Wheels
Information on snow chains
Information on low-profile tyres
Snow chains will improve braking ability as well
as traction in winter conditions (snow and ice).
Low-profile tyres have a lower sidewall and pro-
vide a wider tread surface and rim diameter than
other wheel and tyre combinations. This makes
the car's handling more agile. However, the ride
may be less comfortable on poor-quality roads
and tracks, and rolling noise may be louder.
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Snow chains can be used on the front wheels
only.
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Check that the snow chains are correctly seated
after driving for a few yards; follow the instruc-
tions given by the manufacturer.
Low-profile tyres can be damaged more quickly
than standard tyres, for example by heavy jolts,
potholes, manhole covers and kerbs. It is there-
fore particularly important to ensure that they
are inflated to the correct pressure ðpage 252.
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Keep your speed below 50 km/h. Please ob-
serve the applicable local regulations.
For technical reasons, snow chains may only be
used on tyres with certain wheel rim/tyre combi-
nations (depending on model version):
Drive with particular care on poor-quality roads
to ensure that you do not damage the rims and
tyres.
Rim size
7.5Jx17
8Jx18
Rim offset
36 mm
Tyre size
225/60
225/55
245/45
Make sure to check your wheels regularly (every
3000 km) for damage such as blisters/tears on
the tyre sidewalls or deformations/cracks on the
rims.
39 mm
8Jx19
39 mm
Only use snow chains with fine-pitch links. The
links must not protrude more than 9 mm from
the tyres (including tensioner).
After a heavy jolt, or if any damage occurs, you
should have the rims and tyres checked and if
necessary replaced by a qualified workshop.
When driving with snow chains, it may help to re-
Tyre wear occurs more quickly on low-profile
tyres than on standard tyres.
strict the ESC ðpage 116.
You must remove the snow chains on roads which
are free of snow; otherwise the vehicle’s handling
may be impaired and the tyres may be damaged.
Loose wheel warning
Introduction
WARNING
Within the limits of the system, the loose wheel
warning in the instrument cluster warns you if
one or more of the wheels is no longer properly
secured. The system makes use of the ABS sen-
sors to compare the vibration of the individual
wheels. If the system detects one or more loose
wheels, the driver is alerted by a warning lamp
and a message in the instrument cluster. If
only one wheel is affected, the display will indi-
cate its position.
Unsuitable or incorrectly mounted snow
chains can cause you to lose control of the ve-
hicle – risk of accident!
CAUTION
– Snow chains can damage the rim/hubcap if
they make direct contact with it. Remove
the hubcaps beforehand. Use snow chains
which have a protective coating.
– If there is a malfunction in the air suspen-
sion, you must NOT drive with snow chains
as the vehicle is extremely low on the road.
Driving with snow chains could cause severe
damage to the wheel housings and other
parts of the vehicle.
Please note that the loose wheel warning may
fail if there is an ESC fault. When driving with
snow chains, the warning may be triggered erro-
neously or a system malfunction may occur.
254