"Mercedes-Benz C Class 4matic: Tires Replace"

Mercedes-Benz C Class 4matic

Is it true that all four tires must be replaced when replacing tires on a Mercedes Benz C-class 4matic? If so, why?

Answer: The Mercedes-Benz 4matic system is a simple viscous transfer case that uses a fluid to manage differences in axle rotation between front and rear wheels. This fluid thickens and heats up when either axle spins faster, sending more power to the front wheels. This speed difference can be caused by a loss of traction or steering the car, but most driving is in a straight line, which incurs the least wear on this component.

The thinking here is that if the tires have a different circumference (like if one tire was new and the others were fairly worn), this causes a constant speed difference, causing more wear to the AWD system. I don’t particularly buy this argument as front and rear tires already wear at a different rate and there are plenty of 4matic owners out there who are not rotating their tires like they should.

In general, you should be rotating your tires and replacing them 4 at a time, but if you have to replace just one and the other tires are in decent shape, I think you’ll be ok. I would only do this for the same model and size of tire, of course.