i
Not all tires with the M+S marking provide
the driving characteristics of winter tires. In
addition to the M+S marking, winter tires
also have the i snowflake symbol on the
tire wall. Tires with this marking fulfillthe
requirements of the Rubber Manufacturers
Association (RMA) and the Rubber Associa-
tion of Canada (RAC) regarding the tire trac-
tion on snow. They have been especially
developed for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents yourvehi-
cle from exceeding aspeed of 130 mph
(210 km/h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the fac-
tory may be higher than the maximum speed
that the electronic speed limiter permits.
Make sure that yourtires have the required
speed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. The
required speed rating for yourvehicle can be
found in the "tires" section (Y page 293).
Further information aboutreading tire data
can be obtained from any qualifiedspecialist
workshop.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, load
index : may also be imprinted on the side-
wallofthe tire. You willfind this after the let-
ter that identifies the speed rating
(Y page 284).
R
If no specification is given: no text (as in the
example above),represents astandard load
(SL) tire
R
XL or Extra Load: represents areinforced
tire
R
Light Load: represents alight load tire
R
C, D, E: represents aload range that
depends on the maximum load that the tire
can carry at acertain pressure
i
Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load : is the maximum permis-
sible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overloadthe tires by exceeding the
specifiedload limit. The maximum permissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillaron
the driver's side (Y page 280).
i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
US tire regulations stipulate that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprint aTIN
in or on the sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is auniqueidentification number. The
TIN enablesthe tire manufacturers or retread-
ers to inform purchasers of recalls and other
safety-relevant matters. It makes it possible
for the purchasertoeasily identify the affected
tires.
286
All about wheels and tires
Wheelsand tires
