Changing A Wheel; Direction Of Rotation - Mercedes-Benz SL SERIES Operator's Manual

Tire-mounting tools should not be used
near the valve. This could damage the elec-
tronic components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes when changing a wheel
( page 589).
Y
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
according to the intervals in the tire manu-
facturer's warranty book in your vehicle docu-
ments. If no warranty book is available, the
tires should be rotated every 3,000 to
6,000 miles (5,000 to 10,000 km). Depending
on tire wear, this may be required earlier. 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 pressure and, if nec-
essary, restart the tire pressure loss warning
system.

Direction of rotation

Tires with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of hydroplaning. These advantages can only
be gained if the tires are installed correspond-
ing 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.

Changing a wheel

Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
X
level ground.
Unload the vehicle. The jack can only be
X
used when the vehicle is unladen.
Apply the electric parking brake manually.
X
Bring the front wheels into the straight-
X
ahead position.
Shift the transmission to position P.
X
Switch off the engine.
X
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
X
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
X
driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
X
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
( page 152).
Y
If included in the vehicle equipment,
X
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle.
Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away.
X
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
( page 550).
Y
589
Z