Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1984, Owner'S Manual

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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 pur­
suant 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 con­
form to federal safety requirements
in addition to these grades.
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 spe­
cified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
“C” may have poor traction perfor­
mance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straightahead) traction
tests and does not include corner­
ing (turning) traction.
Temperature “A”, “ B”, “C”
The temperature grades of “A” (the
highest). “ B" and “C” representing
the tire’s resistance to the gene­
ration of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus­
tained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degene­
rate and reduce tire life, and exces­
sive temperature can lead to sud­
den 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 performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the mini­
mum required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is proper­
ly inflated and not overloaded. Ex­
cessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
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