TYRES
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 comply with the local rules given in the highway code.
Maintaining the tyres
The tyres must be in good condition and the tread form must have sufficient depth; tyres approved by our Technical Department have wear warning strips 1 which are indicators moulded into the tread at several points.
When the tyre tread has been worn to the level of the warning strips, they become visible 2: it is then necessary to replace your tyres because the tread rubber is now only 1.6 mm deep at most, resulting in poor road holding on wet roads.
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.
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
Adhere to the tyre pressures (including the emergency spare wheel). The tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month and additionally before any long journey (refer to the label affixed to the edge of the driver’s door).
Pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold; ignore higher pressures which may be reached in hot weather or following a fast journey.
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.
Vehicle fitted with a tyre pressure loss warning system
If under-inflated (puncture, low pressure etc.), the warning light on the instrument panel comes on. See “Tyre pressure loss warning” in Section 2.
Emergency spare wheel
Refer to the information on the “Emergency spare wheel” and instructions on “Changing a wheel” in Section 5.
Changing wheels around
This practice is not recommended.
Incorrect tyre pressures lead to abnormal tyre wear and unusually hot running. These are factors which may seriously affect safety and lead to:
- poor road holding,
- risk of bursting or tread separation.
The pressure depends on the load and the speed of use. Adjust the pressure according to the conditions of use (refer to the label affixed to the edge of the driver’s door).
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 fitted originally and tighten them fully.
Fitting new tyres
For your safety, please respect the speed limit.
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: either have a load capacity and a speed capacity at least equal to the original tyres, or correspond to those recommended by your authorised dealer.
Failure to heed these instructions could endanger your safety and affect your vehicle’s roadworthiness.
Risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Use in winter
Chains
For safety reasons, fitting snow chains to the rear axle is strictly forbidden.
Chains cannot be fitted to tyres which are larger than those originally fitted to the vehicle.
Chains may only be fitted to tyres of the same size as those originally fitted to your vehicle.
18” wheels cannot be fitted with chains.
If you wish to fit snow chains, you must use special equipment.
Consult an approved dealer
Snow or Winter tyres
We would recommend that these be fitted to all four wheels to ensure that your vehicle retains maximum adhesion.
Warning: These tyres sometimes 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, at a minimum, be fitted to the two front wheels.
In all cases, we would recommend that you contact an approved dealer who will be able to advise you on the choice of equipment which is most suitable for your vehicle.