Mercedes-Benz 2009 SLK 300, Operator'S Manual

Page: 249 / 364

Tires and wheels
247
for the winter season to ensure normal bal-
anced handling characteristics. On packed
snow, they can reduce your stopping distance
compared to summer tires. Stopping dis-
tance, however, is still considerably greater
than when the road is not covered with snow
or ice. Exercise appropriate caution.
! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Temperature
G
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause exces-
sive heat build-up and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled con-
ditions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
Tire ply material
1
Plies in sidewall
2
Plies under tread
i For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in above illus-
tration.
This marking tells you about the type of cord
and number of plies in the sidewall and under
the tread.
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-installed equip-
ment (whether installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing out-
ward on each square inch of the tire. Air
pressure is expressed in pounds per square
inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or bar.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire sec-
tion height and section width expressed in
percentage.
Operation