Wheels And Tyres - Skoda Rapid Owner's Manual

160 Care and maintenance of the vehicle

Wheels and tyres

ä
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Handling wheels and tyres
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rims
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New tyres and replacing tyres
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tyre inflation pressure
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tread depth and wear indicator
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tyre damage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spare wheel or emergency spare wheel
Tyre inscription
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter tyres
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snow chains
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Škoda recommends that you have any work relating to tyres or wheels carried out
by a specialist garage. Your dealer has all of the necessary special tools and re-
placement parts available plus the required specialist knowledge and is also in a
position to properly dispose of the old tyres. Škoda recommends a Škoda partner
for this purpose.
Additional information and warnings:
● Transporting ⇒ p age 81
● Braking, stopping and parking ⇒ p age 104
● Maintaining and cleaning the vehicle exterior ⇒ p age 148
● Consumer information ⇒ p age 179
● Wheel trims ⇒ p age 192
● Changing a wheel ⇒ p age 194
WARNING
New wheels or wheels that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide the full
vehicle control and braking efficiency.
● Mishandling of wheels and tyres can reduce the driving safety and cause
accidents and serious injuries.
162
162
163
164
165
166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
168
170
WARNING (Continued)
● On all four wheels, use only radial tyres of the same type, size (rolling cir-
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
● New tyres should be run in, as new wheels initially have reduced grip and
braking efficiency. To avoid accidents and serious injuries, drive with appropri-
ate caution during the first 370 miles (600 km).
161
● Regularly check the tyre inflation pressure and always maintain the speci-
fied tyre inflation pressure level. A tyre inflation pressure that is too low can
heat up the tyre so much that it may lead to tread separation and bursting of
the tyre.
● Never drive with damaged (pierces, cuts, cracks and dents) and worn tyres.
Driving with such tyres can cause blowouts, accidents and serious injuries. Re-
place worn or damaged tyres immediately.
● Never exceed the maximum permitted speed and load for the tyres.
● The effectiveness of the driver assist systems and the brake assist sys-
171
tems is also dependent on the grip of the tyres.
● If you notice unusual vibrations or drawing of the vehicle towards one side
while driving, stop immediately and check the wheels and tyres for damage.
● To reduce the risk of loss of vehicle control, accidents and severe injuries,
never loosen the screws on rims with a screw rim.
● Do not use wheels or tyres whose history is not known. Used wheels and
tyres may be damaged, even if these damages are not visible.
● Old tyres - even if they were never used - may suddenly lose air or burst
and cause accidents and serious injuries, especially at high speeds. Use tyres
that are older than six years only in an emergency and with extreme caution
and using a careful driving style.
Note
For technical reasons, the rims of other vehicles usually can not be used. This may
also apply in certain circumstances to the rims of the same type of vehicle. Check
the official registration papers and ask a Škoda partner if necessary.
Ð