Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1985, Owner'S Manual

Page: 67 / 97

Practical Hints Wheels Tires Changing Wheels
The jack (6) and tool kit are located
behind cover (4).
Warning!
Use the jack only to lift the vehicle
during a tire change. Never get
beneath the vehicle while it is sup­
ported only by the jack. Use jack
stands to work under the car.
Wheels, Tires
Replace wheels or tires with the
same designation, manufacturer
and type as shown on the original
part.
See any authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer for information on
tested and recommended wheels
and tires for summer and winter
operation. They can also offer more
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Front tires should be replaced in
sets. If possible, the spare tire
should be used on the rear wheels.
We recommend that you break in
new tires for approx. 100 km/
60 miles at moderate speed.
After a wheel change it is impera­
tive that the wheel mounting bolts
be retightened after approx.
800 km/500 miles. On new vehicles
retightening is carried out in the
course of the 1st inspection.
Retightening is also necessary
when new wheels are fitted at a
later date, e. g. when the spare
wheel is used for the first time or
when a new set of wheels with
M + S tires is fitted.
For tire specifications, refer to
“Technical Data”.
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated accord­
ing to the degree of tire wear while
retaining the same sense of rota­
tion. Rotating, however, should be
carried out before the characteristic
tire wear pattern (shoulder wear on
front wheels and tread center wear
on rear wheels) becomes visible at
a mileage of 5000-10 000 km/
3000-6000 miles as otherwise the
driving properties deteriorate.
Slowly 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
intervals of no more than 14 days
are therefore essential. For the tire
pressure checks, keep in mind that
hot tires show higher pressure than
cold tires. See tire pressure chart
on last page.