Volkswagen Polo Owners Manual: Tread depth and wear indicators

Volkswagen Polo Owners Manual / Vehicle care and maintenance / Wheels and tyres / Tread depth and wear indicators

Fig. 147 Tyre tread: wear indicators

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings

Tread depth

Difficult driving situations demand the deepest possible tread depth for the tyres and the same tread depth for the tyres on the front and rear axles. This applies in particular for driving in winter weather and cold temperatures and in wet conditions .

In most countries, the minimum tread depth required by law is 1.6 mm (measured in the tread grooves next to the tread wear indicators). Observe any country-specific legal requirements.

Winter tyres lose a large degree of their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth of 4 mm.

The tread depth of new tyres can vary according to type and manufacturer due to construction and tread design.

Tread wear indicator in tyres

The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm high tread wear indicators running across the tread . These wear indicators are positioned at set intervals around the tyre. Markings on the tyre sidewall (for instance the letters TWI or other symbols) indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators.

The tread wear indicators show if a tyre is worn down. The tyre must be replaced at the latest when the tread depth is just down to the tread wear indicator.

WARNING

Worn tyres are a safety risk and can lead to a loss of control of the vehicle and cause serious injury.

Tyres must be replaced at the latest when the tread is worn down to the tread wear indicators.

Worn tyres have considerably less tread, particularly on wet roads, which can cause the vehicle to glide along the road surface (aquaplaning).

Worn tyres reduce the possibility of controlling the vehicle well in normal and difficult driving situations and increase braking distance and the risk of sliding.

Tyre pressure

Fig. 146 On the inside of the tank flap: tyre inflation pressure label First read and observe the introductory information and safety warningsThe correct tyre pressure for factory-fitted tyres i ...

Tyre damage

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warningsDamage to tyres and rims is often not readily visible. Any unusual vibrations or signs that the car is pulling to one side ...

Other materials:

Tires, Rolling Noises, General Information
Rolling noise perceived by the human ear is caused by vibrations transmitted from the noise source to the ear via the air. Here we are interested in noises created by certain characteristics of the tires as well as the effects of rolling ...

Waxing and polishing the vehicle
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warningsWaxing Waxing protects the paintwork. You will need to re-wax the vehicle with a good hard wax if water no longer clearly forms small drops and runs off the paintwork when it is clean. Even if a wax solution is used regul ...

Opening the tailgate
Fig. 29 In the vehicle key: tailgate release button Fig. 30 Opening the tailgate from the outside First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings Before opening the tailgate, always remove any items of luggage that are on the luggage carrier attached to the tailg ...