Mercedes-Benz C 220 1996, Owner'S Manual

Page: 139 / 153

Consumer Information
This has been prepared as re­
quired of all manufacturers of
passenger cars under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the “ Nat­
ional Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966” .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Refer to the tire sidewall for the
specific tire grades for the tires
with which this vehicle is
equipped.
All passenger car tires must con­
form to federal safety require­
ments in addition to these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a com­
parative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a speci­
fied government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half (1
1 /2
)
times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires de­
pends 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 abi­
lity to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled con­
ditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and con­
crete. 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 corner­
ing (turning) traction.
Temperature “ A ” , “ B ” , “ C ”
The temperature grades are “ A ”
(the highest), “ B” , and “ C ” , re­
presenting the tire’s resistance to
the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high tempe­
rature can cause the material of
the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive tempera­
ture can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure. 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.
Warning!
The tem perature grade for this
tire is established for a tire
that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or ex­
cessive loading, either sepa­
rately or in combination, can
cause excessive heat build up
and possible tire failure.
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139
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