Tyre and wheel safety

The tyres are the only contact between the vehicle and the road, so it is essential to keep them in good condition.

You must make sure that your tyres con- form to local road traffic regulations.

Maintaining the tyres

Tyres must be in good condition and have sufficient depth to the tread. tyres approved by our Technical Department have tread wear indicators 1 which are moulded into the tread at several points.

When the treads wear down to the level of the indicators these become visible 2. It will then be necessary to replace the tyres as the depth of the tread is at most 1.6 mm, which could lead to poor roadholding on wet surfaces.

An overloaded vehicle, long journeys by motorway, particularly in very hot weather, or continual driving on poorly surfaced minor roads will lead to more rapid tyre wear and affect safety.

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Incidents which occur when driving, such as striking the kerb, may damage the tyres and wheel rims, and could also lead to misalignment of the front or rear axle geometry.

In this case, have the condition of these checked by an approved dealer.

Tyre pressures

Tyre pressures must be adhered to (remember to check the emergency spare wheel at the same time). Check them on average once a month and before long journeys.

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Incorrect tyre pressures lead to premature tyre wear and unusually hot running. These are factors which may seriously affect safety, leading to:

  • poor roadholding;
  • risk of blowout or tread separation.

The tyre pressure depends on the load and speed of vehicle use. The pressure should be adjusted according to the conditions of use.

Pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold: do not take into account higher pressures measured in hot weather or after driving at high speed.

If tyre pressures cannot be checked when the tyres are cold, assume an increase of 0.2 to 0.3 bar (or 3 PSI).

Never deflate a hot tyre.

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Important: please be aware that a poorly tightened or missing valve cap can make the tyres less airtight and lead to pressure loss.

Always use valve caps identical to those originally fitted and tighten them fully.

Vehicle fitted with a tyre pressure loss warning system

In the case of under-inflation (puncture, low pressure, etc.) the 2_ALL_197_1_pictogramme.png warning light appears on the instrument panel Tyre pressure monitoring system..

Emergency spare wheel

Fitting new tyres

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For your safety and as a legal requirement:

When they need to be replaced, only tyres of the same make, size, type and profile should be used on a single axle.

They must have a load capacity and speed rating equal to or greater to the original tyres, or as recommended by an approved dealer.

Failure to heed these instructions could endanger your safety and affect your vehicle's roadworthiness.

Risk of loss of control of the vehicle.

Changing wheels around

This practice is not recommended.

Use in winter

Chains

For safety reasons, fitting snow chains on the rear axle is strictly forbidden.

Chains cannot be fitted to tyres which are larger than those originally fitted to the vehicle.

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Chains may only be fitted to tyres of the same size as those originally fitted to the vehicle.

Only certain chains can be fitted to tyres. consult an approved dealer.

"Snow" or "winter" tyres

We recommend that the same type of tyre be fitted to all four wheels of the vehicle to ensure that your vehicle maintains maximum adhesion.

Warning: these tyres may have a specific direction of rotation and a maximum speed index which may be lower than the maximum speed of your vehicle.

Studded tyres

This type of equipment may only be used for a limited period and as laid down by local legislation.

It is necessary to observe the speed specified by current legislation.

These tyres must be fitted to all the wheels of the vehicle.

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In all cases, we would recommend that you contact your Approved Dealer who will be able to advise you on the choice of equipment which is most suitable for your vehicle.