Checking tire inflation pressure. Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG, 2005 SL-Class, 2000 SL 500, SL 600, SL 55 AMG, SL Class 2005, SL-Class, SL 500

Operation

Tires and wheels

Checking tire inflation pressure

Regularly check your tire inflation pressure at least once a month.

Check and adjust the tire inflation pressure when the tires are cold. The tires can be considered cold if the vehicle has been parked for at least three hours or driven less than one mile (1.6 km).

If you check the tire inflation pressure when the tires are warm (the vehicle has been driven for several miles or sitting less than three hours), the reading will be approximately 4 psi (0.3 bar) higher than the cold reading. This is normal. Do not let air out to match the specified cold tire inflation pressure. Otherwise, the tire will be underinflated.

Checking tire inflation pressure manually

Follow the steps below to achieve correct tire inflation pressure:

왘 Remove the cap from the valve on one tire.

왘 Firmly press a tire gauge onto the valve.

왘 Read tire inflation pressure on tire gauge and check against the recommended tire inflation pressure on the placard on the driver’s door B-pillar

( 컄 page 288). If necessary, add air to achieve the recommended tire inflation pressure.

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If you have overfilled the tire, release tire inflation pressure by pushing the metal stem of the valve with e.g. a tip of a pen. Then recheck the tire inflation pressure with the tire gauge.

왘

왘

Install the valve cap.

Repeat this procedure for each tire.

Checking tire inflation pressure electronically

The tire inflation pressure monitor only functions on wheels that are equipped with the proper electronic sensors. It monitors the tire inflation pressure, as selected by the driver, in all four tires. A warning is issued to alert you to a decrease in tire inflation pressure in one or more of the tires.

You can call up the tire inflation pressure monitoring display using the control system ( 컄 page 156).

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Operation

Tires and wheels i

After you have reactivated the tire inflation pressure monitor, the current tire inflation pressures will only be shown after a few minutes driving time.

During this time, you will see the following message in the display:

Tire pressure displayed only after driving a few minutes

왘

왘

Press button

è or ÿ on the multifunction steering wheel repeatedly until the standard display menu appears in the multifunction display

( 컄 page 134).

Press button j or k repeatedly until the current tire inflation pressures for each tire appear in the multifunction display.

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Possible differences between the readings of a tire inflation pressure gauge of an air hose, e.g. gas station equipment, and the vehicle’s control system can occur. The readings issued by the control system are more precise.

왘 Switch on the ignition ( 컄 page 36).

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You can select the unit of measure

(Bar/Psi) used for the tire inflation pressure by changing the setting in the control system ( 컄 page 156).

Warning!

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When the tire inflation pressure monitoring system warning light is lit, one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. You should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper tire inflation pressure as indicated on the vehicle’s tire information placard. Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.

Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability. Each tire, including the spare, should be checked monthly when cold and set to the recommended tire inflation pressure as specified in the vehicle placard and owner’s manual.

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Operation

Tires and wheels i

The recommended tire inflation pressures for your vehicle can be found on the tire placard located on the driver’s door B-pillar. The tire inflation pressures are not listed in the owner’s manual.

Warning!

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The tire inflation pressure monitor does not indicate a warning for wrongly selected tire inflation pressures. Always adjust tire inflation pressure according to the placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or, if available, the inside of the fuel filler flap.

The tire inflation pressure monitor is not able to issue a warning due to a sudden dramatic loss of tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In this case bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully applying the brakes and avoiding abrupt steering maneuvers.

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Operating radio transmission equipment (e.g. wireless headsets, two-way radios) in or near the vehicle could cause the tire inflation pressure monitor to malfunction.

Warning!

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Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.

Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires can result in sudden deflation (blowout) because they are more likely to become punctured or damaged by road debris, potholes, etc.

Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires wear unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail from being overheated.

Do not overload the tires by exceeding the specified load limit or vehicle capacity weight as indicated on the placard on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires can overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.

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Operation

Tires and wheels

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앫

Reactivating the tire inflation pressure monitor

The tire inflation pressure monitor must be reactivated in the following situations:

앫 If you have changed the tire inflation pressure

If you have replaced the wheels or tires

If you have installed new wheels or tires

왘

왘

Using the tire placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or, if available, the inside of the fuel filler flap, make sure the tire inflation pressure of all four tires is correct.

Press button j or k repeatedly until you see the current tire inflation pressures for each tire appear in the multifunction display or the following message appears in the multifunction display:

Tire pressure displayed only after driving a few minutes i

If you are transporting a deflated tire in the vehicle, do not activate the tire inflation pressure monitor until

앫

앫 the deflated tire is no longer in the vehicle you have inflated the tire to the correct tire inflation pressure

왘 Press the reset button on the instrument cluster ( 컄 page 24).

The following message will appear in the multifunction display:

Monitor current tire pressure?

왘 Press the

æ button.

The following message will appear in the multifunction display:

Tire pres. monitor reactivated

The tire inflation pressure monitor will now monitor the tire inflation pressure values of all four tires.

The following message will appear in the multifunction display field:

Tire pressure displayed only after driving a few minutes

This display appears until the individual tire inflation pressure values are matched with the tires. The individual values are then displayed

( 컄 page 291).

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Operation

Tires and wheels

If you wish to cancel activation:

왘 Press the

ç button.

If one of the following messages appears in the multifunction display:

앫 Reactivate tire pressure monitor after rectifying pressure

앫

왘

Tire pressure

Please rectify

Check the tire inflation pressures and correct them if necessary.

왘 Reactivate the tire inflation pressure monitor.

Potential problems associated with underinflated and overinflated tires

앫

앫

앫

Underinflated tire inflation pressure

Underinflated tires can: cause excessive and uneven tire wear adversely affect fuel economy

앫 lead to tire failure from being overheated adversely affect handling characteristics

Warning!

G

Follow recommended tire inflation pressures.

Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires wear excessively and/or unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail from being overheated.

앫

앫

앫

앫

Overinflated tire inflation pressure

Overinflated tires can:

앫 adversely affect handling characteristics cause uneven tire wear be more prone to damage from road hazards adversely affect ride comfort increase stopping distance

Warning!

G

Follow recommended tire inflation pressures.

Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires can adversely affect handling and ride comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping distance, and result in sudden deflation

(blowout) because they are more likely to become punctured or damaged by road debris, potholes etc.

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