Tire Care And Maintenance; Life Of Tire - SMART fortwo coupe Operator's Manual

Tire care and maintenance

G
Warning!
Regularly check the tires for damage.
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires
have sustained damage, replace them.
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more information on
checking tire inflation pressure, see
"Recommended tire inflation pressure"
.
( page 189)
Tire inspection
Every time you check the tire inflation pres
sure, you should also inspect your tires for
the following:
• excessive treadwear ( page 183)
• cord or fabric showing through the tire's
rubber
• bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in the
tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.

Life of tire

The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
• Driving style
• Tire inflation pressure
• Distance driven
G
Warning!
Tires should be replaced after 6 years,
regardless of the remaining tread.
Tires and wheels
Tread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are sharply
reduced at tread depths of less than
.
(3 mm)
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six places
on the tread circumference and become visi
ble at a tread depth of approximately
(1.6 mm), at which point the tire is considered
worn and should be replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
1
Summer tires / in (3 mm)
8
1
Winter tires / in (4 mm)
6
>> Operation
1
/ in
8
1
/ in
16
183