Volkswagen Touran Service Manual: Tires, Aging
| Even tires that look in good shape, new or hardly use and
have sufficient tread depth and that are older than 6 years, can
age caused by moisture and winter conditions. |
| Tire test show that through continual development, new
rubber mixtures, modern raw materials and optimizing the tire
profile and profile geometry, better tires are being produced. |
| The highly engineered vehicles plus constant growing
customer expectations, demand economical tires that offer the
highest degree of safety, driving dynamic and comfort. |
| 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 aging. |
| 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 tire's production date. |
| Example of a DOT number through 12/31/1999 |
|
|
|
| DOT |
...... |
5 |
0 |
9 |
< |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
stands for 199_ |
| |
|
|
|
Production year
last digit |
| |
|
Calendar week |
| In this example, the production date is the 50th week of
1999. |
| Example of a DOT number from 01/01/2000 |
|
|
|
| DOT |
...... |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
| |
|
|
|
Production year
last two digits |
| |
|
Calendar week |
| In this example, the production date is the 01st week of
2000. |
| Using summer and winter tires that are more than 6 years old
is not recommended. The aging process reduces the original
characteristics. The gripping capabilities of winter tires are
especially reduced. |
| When new tires are fitted, 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 car's 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 vehicles are factory-fitted with four identical tires
and wheels. |
| For driving safety reasons, tires of the same make and with
the same tread should be mounted on one axle. |
| Vehicles with AWD always must be equipped with four wheels
that have tires of the same size, construction, tread pattern
and make. |
| Tires must be changed when: |
| the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm is reached, |
| there is visible damage from mechanical damage, |
|
|
|
Table. Refer to
→ Anchor.
The tire industry delivers winter tires with V-rating also.
These tires can be applied up to the maximum p ...
The tire industry produces tires with rim protector for
light alloy wheels (rim protector). The rim protector prevents
damage to the light alloy wheels caused by cont ...
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Winter Tires with Speed Symbol V
Tires with Rim Protector