Information About Tires/Wheels
Information about tires/wheels
Lettering on tire side wall
Example: Dunlop SP Sport 9000
1 - Size designation
^ e.g. 195/65 R 15 91T
2 - Manufacturer (trade name)
3 - Tread designation
4 - Identifier for tubeless tires
5 - Radial construction
^ Radially oriented fibers in carcass
6 - Notes for models with "Max Flange Shield"
7 - Date of manufacture
^ Tire ageing
8 - E number = Approval number
^ Tire fulfills European Guidelines ECE-R30 and EEC92/93
9 - Country of manufacture
^ e.g. manufactured in Germany
10 - Internal tread code of DUNLOP
11 - DOT - Department of Transportation
^ Tire meets the guidelines of the American traffic authorities
12 - DOT-Code
^ Identification number for manufacturers factory, tire size and tire model
13 - Maximum permissible load and maximum permissible air pressure
^ Specifications for North America only
14 - Number of ply layers in the center of the tread and in the sidewalls and information about the material
15 - Position of Tread Wear Indicators (TWI)
16 - Tread wear index - resistance to abrasion based on a US standard test
17 - Traction rating - evaluation of wet braking ability A, B or. according to US test
18 - Temperature resistance index A, B or. according to US test
19 - Safety notes for use or fitting of tires
20 - Note on "ultra light construction"
^ Tire is up to 30 % lighter
21 - Specified direction of travel of tire
22 - Inmetro designation
^ Is required only for Brazil
Explanation of tire lettering
Explanation of tire dimensions
1. Tire width
2. Aspect ratio in.
3. Tire construction code R (means radial)
4. Rim diameter designation
5. Load index (LI)
6. Speed code
7. Winter tire/designation for all-season tire
Speed code/high speed
Load index (LI)
The load capacity index can be found on the sidewall of the tire. It provides information about the maximum load that the tire can bear.
The load capacity index is located in the size designation, e.g. 195/65 R 15 91T, of the tire. It is indicated on the tire as a code according to ETRTO. The following table shows the load capacity index used at VW with the corresponding load capacity of the tires.
Cracking
Cracking is the term for shallow cracks in the sidewall of the tire.
They run starting from the bulge in the direction of the tire shoulder. See Illustration for the mentioned components.
The cause is the increase in material at the joints of the tire components.
Cracking has no effect on
^ Safety,
^ Service life,
^ Vehicle handling
^ Other characteristics of the tire.
Cracks can be of varying visibility. Removing the tire from the rim or an examination is not necessary.
How did the cracks form?
Modern steel belted tires are constructed with single-ply sidewalls to save weight.
The sidewall components consist of long strips before they are joined together to form a tire. They must overlap at the joints. Small irregularities/ripples form in the area of the overlapping components. The overlaps are easier to see from the outside due to the single-ply construction.
The rubber valve
1. Valve body
2. Valve core
3. Valve cap
1. Valve body
The rubber valve for tubeless tires is designed to seal air-tight in the hole in the rim. The elastic material of the rubber body presses itself tightly into the hole in the rim.
When valves with threaded metal feet are used, a rubber seal is used to seal the rim. The area around the edge of the valve hole is a sealing area. Therefore, they must be free of rust, dirt and damage.
2. Valve core
The valve core has the most important job in the valve. It creates a seal and enables the regulation of the air pressure. The small plate seal on the valve core can only do its job when it is free of impurities, dirt and moisture. The compressed air system must be free of water and oil!
3. Valve cap
A valve cap must always be installed onto the valve stems. It prevents dirt from getting into the valve. Dirt which may be in the valve would reach the seal of the valve plate when the tire is inflated and cause a leak.
The valve must be replaced every time a new tire is installed.
If the vehicle is driven without caps on the valves, there is the danger that dirt may get into the valve. This leads to gradual loss of air and therefore lead to the destruction of the tire:
^ Separation of carcass and rubber
^ Wide circumferential furrows in the area of the bead
^ Disintegrated tread or torn-out tread
CAUTION!
An air-tight seal is ensured only if the valve cap is secured tightly.
Tire storage
Storage room
Tire storage must be:
^ Dark,
^ Dry,
^ Cool and
^ Ventilated
CAUTION!
Stored tires must not come in contact with fuel, oil, grease or chemicals under any circumstances. Otherwise, the material in the tire will be damaged by chemical reactions which are not always visible.
This may lead to life-threatening situations when the car is driven.
However, tire damage occurs only when the reaction time of the chemicals is long. If a few drops of fuel land on a tire during a fill-up, this is harmless.
Tire storage
Complete wheels
Tires mounted on wheels can be stored flat, stacked on upon another. When doing this, always ensure that wheels are clean and dry. The air pressure should be raised to a maximum of 3 bar.
Tires without wheels
Tires without wheels are best stored standing vertically. If tires lie stacked upon another for longer periods of time, they will be strongly pressed together. This makes mounting more difficult because the tires do not lie on the rim shoulder. If the tires are stored standing vertically, it is recommended to turn them every 14 days to avoid severe flattening.
Tire aging
Tires age as a result of physical and chemical processes whereby the function can be impaired. Tires which are stored for longer periods of time become harder and brittle faster than tires which are constantly in use on a vehicle. Older tires may develop hairline cracks from ageing. When tires are in constant use, the kneading activates softeners in the rubber, preventing hardening and the development of cracks.
Therefore, one should note not just the tread depth but also the age of spare tires, stored tires and tires which are not permanently in use. Tire age can be determined from the DOT code which contains, among other things, the tires production date.
Example of a DOT number through 12/31/1999
In this example, the production date is the 50th week of 1999.
Example of a DOT number from 01/01/2000
In this example, the production date is the 01st week of 2000.
Recommendation
^ It is recommended using tires more than 6 years old only in emergencies and only with a cautious driving style.
^ When new tires are installed, the spare tire may also be used if it is in flawless condition and is not more than 6 years old. The age of the tire has a great influence on the high speed capability of the tire. The combination of a spare tire which is several years old with new tires is possible, but it can influence the cars handling.
^ Tires are constantly being further developed, this can lead, for example, to slight changes in the rubber compound, even if the tires are of the same make, size and tread.
^ All VW vehicles are factory-installed with four identical tires and wheels.
Vehicles with front-wheel drive:
^ For driving safety reasons, tires of the same make and with the same tread should be mounted on one axle.
Vehicles with all wheel drive:
^ Vehicles with four-wheel drive always must be equipped with four wheels that have tires of the same size, construction, tread pattern and make.
Tires, replacing
Tires must be changed when:
^ The legal minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm is reached,
^ There is visible damage from mechanical damage,
^ The tires are more than 6 years old.
Care and treatment of light alloy wheels
To maintain the decorative appearance of light alloy wheels for a long time, regular care is necessary.
In particular, road salt and dust from brake abrasion must be thoroughly washed off every 2 weeks. Otherwise, the paint of the light alloy wheel will be attacked.
Cleaning agent
The following are appropriate cleaning agents:
^ Water or water and soft soap
^ Water and vinegar essence
^ Light alloy wheel cleaning agents without acids or harsh solvents
Do not exceed the soaking time of the cleaning agent.
The shorter the specified soaking time is, the stronger and more aggressive the cleaning solution is.
Paint damage
If the paint is damaged, for example by stones, the paint damage must be fixed as soon as possible.
Removing adhesive residue from glued balance weights on light alloy rims
^ Harsh solvents and acids attack the paint on light alloy wheels and the surface of the wheel becomes matte and milky. These agents therefore must not be used.
^ To remove adhesive residue on light alloy wheels, use light alloy cleansers or benzene based cleanser. Do not exceed the soaking time of the cleaning agent.
^ After cleaning or removing adhesive residue on the tires, they must be rinsed again with water.
Wheels, rotating
Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on the front wheels due to the increased stress on them.
In order for all 4 wheels on the vehicle to have the same service life, it is recommended to rotate the front and rear wheels.
Ensure that uni-directional tires are not reversed.
The longer the tire runs at one position, the more it wears at certain points, therefore, it is recommended to rotate the wheels at short intervals, e.g. every 5,000 km.
Diagonal rotation is possible only with non-directional tires. This wheel rotation is especially advantageous for heel-and-toe wear.
If heel-and-toe wear has already progressed very far and the tread is more than 50% worn, only slight improvement can be achieved and rotation is no longer recommended. The elasticity of the tread blocks declines and the heel-and-toe wear does not progress.
Notes for changing or mounting wheels
CAUTION!
The secure seating of the wheel bolts and the wheels is only ensured if the instructions and checks below are followed.
The following checks and instructions must be performed with wheel (rim) unmounted!
1. Check if the contact surfaces between the brake disc/brake drum and the wheel (rim) are free of corrosion and dirt.
- The spherical caps * see note of the wheels (rims) and the wheel bolts must also be free of oil, grease, corrosion and dirt.
- If necessary, remove oil, grease, dirt and corrosion.
2. Ensure that the centering hole of the wheel (rim) and the center of the wheel hub are free of corrosion and dirt.
- If necessary, remove dirt and corrosion.
3. Check whether the wheel bolts can be easily screwed in by hand. The threads of the wheel bolts must not touch the holes in the brake disc.
- If the thread of the wheel bolt touches the hole, turn the brake disc relative to the wheel accordingly.
- Clean soiled wheel bolts using, for example, a wire brush.
CAUTION!
Corroded and/or damaged wheel bolts must be replaced!
Wheel mounting
1. When mounting a wheel, tighten all wheel bolts uniformly by hand.
2. Tighten the wheel bolts diagonally using, for example, a four-way lug wrench, to about 30 Nm.
3. Lower the vehicle to the floor and tighten diagonally all wheel bolts to the specified wheel bolt tightening torque.
CAUTION!
Never use an impact wrench to mount wheels!
Notes on using emergency wheels
Inform your customer as necessary of the notes listed in the following and also refer if necessary to the vehicle owners manual.
The notes listed in the following also apply to spare wheels, e.g. 7 J x 16 with 205/55 R 16 tires, which are marked with the lettering "MAX 80 km/h" or "MAX 50 mph" on a yellow sticker.
Note:
^ Depending on vehicle equipment, e.g. Passat with light alloy wheels and 225 tires, have such a spare wheel with a sticker as described above in place of an emergency wheel.
^ Emergency wheel/spare wheel is designed only for sporadic and brief use. Therefore it is to be replaced with the normal wheel again as soon as possible.
^ After mounting the emergency wheel/spare wheel, tire inflation pressure must be checked as soon as possible. The correct tire inflation pressure can be found in the following tire inflation pressure table on the respective vehicle or the respective manual: Maintenance.
^ Always pay attention to speed information on the wheel ("MAX 80 km/h" or "MAX 50 mph").
^ Wide Open Throttle (WOT) acceleration, strong braking and rapid driving around curves should be prevented.
^ Never drive with more than one emergency wheel/spare wheel.
^ It is not permissible to use snow chains on the emergency wheel for technical reasons.
^ If vehicle must be driven with snow chains, therefore the emergency wheel must be installed on the rear axle for a breakdown on the front axle. The rear wheel freed up must then be mounted in place of the faulty front wheel.
Winter tires
Using winter tires
Since 01.05.2006, a change to road traffic regulations has taken place, whereby the following supplement was added: "Vehicle equipment should be adapted to weather conditions. This especially includes suitable tires and freeze protection in the windshield washer system."
Inform the customer that since May 1st, 2006, he or she is obligated to adapt vehicle equipment, especially tires, to winter weather conditions.
For the winter operation, it is recommended to mount winter tires in the sizes shown in the parts certificate table.
Always applicable:
All tire sizes listed in the vehicle papers can also be driven as winter tires!
The handling characteristics may be affected due to the use of winter tires the resulting changes in wheel and tire dimensions. For this reason, driving speed must be adapted to the changed handling characteristics and road conditions.
To attain best handling characteristics winter tires must be mounted on all wheels.
If while mounting the winter tires, the vehicle is equipped with rims that are not factory installed, the following must be observed:
^ Wheels and wheel bolts are coordinated to each other!
^ When retrofitting to different wheels, the corresponding wheel nuts with the correct length and cup shape *see note must be used. The secure seating of the wheels and the function of the brake system depend on it!
^ Winter tires with tread depth of less than 4 to 5 mm are only for limited use during winter operation.
^ In some countries,at least 4 mm tread depth are required for winter tires.
^ It is recommended to not use winter tires longer than six years. The ageing process reduces the particular "winter characteristics" of these tires independently from the mileage.
Vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system
On vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system, the tire pressure must be adapted after each change from summer to winter tires or vice versa.
Winter tires with speed rating "V"
The tire industry delivers winter tires with V-rating also. These tires can be applied up to the maximum permissible speed v max = 240 km/h only under certain conditions.
Vehicles with V-tires:
Vehicles that require V-tires according to vehicle registration, can be driven with V winter tires without limitations up to v max = 240 km/h.
Vehicles with W-, Y- or ZR-tires:
Vehicles that require W, Y, or ZR tires according to vehicle registration, cannot be driven with V winter tires up to v max = 240 km/h under certain conditions.
Why?
V summer tires and V winter tires without special designation guarantee 100% of the load capacity indicated by their Load Index ("LI") only up to a speed of 210 km/h.
Speeds above 210 km/h are only possible if the maximum load capacity of the tire is not exceeded. The load capacity of the tire decreases as the speed increases.
The maximum permissible axle load and the attainable maximum speed of certain VW vehicles are so high that the load capacity of V tires is not sufficient for speeds above 240 km/h.
Example: Tires 205/55 R 16 91 V
The Load index (LI) 91 forth is tire indicates a load capacity of 615 kg per tire up to 210 km/h.
At 240 km/h, the load capacity of this tire is reduced to only 560 kg. For this reason, the axle load can only be maximum 1,120 kg.
The Passat Wagon V6 4 Motion has an additional axle load of 1,150 kg and an attainable maximum speed of 232 km/h. This vehicle can be driven with V winter tires up to a speed of 230 km/h.
This applies to all V winter tires that do not have a special designation.
Extra Load (XL) V winter tires
V winter tires with XL designation have a higher load capacity than the V winter tires without this designation.
Higher speeds can be attained with XL V-winter tires, but the maximum speed of the V tires of 240 km/his not permissible for every VW passenger car.
The same conditions apply for these tires as for V winter tires without special designation.
Tire pressure in Extra Load V tires
Extra Load V winter tires generally require tire pressure increased by 0.2 bar (does not apply for Phaeton 2003 >).
The following table shows the speed which the concerned VW passenger cars can attain with V winter tires, depending on their axle load.
Maximum speeds for V and Extra Load (XL) winter tires
Part 1:
Part 2:
Permission stipulations in Germany
Only when using winter tires is it permitted that the highest speed attainable by the vehicle lies above the highest speed of winter tires specified by the speed rating.
In this case, a warning sign must be applied with the following content:
Note:
^ This warning sign must be in the drivers field of view!
Inflation pressures for winter tires
The tire pressure for winter tires must be 0.2 bar above the applicable air pressure of standard tires. However, it cannot be above 3.5 bar.
In the case of the Phaeton 2003 >, the tire pressure for winter tires must not be increased. Valid here: Tire pressure for summer tires = tire pressure for winter tires.
Reinforced/Extra Load (XL) tires
Some time ago, the designation "Reinforced" was replaced with the designation "Extra Load" by some tire manufacturers. In countries outside Europe, this designation has been conventional for some time. There are no technical differences.
Some tire manufacturers also use the "XL" designation for Extra Load tires.
Tires with the designations "Reinforced" or "Extra Load (XL)" are the same.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be mounted only on the drive wheels.
Only the front wheels on all wheel drive vehicles and also the back wheels on the Touareg are equipped with snow chains.
Snow chains are not possible with all wheel/tire combinations. Corresponding notes can be found in the vehicle parts certificate table.
If no special snow chain type is specified, a snow chain with small chain links can be used. Only chains which do not stand up more than 15 mm, including chain lock, may be applied on tire tread and inner sides.
With some models and certain wheel/tire combinations, only snow chains with small chain links can be used. Corresponding notes can be found in the vehicle parts certificate table.
The legally permitted maximum speed when driving with snow chains is 50 km/h.
Remove the snow chains before driving on snow-free roads. It does not make sense to leave them on because the handling characteristics become worse. During this, the tires are stressed unnecessarily and the chain wear is particularly high.