Tires; Aquaplaning - Mercedes-Benz E320 Operator's Manual

Caution!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine's braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time, rather than
immediately parking, so the air stream
will cool down the brakes faster.

Tires

Tread wear indicators (TWI) are
required by law. These indicators are
located in six places on the tread
circumference and become visible at a
tread depth of approximately
(1.5 mm), at which point the tire is
considered worn and should be
replaced.
The tread wear indicator appears as a
solid band across the tread.
Warning!
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. As tread depth approaches
1 1
/ in / in (1.5 mm), the adhesion
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properties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or
road surface (conditions), the tire
traction varies widely.
Specified tire pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if
the tires are subjected to high loads
(e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Warning!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat
tire affects the ability to steer or
brake the vehicle. You may lose
control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at
high speed with a flat tire will cause
excessive heat build-up and possibly
a fire.

Aquaplaning

Depending on the depth of the water
layer on the road, aquaplaning may
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.
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