Under the microscope: Getting home safely with a flat tyre

The B-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to do without a spare wheel well. This saves space and weight – the latter contributing to efficiency. In western and central Europe, all versions come as standard with the TIREFIT system comprising tyre sealant and an electric pump as well as a tyre pressure loss warning system which displays a warning in the instrument cluster in the event of a marked pressure loss.

Input variables for the system are the speeds of the four wheels, which are recorded by the ABS sensors. A relative comparison of all measured wheel speeds reveals the divergent speed of a wheel in the event of a pressure loss in the tyre. As wheel speeds are also influenced by other dynamic variables, such as tyre slip, slip angle or cornering, the sensor signals from driving assistance systems such as ESP® and ADAPTIVE BRAKE (including ABS and ASR) also receive due consideration in assessing the wheel speeds.