Mercedes-Benz 260 E 124 1987 Owner's Manual page 19

Tires
Tread wear indicators (TWJ) are re­
quired by law. The limits defined there
are absolute minimum and indicated
on the tire by wear indicators. These
indicators - little humps which are
embeded equally at six sections of the
tire circumference in the bottom of the
tread - become visible as cross
stripes on the tire running surface
once the wear limit is reached.
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than 3 mm
(Vs in) of tread, the antiskid pro­
perties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or
road surface (conditions), the
traction varies widely.
Specified tire pressures must be main­
tained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to high loads (e.g.
high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the water
layer on the road, aquaplaning may
occur, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in
the rain.
The safe speed on a wet or icy road is
always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to
the condition of the road as soon as
the prevailing temperatures fall close
to the freezing point.
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire
traction will be substantially re­
duced. Under such weather condi­
tions, drive, steer and brake with
extreme caution.
We recommend M + S radial-ply tires
for the cold season. On packed snow,
they can reduce your stopping
distance as compared with summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is
still considerably greater than when
the road is wet or dry.