Tyre wear indicator and wheel replacementFig. 212
Principle sketch: Replace tire tread with wear indicators / wheels
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
Wear indicators
There is a 1.6-mm-high wear indicator » Fig. 212 -
in the base of the tread of
the tyres. 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.
Replacing the wheels
For uniform wear on all tyres, we recommend that you replace the wheels ev-
ery 10,000 km as shown in the diagram » Fig. 212-
. You will then obtain ap-
proximately the same life for all the tyres.
After changing the wheel, the tyre pressure must be adjusted.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring, save tyre pressure values
» page 165 .
WARNING■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.■
Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface
particularly at high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplan- ing” (uncontrolled movements of the vehicle – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Tyre damage
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
We recommend checking your tyres and wheel rims for damage (punctures,
cuts, splits and bulges, etc.) on a regular basis.
Remove any foreign objects in the tyre tread immediately (e.g. small stones).
Foreign bodies which have penetrated into the tyre (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed and seek help from a specialist garage.
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 having them checked out in a specialist ga-
rage.
Unidirectional tyres
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the
tyre .
The indicated direction of rotation must be adhered to in order to obtain the
best benefits from the characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics are mainly.
▶ Increased driving stability.
▶ Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
▶ Reduced tyre noise and reduced tyre wear.
Spare wheel
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
The size of the spare wheel is identical to that of the vehicle factory installedwheels.
After changing the spare wheel, the tyre pressure must be adjusted.
207Wheels
