Care And Maintenance; Direction Of Rotation, Spinning; Inspection; Service Life - SMART fortwo coupe Operator's Manual

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For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
The maximum tire load : is the maximum
weight the tires are designed to support.
For more information on tire load rating
Y
( page 131).
For information on calculating total and
cargo load capacities (
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added
advantages, such as better hydroplaning
performance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning)
of the tire.
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.
Y
page 125).
Check the tire inflation pressure at least
every other week. For more information on
checking tire inflation pressure, see
"Recommended tire inflation pressure"
Y
( page 119).
Tire inspection
Every time you check the tire inflation
pressure, you should also inspect your
tires for the following
excessive treadwear (
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cord or fabric showing through the tire's
R
rubber
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in
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the tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Life of tire
G
Warning!
Tires should be replaced after 6 years,
regardless of the remaining tread.
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited
to
driving style
R
tire inflation pressure
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distance driven
R
Tread depth
G
Warning!
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not allow
your tires to wear down to that level. As
tread depth approaches
adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Tires and wheels
Y
page 127)
1
/ in
16
1
/ in (3 mm), the
8
127
Z