Whee ls and tires, Winter operation – Mercedes-Benz SLS-Class 2013 Owners Manual User Manual
Page 252

Bar indicator : for tread wear is integrated
into the tire tread.
Notes on selecting, mounting and
replacing tires
R
Only mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
R
Only mount tires of the correct size onto
the wheels.
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After mounting new tires, break them in at
moderate speeds for the first
60 miles (100 km), as they only reach their
full performance after this distance.
R
Do not use tires until they are excessively
worn as the tire traction on wet road
surfaces decreases significantly when the
tread depth is less than
1
/
8
in (3 mm).
R
Replace the tires after six years at the
latest, regardless of wear. This also applies
to the spare wheel/emergency spare
wheel.
The service life of tires depends on the
following factors amongst other things:
R
Driving style
R
Tire pressure
R
Distance covered
Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (
Y
page 269).
Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your
vehicle to M+S tires. Using summer tires at
very cold temperatures could cause cracks to
form, thereby damaging the tires
permanently. Mercedes-Benz cannot accept
responsibility for this type of damage.
Snow chains
G
WARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R
never install snow chains to the front
wheels
R
always install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
!
There is not enough space for snow
chains on some wheel sizes. Observe the
information under "Tires and wheels" in the
"Technical Data" section to avoid damage
to the vehicle or the wheels.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use snow chains
that have been specially approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a
corresponding standard of quality.
R
You may not mount snow chains to all
wheel-tire combinations; see the
information under "Wheels and tires" in the
"Technical data" section.
R
Only use snow chains when driving on
roads completely covered by snow.
Remove the snow chains as soon as
250
Winter operation
Whee
ls
and
tires