Get Wheels and tires -> Wheels and tires in snow and ice Guide for Volkswagen Atlas SUV Second Generation (2024-2025)

situations, have the wheels balanced again.

Incorrect wheel alignment impairs driving safety and increases tire wear. If there is high degree of tire wear, have the wheel

alignment checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Volkswagen recommends

contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Tire Wear when Driving with a Sporty Driving Style

Driving quickly around curves, rapid acceleration, and heavy braking increase tire wear.

If you drive with a sporty driving style, check the tread depth every 5000 to 10,000 km (approx. 3107 to 6214 miles).

Tread wear indicator in tires

Fig. 181 In the tread grooves: wear indicator.

The tread wear indicator is 1.6 mm (1/16 in) above the base of the tread ﬁg. 181. Markings on the sides of the tire indicate th

location of the tread wear indicator ﬁg. 181.

The tread wear indicator indicates if a tire is worn out. At the latest, the tire must be replaced if the tread depth is worn down to

the tread wear indicator.

When you check the tread depth, you must check the wear indicators of all tread grooves.

WARNING

Worn tires are a safety risk and make it difﬁcult to control the vehicle well. They increase the braking distance and the risk

of skidding.

Worn tires have signiﬁcantly less grip. Particularly on wet roads, the vehicle is more likely to “hydroplane”.

Worn tires could cause loss of vehicle control, serious accidents and death.

Replace tires with new tires when the tires are worn down to the tread wear indicator.

Wheels and tires in snow and ice

Winter tires

Summer tires offer very little holding force on icy or snowy roads. Winter or all-season tires improve vehicle handling and

braking performance in winter road conditions. Volkswagen recommends using winter tires on the vehicle at temperatures

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below +7 °C (+45 °F) or in winter road conditions. This also applies to vehicles with all-wheel drive (4MOTION).

The effectiveness of winter tires or all-season tires is greatly reduced when the tire tread is worn down to a depth of 4 mm

(approx. 5/32 in).

The following applies when using winter tires:

Follow all applicable laws in the country of operation.

Use winter tires on all four wheels at the same time.

Only use in winter road conditions.

Only use the tire sizes permitted for the vehicle.

Only use winter tires that have the same belt construction, size, and tread pattern ⇒ Handling tires.

Follow the speed restriction based on the speed rating.

Speed restriction

Winter tires have a speed restriction based on their speed rating ⇒ Tire labeling and tire classiﬁcations .

A speed warning can be set in the Vehicle settings menu in the Infotainment System under the Tires menu.

On V winter tires, the speed restriction and required tire pressure depend on the engine. Always ask an authorized

Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility about the permitted speed and required tire pressure.

Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

WARNING

In winter road conditions, do not let the improved driving characteristics of winter tires tempt you to take safety risks, as

otherwise you may lose control of the vehicle, resulting in serious injuries.

Adapt your speed and driving style to the visibility, weather, road and trafﬁc conditions.

When temperatures are above +7 °C (+45 °F), summer tires provide better vehicle handling. There is less road noise, the

tires wear more slowly, and economy is better.

Winter tires fitted to vehicles with a tire pressure monitoring system must have sensors that are compatible with the tire

pressure monitoring system to ensure that the system functions correctly ⇒ Troubleshooting the Tire Pressure Monitoring

System. If the dimensions of the winter tires do not match the dimensions of the summer tires and require a different cold tire

pressure, you will need to adapt the tire pressures for the tire pressure monitoring system ⇒ Function of the Tire Pressure

Monitoring System.

The speed limit and tire load of winter tires may differ from those of summer tires.

You can contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for permitted winter tire

sizes. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Snow chains

Note the legal requirements and the permitted maximum speed when driving with snow chains.

Snow chains improve driving and braking handling when on roads covered with ice or snow.

Snow chains may only be mounted on the front wheels and only on the following tire/rim combinations:

Tire size

Rim

245/65 R 17

7 1/2 J x 17 ET 31

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If possible, use ﬁne-mesh snow chains that include a chain lock no larger than 13.5 mm (approx. 17/32 in).

Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility for more

information about wheel, tire, and snow chain sizes. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer o

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Snow chains may only be used on tire/rim combinations that are approved for snow chain operation.

If using snow chains, remove the wheel covers and rim accent rings before mounting the snow chains. However, the wheel

bolts must be covered with caps for safety reasons. Caps can be obtained from a suitably qualiﬁed professional. Volkswagen

recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Using snow chains on the compact spare tire or collapsible spare tire

Using snow chains on the compact spare tire or collapsible spare tire is not permitted for technical reasons.

1. If a front tire is ﬂat, mount the compact spare tire or collapsible spare tire on the rear axle.

2. Replace the damaged front wheel with the removed rear wheel. Pay attention to the running direction when doing this.

Volkswagen recommends attaching the snow chains before mounting the wheel.

WARNING

Using unsuitable snow chains or installing snow chains incorrectly can cause serious accidents and death.

Always use the correct snow chains.

Only use snow chains on the tire/rim combinations approved by Volkswagen.

Follow the installation instructions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.

Never drive faster than intended according to the speciﬁcations of the snow chain manufacturer or permitted by law

when snow chains are mounted.

NOTICE

If snow chains are used on routes that are not snowy, they will impair the driving characteristics, damage the tires, and be

quickly destroyed.

Remove snow chains when driving on roads without snow.

NOTICE

Snow chains that come into contact with the rim directly can scratch or damage the rim.

To prevent damage, use snow chains with integrated rim protection.

Troubleshooting

Damage to tires and rims can often occur where it is not visible ⇒

If you suspect that a wheel is damaged, slow down and stop as soon as trafﬁc allows and it is safe to do so.

Vehicle pulls to one side or unusual vibrations

The vehicle pulls to the left or right when driving, or there are unusual vibrations. This could indicate tire damage or too low a

tire inﬂation pressure.

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Check the tires!

Slow down immediately and stop the vehicle as soon as the trafﬁc situation allows and it is safe to do so.

1. Check the tires and rims for damage.

2. Do not continue driving if there is tire damage.

3. Replace the damaged wheel ⇒

Introduction. If necessary, contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance.

4. If no exterior damage is visible, drive slowly and carefully to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility to have the vehicle checked. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Foreign object stuck in the tire

A foreign object is stuck in the tire or between the tread segments.

1. If an object has punctured through to the inside of a tire, leave the object in place. Objects stuck between the tire tread

segments can be removed.

2. Replace the damaged wheel ⇒

Introduction. If necessary, contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility for assistance.

3. Check and adjust the tire pressure.

4. Contact a suitably qualiﬁed professional. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Tires lose traction

The vehicle loses traction when driving along curved stretches, and swerves. The braking distance is longer and the anti-slip

regulation (ASR) and the anti-lock brake system (ABS) take control earlier.

The tire may be too worn down to guarantee sufﬁcient traction ⇒ Monitoring the tread depth.

1. Go slowly and carefully to the nearest suitably qualiﬁed professional to have the vehicle checked. Volkswagen

recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Wheel bolts can only be undone with difﬁculty

Wheel bolts can corrode over time. This means that the wheel bolts can only be undone with difﬁculty.

1. Contact professional assistance, or drive slowly and carefully to the nearest qualiﬁed professional to have the vehicle

checked. Volkswagen recommends contacting an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service

Facility.

WARNING

Unusual vibrations or the vehicle pulling to one side while driving may indicate tire damage.

Tire damage could cause loss of vehicle control, accidents and serious or fatal injuries.

Slow down immediately and stop the vehicle as soon as the trafﬁc situation allows and it is safe to do so.

Check tires and rims for damage such as punctures, cuts, tears, and bulges.

Never continue driving with damaged tires or rims. Instead, seek professional assistance.

If no exterior damage is visible, drive slowly and carefully to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to have the vehicle checked. Volkswagen recommends contacting an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Function of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System

The tire pressure monitoring system

warns the driver if tire pressures are

too low.

The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) monitors tire pressure in the four tires while driving using pressure sensors

installed on the tires.

Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly when cold and inﬂated to the inﬂation pressure

recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inﬂation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a

different size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inﬂation pressure label, you should determine the proper tire

inﬂation pressure for those tires).

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a

low tire pressure telltale when one or more of your tires is signiﬁcantly under-inﬂated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure

telltale illuminates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inﬂate them to the proper pressure. Driving

on a signiﬁcantly under-inﬂated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inﬂation also reduces fuel

efﬁciency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.

Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's responsibility to maintain correc

tire pressure, even if under-inﬂation has not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.

Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not operating properly

The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the

telltale will ﬂash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated. This sequence will continue upon

subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.

TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on

the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one

or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to

continue to function properly.

Tire pressure display in the instrument cluster

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Wheels and tires -> Wheels and tires in snow and ice for Your Volkswagen Atlas SUV Second Generation (2024-2025)

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