2011 Mercedes SLK-Class Owner's Manual - Page 213

171_AKB; 3; 60, en-US d2ureepe, 2009-05-11T16:00:23+02:00 - Seite 211 Version: 2.11.8.1 Tires and wheels based on three performance factors: treadwear :, traction ;, and temperature resistance =. Although not a Government of Canada requirement, all tires made for sale in North America have these grades branded on the sidewall. cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics. 211 If ice has formed on the road, tire traction will be substantially reduced. Under such weather conditions, drive, steer and brake with extreme caution. Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A All passenger car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to these grades. Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified U.S. 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 depends 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. The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy road is always lower than on a dry road. You should pay particular attention to the condition of the road whenever the outside temperature is close to the freezing point. Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires (Y page 219) with a minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6 in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the winter season to ensure normal balanced handling characteristics. On packed snow, they can reduce your stopping distance compared to summer tires. Stopping distance, however, is still considerably greater than when the road is not covered with snow or ice. Exercise appropriate caution. ! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This may cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. Temperature G Warning! The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause Traction G Warning! The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, Z Operation i For illustration purposes only. Actual data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above illustration. Quality grades can be found, where applicable, on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width. For example: The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. G Warning!