Winter Driving; Operation - SMART Fortwo cabriolet Operator's Manual

Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called "wear
bars" that show across the tread of a tire
1
when only / in (1.6 mm) of tread remains.
16
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire's
traction, temperature and treadwear.
Ratings are determined by tire
manufacturers using U.S. government
testing procedures. The ratings are molded
into the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.

Winter driving

Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
electric drive smart center.
This service includes:
Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
R
concentration.
Addition of washer concentrate to the
R
water of the windshield/rear window.
Use a windshield washer concentrate
labeled for winter which is formulated
for temperatures below freezing point
Y
( page 190).
12 V battery test. The capacity of the
R
12 V battery test drops with decreasing
ambient temperature.
Tire change.
R
* optional
Winter tires
G
WARNING
Winter tires with a tread depth of less
1
than / in (4 mm) must be replaced. They
6
are no longer suitable for winter

operation.

Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45¦ (7¥) and whenever wintry road
conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated tires
provide special winter performance. Make
sure the tires you use show the mountain/
snowflake marking i on the tire
sidewall. These tires meet specific snow
traction performance requirements of the
Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA)
and the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC)
and have been designed specifically for
use in snow conditions. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum
effectiveness of the ABS and ESP
operation.
For safe handling, make sure all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have
the same tread design.
For information on winter tires for your
vehicle model, see the "Technical data"
Y
section ( page 188).
Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If
the maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available at your tire
dealer or any authorized electric drive
smart center.
Snow chains*
! Remember that snow chains must always
be compatible with the tire sizes of a
vehicle. Snow chains that are approved
by smart are only permitted for the
following tire size:
Winter driving
®
in winter
Z
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