Mercedes-Benz 260 E 124 1987, Owner'S Manual

Page: 102 / 113

Consumer Information
This has been prepared as required of
all manufacturers of passenger cars
under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal
Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the
“ National Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966” .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Relevant tire grade information on tire
flanks.
All passenger car tires must conform
to federal safety requirements in addi­
tion to these grades.
T readwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the
tire when tested under controlled con­
ditions on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half (1V
2
)
times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The re­
lative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction “A” , “ B” , “C ”
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are “A", “ B” and “C” and they
represent the tire’s ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified gov­
ernment test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked “C” may have
poor traction performance.
Warning!
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on braking (straight­
ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature “A” , “ B” , “C”
The temperature grades of “A ” (the
highest), “ B” and “ C” representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high tempera­
ture 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” cor­
responds 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 per­
formance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is pro­
perly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
100