Mercedes-Benz 240 D 1980, Owner'S Manual

Page: 63 / 93

W h eels Tires C hanging W heels
W heels, Tires
In case o f replacement we recom ­
mend you use tires o f identical
design, version and brand.
See any MERCEDES-BENZ service
station fo r inform ation on tested
and recommended wheels and tires
fo r sum m er and w inte r operation.
They w ill also o ffe r m ore advice
concerning tire service and p ur­
chase.
M ount single new ly acquired tires
on the fro n t wheels. If any tires
are replaced and the spare tire is
new and o f the same make and
version, m ount the spare wheel on
the vehicle as road wheel. W e re­
com m end th a t you break in new
tires fo r approx. 100 km /60 miles
at moderate speed.
To prevent damage to the valves,
vehicles equipped w ith light alloy
disc rims m ust o nly be driven
w ith the hub caps installed.
For tire specifications, refer to
"Technical Data” .
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated accord­
ing to the degree o f tire wear
w hile retaining the same sense o f
rotation. R otating, however, should
be carried o u t before the charac­
teristic tire w ear pattern (shoulder
wear on fro n t wheels and tread
center wear on rear wheels) be­
comes visible at a mileage o f
5000 - 10 000 km /3000 - 6000
miles as otherw ise th e driving
properties deteriorate.
S lo w ly leaking air (e.g. due to a
nail in the tire) may cause damage
to the tire such as tread separation.
Regular tire pressure checks at in­
tervals o f no more than 14 days are
therefore essential. For the tire
pressure checks, keep in mind th at
hot tires sh ow higher pressure than
cold tires. See tire pressure chart
on last page.
Should the tire pressure decrease
constantly, check w hether foreign
objects have penetrated the tire
or if rim or valve allow the air to
leak.
Caution: Use longer wheel bolts
fo r light alloy rims than those re­
quired fo r ligh t alloy disc rims
(see illustration on page 62).
T ho rou gh ly clean the inner side of
the wheels any tim e you rotate the
wheels or wash vehicle underside.
Dented or bent rims cause tire
pressure loss and damage to the
tire beads. For this reason, check
rims fo r damage at regular inter­
vals. The rim flanges m ust be
checked fo r wear before a tire is
m ounted. Remove burrs, if there
are any.