Advice
Useful life of tyres Fig. 213
Side view of tyres with tread wear in-
dic at
or
s. Fig. 214
Location of the tyre pressure sticker. Tread wear indicator
The b
ase of
the side of the original tyres on
your vehicle show 1.6 mm high tread wear in-
dicators ››› Fig. 213. The position of these in-
dicators is given on the tyre sidewalls by the
letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other
symbols.
The useful life of the tyres depends primarily
on the following factors:
Tyre pressure values
Under-inflation or over-inflation will consider-
ably reduce the useful life of the tyres and
impair the vehicle's handling. Therefore,
check the tyre pressure, including the spare
wheel, at least once a month and before any
long journey.
Inflation pressures for summer tyres are lis-
ted on a sticker inside the fuel tank flap
››› Fig. 214. The pressures for winter tyres are
0.2 bar (2.9 psi/20 kPa) above the summer
values.
Always check the pressure when the tyre is
cold. Do not reduce over-pressure in warm
tyres. The tyre pressures must be altered to
suit notable changes in the load being car-
ried.
Depending on the vehicle, tyre pressure can
be adjusted to medium load to improve driv-
ing comfort (“comfort” tyre pressure). When driving with comfort tyre pressure fuel con-
sumption ma
y increase slightly.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tyre wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
Various factors encountered when driving
can cause them to become unbalanced,
which results in vibration of the steering
wheel.
The wheel must be rebalanced if a new tyre is
fitted or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect front or rear wheel alignment cau-
ses excessive tyre wear, frequently on one
side, and also impairs vehicle safety. If tyre
wear is very irregular, contact an Official
Service.
Tyre damage
To avoid damage to tyres and wheels, only
drive over kerbs or similar obstacles slowly
and at a right angle if possible.
Check tyres and wheels regularly for damage
(punctures, cracks, blisters, deformities,
etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded
in outside of the treads.
216
