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198
T i re s and w heel s
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara-
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll-impo rtant contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safe ly han-
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ-
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in-
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb or similar ob-
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi -
ble at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chem ica ls includ ing gre ase, oil,
gasoline and brake fluid off the ti res .
Inspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or blisters, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . This ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re-
install t hem.
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
stored in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New t ires have t o be broken in ¢ &,..
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord-
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual vibrat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
t hat one of the t ires has been damaged . The
t ires m ust be checked immed iate ly by an au -
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified wor ks hop.
Unidirectional t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar-
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc-
t ion the t ire is desig ned to rotate. You mus t
fol low the specified d irection of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characterist ics regarding grip,
road no ise, wear and hyd rop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page
229.
A
WARNING
-
New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con-
trol and braking ability .
-
- New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a collision and ser ious personal
injur ies, d rive w ith special care fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail-
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de-
fl ation, crashes and seriou s personal in-
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re-
p laced immediate ly.
- Tires age even if they a re not being used
an d can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.
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