Mercedes-Benz 2012 A Class - Manual (Page 321)

wheels and tyres for damage. Hidden tyre
damage could also be causing the unusual
handling characteristics. If you find no
signs of damage, have the wheels and tyres
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
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When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar eleva-
tions, try to do so slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, the tyres, particularly the
sidewalls, may be damaged.
Regular checking of wheels and tyres
G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control
of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tyres immediately.
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of your
vehicle for damage at least once a month, as
well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of
tyre pressure. Pay particular attention to
damage such as:
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cuts in the tyres
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punctures
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tears in the tyres
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bulges on tyres
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deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tyre tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tyre (
Y page 319). If necessary, turn
the front wheels to full lock in order to inspect
the inner side of the tyre surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not fit
anything onto the valve other than the stand-
ard valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not fit any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tyre pres-
sure monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tyres,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tyre
pressure as necessary (
Y page 321).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (
Y page 332).
The service life of tyres depends on various
factors, including the following:
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driving style
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tyre pressure
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tyre mileage
Tyre tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tyre tread will reduce tyre trac-
tion. The tyre is no longer able to dissipate
water. This means that on wet road surfaces,
the risk of aquaplaning increases, in particular
where speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tyre pressure is too high or too low, tyres
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tyre tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tyres.
Minimum tyre tread depth for:
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M+S tyres: 4 mm
For safety reasons, replace the tyres before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tyre tread depth is reached..
Selecting, fitting and replacing tyres
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Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
Exception: it is permissible to fit a different
type or make in the event of a flat tyre.
Observe the "MOExtended tyres (tyres with
run-flat characteristics)" section
(
Y page 300).
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Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels.
Operation
319
Wheels and tyres
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