter tires: – Check the tire pressures.

– Restart the tire pressure loss warning system.

WARNING
If you mount the spare wheel when driving with M+S tires, bear in mind that driving stability will be impaired due to unstable cornering characteristics caused by the different tire characteristics. Adapt your style of driving accordingly.

Have the spare wheel replaced by a normal wheel with an M+S tire at the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center.

Snow chains

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recommends 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.

Vehicles with the Adaptive Damping System (ADS): do not drive in ADS SPORT mode if snow chains have been mounted.

The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.

There is not enough space for snow chains on some wheel sizes. Observe the information under "Tires and wheels" in the "Technical Data" section to avoid damage to the vehicle or the wheels.

- only use snow chains when driving on roads completely covered by snow. Do not exceed the maximum permissible speed of 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove the snow chains as soon as possible when you are no longer driving on snow-covered roads.

- local regulations may restrict the use of snow chains. Applicable regulations must be observed if you wish to mount snow chains.

- snow chains must not be mounted on emergency spare wheels.

If you intend to mount snow chains, please bear the following points in mind: - you may not attach snow chains to all wheel-tire combinations; see the information under "Wheel and tire combinations" in the "Wheels and tires" section.

- mount snow chains only in pairs and only on the rear wheels. Observe the manufacturer's installation instructions.

If snow chains are mounted on the front wheels, the snow chains could grind against the bodywork or components of the chassis. This could result in damage to the vehicle or the tires.

Vehicles with steel wheels: if you wish to mount snow chains on steel wheels, make sure that you remove the respective wheels' hubcaps first. The hubcaps may otherwise be damaged.

You may wish to deactivate ESP® when pulling away with snow chains mounted. This way you can allow the wheels to spin in a controlled manner, achieving an increased driving force (cutting action).