Mercedes-Benz SL 2008 Owner's Manual page 186

Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tyres
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of
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your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts, punctu-
res, tears, bumps on tyres and deforma-
tion, cracks or severe corrosion on wheels),
at least every 14 days, as well as after driv-
ing off-road or on rough roads. Damaged
wheels could cause a loss of tyre pressure.
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and
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the condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tyre ( page 184). If neces-
Y
sary, turn the front wheels to full lock in
order to inspect the inner side of the tyre
surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
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the valve against dirt and moisture.
Regularly check the pressure of all your
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tyres including the spare tyre*, particularly
prior to long trips, and correct the pressure
as necessary ( page 184).
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Notes on driving
While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
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noises and unusual handling characteris-
tics, e.g. pulling to one side. This may indi-
19 Only for certain countries
* optional
cate that the wheels or tyres are damaged.
If you suspect that a tyre is defective,
reduce your speed and stop the vehicle as
soon as possible to check the wheels and
tyres for damage. Hidden tyre damage
could also be causing the unusual handling
characteristics. If you find no signs of dam-
age, have the wheels and tyres examined
at a specialist workshop, for example at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that
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the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar, try to
do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tyres, particularly the sidewalls,
could get damaged.
Tyres and wheels
Direction of rotation
Direction of rotation
Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation.
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You may fit a spare tyre* against the
direction of rotation.
MOExtended run-flat system*
The MOExtended run-flat system allows you
to continue driving the vehicle even when one
or more tyres lose all air pressure.
The MOExtended run-flat system may only be
used in conjunction with the tyre pressure
loss warning system or the tyre pressure
monitor* and on wheels specifically tested by
Mercedes-Benz.
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Vehicles with MOExtended run-flat sys-
tem are not equipped with the TIREFIT
kit* 19 .
Operation
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183