Wheels and tyres
232Wheels and tyresWheelsGeneral notesAvoiding damage
– If you have to drive over a kerb or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as near as possible at a right angle to the kerb.
– Keep grease, oil and fuel off the tyres.
– Inspect the tyres regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blisters, etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded in the treads.
Storing tyres
– Mark tyres when you remove them to indicate the direction of rotation. This ensures you will be able to install them correctly
when you replace them.
– When removed, the wheels and/or tyres should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark location.
– Store tyres in a vertical position if they are not fitted on wheel rims.New tyres
New tyres have to be run in ⇒page 188.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, according to the type and make of tyre
and the tread pattern. Concealed damage
Damage to tyres and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice unusual
vibrations or the car pulling to one side, this may indicate that one of the tyres
is damaged. The tyres should be checked immediately by an Authorised
Service Centre.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation on tyres with
directional tread. Always observe the direction of rotation indicated when
fitting the wheel. This guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aqua-
planing, excessive noise and wear.
WARNING
•New tyres do not have maximum grip in the first 500 km. Drive particu-
larly carefully to avoid risk of accident.•Never drive with damaged tyres. This may cause an accident.•If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when
driving, stop the vehicle immediately and check the tyres for damage.
Checking tyre pressure
The correct tyre pressure can be seen on the sticker on the
inside of the tank flap.1. Read the required tyre inflation pressure from the sticker. The values refer to Summer tyres. For Winter tyres, you must add 0.2
bar to the values given on the sticker.
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Wheels and tyres235
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
⇒
page 234, fig. 153 , running across the tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of them evenly spaced around the tyre. Markings on
the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the
positions of the tread wear indicators. The minimum tread depth required by
law is 1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indica-
tors). Worn tyres must be replaced. Different figures may apply in export
countries ⇒.
Tyre pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature wear and could cause tyre blow-out.
For this reason, the tyre pressure should be checked at least once per month
⇒ page 232.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more than the rear ones it is advisable
to cha nge t he m ar oun d as sh own ⇒ page 234, fig. 154. All the tyres will then
last for about the same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors encoun-
tered in normal driving can cause them to become unbalanced, which results
in steering vibration.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause excessive
wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tyre is fitted.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of
the vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the wheel align-
ment checked by an Authorised Service Centre.
WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre bursts during driving!•The tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread is worn down to
the tread wear indicators. Failure to do so could result in an accident. Worn
tyres do not grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There is also a greater
risk of “aquaplaning” •At continuously high speeds, a tyre with insufficient pressure flexes
more. This causes it to overheat. This can cause tread separation and tyre
blow-out. Risk of accident. Always observe the recommended tyre pres-
sures.•If tyres show excessive wear, you should have the running gear checked
by an Authorised Service Centre.•Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake fluid away from tyres.•Damaged wheels and tyres must be replaced immediately!For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption.Anti-puncture tyres
Anti-puncture tyres allow you to continue driving even with a
punctured tyre, in the majority of cases.Vehicles equipped with anti-puncture
23) tyres from the factory indi-
cate the loss of tyre pressure on the instrument panel.
23)Depending upon version and country.
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Wheels and tyres
238Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be tightened to the correct torque.The design of wheel bolts is matched to the rims. If different wheel rims are
fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt
heads must be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that the
brake system functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use wheel bolts from a different car -
even if it is the same model ⇒page 206.
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
s ho uld b e che cke d as s o on as p ossible wit h a to rqu e w re nch. ⇒ The tight-
ening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not tightened correctly, the wheel could become
loose while driving. Risk of accident.•The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easily. Never apply grease or oil
to them.•Use only wheel bolts which belong to the wheel.•If the torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen whilst the
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high,
the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.Caution
The prescribed torque for wheel bolts for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres will improve the vehicles handling on snow and
ice.In winter conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the vehicles
handling. The design of summer tyres (width, rubber compound, tread
pattern) gives less grip on ice and snow.
Winter tyres must be inflated to a pressure 0.2 bar higher than the pressures
specified for summer tyres (see sticker on tank flap).
Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
Information on permitted winter tyre sizes can be found in the vehicle's regis-
tration documents. Use only radial winter tyres. All tyre sizes listed in the
vehicle documentation also apply to winter tyres.
Winter tyres lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth
of 4 mm.
The speed rating code ⇒ page 237, “New tyres and wheels” determines the
following speed limits for winter tyres: ⇒
Q max. 160 km/h
S max. 180 km/h
T max. 190 km/h
H max. 210 km/h
In some countries, vehicles which can exceed the speed rating of the fitted
tyre must have an appropriate sticker in the driver's field of view. These
stickers are available from your Authorised Service Centre. The legal require-
ments of each country must be followed.
Do not have winter tyres fitted for unnecessarily long periods. Vehicles with
summer tyres handle better when the roads are free of snow and ice.
If you have a flat tyre, please refer to the notes on the spare wheel
⇒ page 237, “New tyres and wheels”.
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If and when253
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Some of the electrical items listed in the table are only fitted on certain
models or are optional extras.
Please note that the above list, while correct at the time of printing, is subject
to alterations. If discrepancies should occur, please refer to the sticker on the
inside of the fuse cover for the correct information for your model.
Fuses layout, engine compartment, left partFuses
40
Fan switch
40
41
Rear wiper motor / Switchboard wiring
20
42
12 V socket/ Cigarette lighter
20
43
Trailer bracket preinstallation
15
44
Trailer bracket preinstallation
20
45
Trailer bracket preinstallation
15
46
Vaca n t
47
Engine management
10
48
Engine management
10
49
Vaca n t
Number
Consumer
Amperes
1
Windscreen wipers
30
2
DQ200 gearbox
30
3
Cable control unit
5
Number
Consumer
Amperes
4
ABS
20
5
AQ gearbox
15
6
Instrument panel/Steering column
5
7
Ignition key
40
8
Radio
15
9
Telephone/TomTom Navigator
5
10
Engine management
5
Engine management
10
11
Vaca n t
12
Electronic control unit
5
13
Petrol injection module supply
15
Diesel injection module supply
30
14
Coil
20
15
Engine management
5
Pump relay
10
16
Right lighting
30
17
Horn
15
18
Vaca n t
19
Clean
30
20
Water pump
10
Pressure sensor pump for 1.8 engine
20
21a)
Lambda probe
15
22
Brake pedal, speed sensor
5
Number
Consumer
Amperes
Leon_EN.book Seite 253 Dienstag, 8. September 2009 5:25 17
Index
296Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment . . . . . 215
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine fault Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Engine management Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Checking level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine oil pressure monitor indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Environmental friendliness . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Environmental tip Avoiding pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Environmentally friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 190
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83, 183
Example of menu use Program a speed limit warning . . . . . . . . . . 67
To activate and deactivate the speed limit warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Example of the use of the menus
Open the Configuration menu with the MFD lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Open the Configuration menu with the steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Examples of menu use Open the main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Open the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
To close the winter tyres menu . . . . . . . . . . 67
Exhaust gas purification system . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
FFabric trim cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
First-aid kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Fog lights with cornering function . . . . . . . . . . 116
Foot brake Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Four wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Front drinks holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Front interior light Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Front passenger airbag deactivation . . . . . . . . . 42 Front reading lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Front seat adjustment
Lumbar support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Frontal airbags Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Fuel Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Fuel level Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Fuel Tank Opening the fuel tank flap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Fuel tank See Fuel reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Fuel: save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
GG 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Gear shift pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
General overview of the engine compartment 273
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Glow plug system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
GRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
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