Tires; Aquaplaning; Tire Traction - Mercedes-Benz 1989 560 SL Owner's Manual

Tires
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are
required by law. These indicators
are located in six places on the
tread circumference and become
visible at a depth of approx. 2 mm
('/16
in), at which point the tire is
considered worn and should be
replaced.
The tread wear indicator appears
as a solid band across the tread.
Warning!
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than
3 mm
(Va
in) of tread, the adhe
m
sion properties on a wet road
are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather
and/or road surface (condi-
tions), the traction varies
widely.
Specified tire pressure must be
maintained. 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, aquaplan-
ing may occur, even at low speeds
and with new tires. Avoid track
grooves in the road and apply
brakes cautiously in the rain.
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow
covered 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 substan-
tially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer
and brake with extreme cau
m
tion.
We recommend M
+
S radial-ply
tires for the winter season for all
four wheels to insure normal bal-
anced handling characteristics. On
packed snow, they can reduce
your stopping distance as com-
pared with summer tires. Stopping
distance, however, is still conside-
rably greater than when the road is
wet or dry.
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