Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2012 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 354)

(100 km) as they only reach their full
performance after this distance.
R Do not use tires that are excessively worn
as the tire traction on wet road surfaces
decreases significantly when the tread
depth is less than 1 /
8
inch (3 mm).
R Replace the tires after six years at the
latest, regardless of wear. This also applies
to the spare wheel/emergency spare
wheel.
The service life of tires depends on the
following factors amongst other things:
R driving style
R tire pressure
R mileage
MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) allow you to continue driving your
vehicle even if one or more tires are entirely
deflated.
MOExtended tires may be used only in
conjunction with the activated tire pressure
loss warning system or the activated tire
pressure monitoring system and only on
wheels specifically tested by Mercedes-Benz.
You will find notes on driving with
MOExtended tires in the "Breakdown
assistance" section (
Y
page 338).
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 (
Y
page 374).
Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), 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 ‡ (+7 †), use
winter tires or all-season tires. Both types of
tire are identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the i 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.
G 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:
X
Check the tire pressures (
Y
page 357).
X
Restart the tire pressure loss warning
system (
Y
page 357).
G 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
352
Winter operation
Wheels
and
tires