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All about wheels and tires
278
The speed rating of tires mounted at the factory
may be higher than the maximum design speed
permitted by the electronic speed limiter.
Make sure that your tires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for your vehicle can be
found in the "Tires" section (
Further information about reading tire data can
be obtained from any qualified specialist work-
shop.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, load
index : may also be imprinted on the sidewall
of the tire. You will find this after the letter that
identifies the speed rating (
If no specification is given: no text (as in the
R
example above), represents a standard load
(SL) tire
XL or Extra Load: represents a reinforced tire
R
Light Load: represents a light load tire
R
C, D, E: represents a load range that depends
R
on the maximum load that the tire can carry at
a certain pressure
i
Tire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
from the data in the example.
page 285).
Y
page 276).
Y
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load : is the maximum permis-
sible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (
page 271).
Y
i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
US tire regulations stipulate that every tire man-
ufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN in or on
the sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identification number. The
TIN enables the tire manufacturers or retreaders
to inform purchasers of recalls and other safety-
relevant matters. It makes it possible for the
purchaser to easily identify the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identifica-
tion code ;, tire size =, tire type code ? and
manufacturing date A.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol : marks that the tire complies with the
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