Mercedes-Benz C 230 1998 Owner's Manual page 20

Caution!
W hen driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the
brakes by shifting into "4 ", "3" , "2 "
or " 1" . This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on fo r som e tim e, rather than
im m ediately parking, so the air
stream will cool down the brakes
faster.
Tires
Tread w ear indicators (TWI) are
required by law. These indicators
are located in six places on the
tread circum ference and become
visible at a tread depth of approxi­
m ately 1/ 16 in (1.5 mm), at which
point the tire is considered worn
and should be replaced.
The tread w ear indicator appears
as a solid band across the tread.
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W arning!
Do not allow your tires to w ear
down too far. As tread depth
approaches 1/ 16 in (1.5 mm),
the adhesion properties on a
w et road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the w eather
and/or road surface (condi­
tions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Specified tire pressures m ust be
m aintained. This applies parti­
cularly if the tires are subjected to
high loads (e.g. high speeds,
heavy loads, high am bient
tem peratures).
W arning!
Do not drive w ith a flat tire. A
flat tire affects the ability to
steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the car.
C ontinued driving w ith a flat
tire o r driving at high speed
with a flat tire will cause ex­
cessive heat build-up and
possibly a fire.
Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the
w ater layer on the road, aqua­
planing m ay occur, even at low
speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves
in the road and apply brakes
cautiously in the rain.