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WARNING
The use of unsuitable or damaged wheel rims can impair vehicle safety and cause accidents and
serious injuries.
ave been approved for the vehicle.
WARNING
Incorrect loosening and tightening of the bolts on wheel rims with bolted-on rings can cause
accidents and serious injuries.
on wheel rims with bolted-on rings.
-on rings must be carried out by a qualified workshop. Volkswagen
recommends using a Volkswagen dealership for this purpose.
Tyre pressure
Fig. 194 Symbols on the tyre pressure sticker.
Fig. 195 On the driver door pillar: tyre pressure sticker (alternatively on the inside of the tank flap).
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First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
Information on the sticker ⇒ Fig. 194 :
Tyre pressure for the tyres on the front axle.
Tyre pressure for the tyres on the rear axle.
Note: check the tyre pressure when the tyres are cold.
Tyre pressure for partial load.
Vehicle-dependent: comfort tyre pressure for partial load.
Tyre pressure for full load.
Tyre pressure level for the spare or temporary spare wheel.
The sticker provides the correct tyre pressure for approved tyres and is located either on the driver
door pillar ⇒ Fig. 195 or inside the tank flap.
The appearance of the sticker may differ between vehicles. It may include additional tyre sizes.
The wrong tyre pressure will have a negative effect on the vehicle handling and leads to high levels
of wear or even a burst tyre ⇒ . The correct tyre pressure is particularly important at high speeds.
Comfort tyre pressure
Depending on the vehicle, the tyre pressure sticker may show details of a comfort tyre pressure
⇒ Fig. 194③ . The comfort tyre pressure allows increased driving comfort. Fuel consumption may
increase when driving with comfort tyre pressure.
Checking the tyre pressure
tyres. Tyre pressure is always higher in warm tyres than it is in cold tyres. For this reason, never
reduce the pressure in warm tyres to adjust the tyre pressure.
⇒ Fig. 194④ .
and observe the
information on the tyre monitoring system.
which is given on the sidewall of the tyre.
WARNING
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Tread wear indicators in tyres
The tread wear indicators show if a tyre is worn down. The tyre must be replaced at the latest when
the tread is worn down to the tread wear indicator.
The bottom of the tyre tread has 1.6 mm high tread wear indicators ⇒ Fig. 196 . Markings on the
tyre sidewall indicate the position of the wear indicators ⇒ Fig. 196 .
WARNING
Worn tyres are a safety risk and can lead to a loss of control over the vehicle and cause serious
injuries.
indicators.
roads, which can cause the vehicle to
float along the road surface (aquaplaning).
situations and increase braking distance and the risk of skidding.
Tyre damage
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
Damage to tyres and wheel rims is often hidden ⇒ .
and wheel rims for damage.
⇒ Changing a wheel or seal the
tyre with the breakdown set and inflate it ⇒ Breakdown set . Seek expert assistance if necessary.
, drive slowly and carefully to the next qualified workshop in order to
have the vehicle checked.
Foreign bodies in the tyre
between the tyre tread blocks can be removed.
⇒ Changing a wheel or seal the tyre with the breakdown set and
inflate it ⇒ Breakdown set . Seek expert assistance for this if necessary.
olkswagen recommends using a Volkswagen dealership for this
purpose.
Tyre wear
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking all increase tyre wear.
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Wheel imbalance may develop when the vehicle is driven; you will notice this by nervous steering
response. Unbalanced wheels will affect the level of tyre wear. In this case, the wheels should be
balanced again.
Incorrect wheel alignment impairs driving safety and increases tyre wear. The running gear should
be checked by a qualified workshop if tyres show excessive wear.
WARNING
If you notice unusual vibration or the car pulling to one side while the vehicle is in motion, this may
indicate that one of the tyres is damaged.
Check the tyres and wheel rims for damage.
have the vehicle checked.
Spare wheel or temporary spare wheel
Fig. 197 In luggage compartment: : handwheel for securing spare wheel, : handwheel for securing
temporary spare wheel.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
Removing the spare wheel/collapsible spare wheel/temporary spare wheel
⇒ Luggage compartment floor .
th the container.
⇒ Fig. 197 in an anti-clockwise
direction.
Stowing the replaced wheel
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r remove the luggage compartment floor ⇒ Luggage compartment floor .
centre hole in the rim is positioned exactly above the hole or threaded pin.
overing in the luggage compartment if necessary.
⇒ Luggage compartment floor .
If the spare wheel tyre is not the same as the tyres on the vehicle
If the spare wheel tyre differs from the other tyres on the vehicle, the spare wheel must be used
only in the event of a tyre failure and for a short time ⇒ .
Observe these driving notes:
km/h (50 mph).
not use snow chains on the temporary spare wheel ⇒ Snow chains .
spare wheel ⇒ Tyre pressure .
WARNING
Incorrect use of the spare wheel or temporary spare wheel can lead to a loss of control over the
vehicle, collisions or other accidents and cause serious injuries.
wear indicators.
ped with a temporary spare wheel instead of a spare wheel. The
temporary spare wheel can be recognised by a sticker and the text 80 km/h or 50 mph. This is the
maximum speed at which you are permitted to drive with this tyre. The sticker must not be covered
during use of the wheel.
km/h (50 mph. Do not accelerate quickly, brake suddenly or drive at
high speed through bends.
km with a temporary spare wheel if it is fitted to the drive axle.
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temporary spare wheel should be exchanged for a normal wheel as soon as possible. The
temporary spare wheel is designed for a short period of use only.
-supplied wheel bolts.
ve using more than one spare wheel that differs from the normal tyres.
⇒ Tyre pressure .
ot fit a temporary spare wheel to the rear axle when towing a trailer ⇒ .
Tyre lettering and tyre type
Fig. 198 International tyre lettering.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
⇒ Fig. 198 Tyre lettering
(example)
Meaning
① Product name Individual tyre designation of the manufacturer.
② DOT The tyre complies with the legal requirements of
the USA Department of Transportation,
responsible for tyre safety standards.
③ JHCO CHWS 2213 Tyre identification number (a) – may be only
on the inner side of the wheel) and date of
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⇒ Fig. 198 Tyre lettering
(example)
Meaning
15 Rim diameter in inches.
XL Heavy-duty tyre (Extra Load).
⑲ MAX LOAD 615 KG
(1235 LBS)
US load specification for the maximum load per
wheel.
⑳ SIDEWALL 1 PLY
RAYON
Information about the tyre carcass components:
1 ply of rayon (artificial silk).
TREAD 4 PLIES Information about the tread components:
1 RAYON + 2 STEEL
+ 1 NYLON
In the example there are 4 plies under the tread
surface: 1 ply of rayon (artificial silk), 2 steel belt
plies and 1 nylon ply.
The tyre lettering is located on both sides. Certain labels may only be found on one side of the tyre,
e.g. tyre identification number and manufacturing date.
Any additional numbers and letters are internal codes used by the tyre manufacturer or country-
specific identifiers.
Low-profile tyres
Low-profile tyres have a wider tread surface, larger rim diameter and lower side walls than
conventional wheel/tyre combinations ⇒ . Low-profile tyres can improve the vehicle's handling
and precision. They may however result in a less comfortable ride on poor road surfaces and tracks.
Tyres with directional tread pattern
An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation on tyres with directional tread
pattern. The direction of rotation must be observed in all cases. This guarantees the best possible
running characteristics.
If, however, the tyre is fitted in the opposite direction to the tread pattern, you must take more care
when driving as the tyre is now no longer being used according to its designation. The tyre must be
replaced as quickly as possible or be fitted with the tread in the correct direction.
Asymmetrical tyres
Asymmetrical tyres take into account the differing behaviour of the inner and outer areas of the
tread pattern. The sidewalls of asymmetrical tyres are marked to indicate "inside" or "outside".
Make sure that you observe the correct tyre positioning on the wheel rim.
Tyre load
The load index indicates how many kilograms can be loaded onto an individual tyre (tyre load).
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Examples:
78425 kg81462 kg83487 kg85515 kg87545 kg88560 kg91615 kg92630 kg93650 kg95690 kg97730
kg99775 kg100800 kg101825 kg102850 kg103875 kg104900 kg
Speed index
The speed index indicates the maximum permitted speed that may be driven with the tyres.
Pmax. 150 km/h (93 mph)Qmax. 160 km/h (99 mph)Rmax. 170 km/h (106 mph)Smax. 180 km/h
(112 mph)Tmax. 190 km/h (118 mph)Umax. 200 km/h (125 mph)Hmax. 210 km/h
(130 mph)Vmax. 240 km/h (149 mph)Wmax. 270 km/h (168 mph)Ymax. 300 km/h
(186 mph)Zover 240 km/h (149 mph)
Some tyre manufacturers use the code ZR for tyres with a maximum permitted speed of over
240 km/h (149 mph).
a) The TIN is the tyre serial number.
Maximum load and speed range for tyres
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
Vehicles in the EU and the so-called EU user states are issued an EC Certificate of Conformity. This
details the size, diameter, load rating and speed range of all tyres approved by Volkswagen for the
relevant vehicle type.
The type plate shows whether there is an EC certificate of conformity for this particular vehicle. The
type plate can be seen on the lower part of the door pillar when the driver door is open ⇒ Technical
data .
that the vehicle has an EC certificate of
conformity.
certificate of conformity.
Winter tyres
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction
Winter or all-year tyres improve the handling and braking response in winter conditions. Volkswagen
recommends that winter tyres be fitted to the vehicle at temperatures below +7°C (+45°F) or in
winter conditions.
Winter tyres and all-year tyres lose a large degree of their effectiveness for winter conditions when
the tread is worn down to a depth of 4 mm.
The following applies when using winter tyres:
-specific legal requirements.
r wheels at the same time.