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Wheels and tyres
Tread depth
C
er
t
ain driving conditions require a deeper
tread, as well as needing the tread to be ap-
proximately the same on the front and rear
tyres. This is particularly important when
driving in winter, in cold temperatures and on
wet roads ›››
.
The minimum tr
e
a
d depth required by law in
the majority of cases is 1.6 mm, measured in
the tread grooves next to the tread wear indi-
cators. Observe legal requirements in each
country.
The performance of winter tyres is much re-
duced when the tread has worn to 4 mm.
The tread depth of new tyres may vary, ac-
cording to the type and make of tyre and the
tread pattern.
Wear indicators on the tyre
The original tyres on your vehicle have
1.6 mm high ››› Fig. 175 tread wear indicators
running across the tread. A number of these
indicators are equally spaced around the tyre
tread. Certain marks on the tyre walls (e.g.
the letters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate
the position of the wear indicators.
Tread wear indicators indicate if a tyre is
worn. They must always be replaced before
the tyre tread has worn to the level of the in-
dicator.
WARNING
Driving with worn tyres is dangerous, and
may
lead to loss of control of the vehicle with
serious consequences.
●
Tyres must be replaced before the wear in-
dicators are at the same level as the tread
pattern.
●
Worn tyres have significantly reduced grip,
especially on wet surfaces, increasing the
risk of “aquaplaning”.
●
Worn tyres make control of the vehicle
more difficult in normal or difficult driving
conditions, increasing the braking distance
and the risk of skidding.
Tyre damage
Damage to wheels and tyres is often invisible
t
o the n
ak
ed eye. If you notice unusual vibra-
tion or the car pulling to one side, this may
indicate that one of the tyres is damaged
›››
.
●
Slow down immediately if you think you
h
av
e a d
amaged wheel.
●
Check the wheels and tyres for damage.
●
If tyres are worn, stop driving and seek
qualified assistance.
●
If there is no visible exterior damage, drive
slowly and carefully to the nearest special-
ised workshop and have the vehicle checked.
Foreign bodies in the tyre
●
Do not remove foreign bodies if they have
penetrated through the tyre wall!
●
You should obtain professional assistance
immediately.
Tyre wear
The wear of tyres depends on a number of
factors, for example:
●
Driving style.
●
Unbalanced wheels.
●
Running gear settings.
Driving style: Driving round bends quickly or
sudden acceleration or braking speed accel-
erates tyre wear. When the driving style is
normal, if the tyres wear too quickly, have the
running gear settings checked at a special-
ised workshop.
Wheel run-out: The wheels on new vehicles
are balanced. However, certain circumstan-
ces may lead to imbalance (run-out), which is
detected as vibrations in the steering wheel.
Run-out leads to wear of the steering and
suspension. In the event of run out, the
wheels should be balanced again. When a
new wheel is fitted, it should be balanced
again.
Running gear settings: an incorrectly posi-
tioned running gear increases the wear of
tyres and affects your safety while driving. If
»
205
Technical dataAdviceOperationEmergenciesSafety
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