Wheel balance
The wheels of a new vehicle are balanced. When driving, however, there are a
range of factors that may result in an imbalance. This may become apparent by
a “vibration” in the steering. If this is the case, have the wheels checked by a
specialist garage.
Have the wheels likewise rebalanced after replacing the tyres.
Setting the vehicle geometry
Incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear leads to excess wear on the
tyres and impairs driving safety. With a distinct tyre wear pattern, we recom-
mend that you check the setting of the vehicle geometry in a specialist work-
shop.WARNING■ An incorrect wheel alignment at the front or rear impairs handling.■Unusual vibrations or pulling of the vehicle to one side could be a sign of
tyre damage. If there is any doubt that a wheel is damaged, immediately re-
duce your speed and stop! If no external tyre damage is evident, drive slow-
ly and carefully to the nearest specialist garage to have the vehicle
checked.
Tyre wear indicator and wheel replacement
Fig. 105
Principle sketch: Replace tire tread with wear indicators / wheels
Read and observe
on page 117 first.
Wear indicators
The base of the tread of the tyres contains has a 1.6 mm high wear indica- tor » Fig. 105 -
. In some countries, different tyre wear rates may apply.
Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular sym-
bols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indicators.
Replacement of wheels
For uniform wear on all tyres, we recommend that you change the wheels ev-
ery 10 000 km according to the scheme » Fig. 105-
. You will then obtain ap-
proximately the same life for all the tyres.
After a wheel has been replaced, the tyre pressure has to be adjusted.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring, save tyre pressure values » page 92.WARNING■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.■
Worn tyres impair necessary adhesion to the road surface, particularly at
high speeds on wet roads. This could lead to “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled vehicle movement – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Tyre damage
Read and observe
on page 117 first.
We recommend checking your tyres and wheel rims for damage (punctures,
cuts, splits and bulges, etc.) on a regular basis. Remove foreign bodies (e.g.
small stones) from the tyre tread immediately.
Drive over kerbs and other such obstacles slowly and at right angles wherever
possible in order to avoid damage to tyres and wheel trims.
Immediately replace damaged wheel rims or tyres.
WARNINGNever drive with damaged tyres – risk of accident.
CAUTION
The tyres must be protected from contact with substances such as oil, grease
and fuel, which could damage them. If the tyres come into contact with these
substances, then we recommend you have this checked out in a specialist
workshop.119Wheels
