Volkswagen Polo Service & Repair Manual: Winter tires
| On “M-and-S-tires”, the tread pattern, tread compound or
type are designed such that the handling characteristics in snow
are improved compared to a normal tire. This is especially true
when initiating or maintaining vehicle motion. |
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| The “Snowflake” symbol denotes winter tires that meet
industrial standards, which are based on the American snow tire
definition. These tires provide exceptionally good safety and
control performance in cold weather on snow and icy roads. |
| M+S Designation for 4x4/SUV Tires |
| Some vehicles come equipped with tires bearing the “M+S”
symbol on the outer side. This is due to the fact that these
vehicles were first introduced in North America, where “M+S”
all-season tires are common. The “M+S” designation is officially
defined by an EU-Regulation thusly: “A tire, whose profile and
structure is designed to be more efficient in snow than a normal
tire”. Performance data for “M+S” denoted tires are neither
defined, nor measured. The “Snowflake Symbol” (snowflake on the
mountain symbol) is used in North America to specify the snow
performance of winter tires. Only tires that meet or exceed
these requirements may bear the “Snowflake Symbol” (snowflake on
the mountain symbol). |
| From May 1, 2006, the road traffic regulations were changed
to include the following: "Vehicle equipment must be adapted to
the weather conditions. This 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. |
| 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-fitted, 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 must be used.
Refer to
→ Anchor. 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 aging process reduces the particular “winter
characteristics” of these tires independently from the mileage. |
| There are two shank designs: rounded and conical. |
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| The rounded shank has a curved surface
-arrow A-. This design was used for original rims. |
| The conical shank has a flat surface
-arrow B-. This design is used partially on rims from the
accessories program. |
| I - |
Wheel bolt with rounded shank |
| II - |
Wheel bolt with conical shank |
| Vehicles with Tire Pressure Monitoring System |
| On vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system, the tire
pressure must be resaved or adapted after each change from
summer to winter tires or vice versa. Refer to the Owner's
Manual. |
| 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: |
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| Attention,
Winter Tires! |
| Maximum
permissible speed ...km/h |
 Note
| This warning sign must be in the driver's field of view! |
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Some time ago, the designation “Reinforced” was replaced
with the designation “Extra Load” by some tire manufacturers. In
countries outside Europe, this desig ...
Table. Refer to
→ Anchor.
The tire industry delivers winter tires with V-rating also.
These tires can be applied up to the maximum p ...
Other materials:
Front view
Fig. 2 Overview of the front of the
vehicle
Key for :
Rain/light sensor on the mirror base
Windscreen
Windscreen wiper
Bonnet
Bonnet release lever
Headlights
Headlight washer system
Mounting for the front towing eye behind
a cover
Front number plate holder
F ...
Washing the vehicle
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warningsThe longer substances such as insects, bird droppings,
resinous tree sap, road dirt, industrial deposits, tar, soot or road salt and other
corrosive materials remain on the vehicle, the more damage they do to the paintwork. ...
Cleaning seat belts
First read and observe the introductory information
and safety warningsLarge particles of dirt on the automatic belt prevent
it from rolling back properly and thus from working effectively.
The seat belts must never be removed for cleaning purposes.
Remove dirt with a soft brush .
C ...
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Tires, Reinforced, Extra Load
Winter Tires with Speed Symbol V