Mercedes-Benz 2009 C-Class, Operator'S Manual

Page: 210 / 308

Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called “wear bars”
that show across the tread of a tire when only
1
/
16
in (1.6 mm) of tread remains.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
are molded into the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing
it by two.
Winter driving
General information
Have your vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Winter tires
G
Warning!
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than
1
/
6
in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.
G
Warning!
If you use your spare wheel when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may very
well impair turning stability and that overall
driving stability may be reduced. Adapt your
driving style accordingly.
Have the spare wheel replaced by a regular
road wheel with a winter tire at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45‡ (7†) and whenever wintry road
conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated tires
provide special winter performance. Make
sure the tires you use show the mountain/
snowflake
i
marking on the tire sidewall.
These tires meet specific snow traction
performance requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the
Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and
have been designed specifically for use in
snow conditions. Use of winter tires is the
only way to achieve the maximum
effectiveness of your vehicle’s driving safety
systems such as the ABS and the ESP
®
in
winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have
the same tread design.
For information on winter tires for your
vehicle model, see the “Technical data”
section (
Y
page 291).
Always observe the speed rating of the winter
tires installed on your vehicle.
Snow chains
! When driving with snow chains, always
select the raised level of the vehicle level
control. Other settings may result in
damage to your vehicle.
! Some tire sizes do not leave adequate
clearance for snow chains. To help avoid
serious damage to your vehicle or tires,
make sure the use of snow chains is
permissible as specified in the “Technical
data” section of this Operator’s Manual.
Snow chains should only be driven on snow-
covered roads at speeds not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains as soon
as possible when driving on roads without
snow.
208
Winter driving
Operation
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Version: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-11T16:21:02+02:00 - Seite 208