Mercedes-Benz 560 SL 107 1988 Owner's Manual page 19

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
(V 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 ('/s in) of tread, the adhe­
sion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather
and/or road surface (conditions),
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
1801
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 substantially
reduced. Under such weather
conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
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 compared
with summer tires. Stopping dis­
tance, however, is still considerably
greater than when the road is wet
or dry.