Get Tires and wheels -> Tire and wheel handling Guide for Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of

their past use. Old, used tires and wheels may have damage

that cannot be seen that can lead to sudden tire failure and loss

of vehicle control.

Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail sudden-

ly, especially at high speeds, causing loss of vehicle control,

accidents, and severe personal injuries. Tires that are more

than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even

then only with special care and at low speed.

For technical reasons it is usually not possible to use wheel rims

from other vehicles. Even wheel rims from the same model may not fit

properly. Check with an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility if necessary.

Tire and wheel handling

Fig. 110 Tire rotation diagram.

¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and

heed the WARNINGS

Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a motor

vehicle. Tires are very important, since their small patches of rubber

are the only contact between your vehicle and the road.

Maintaining correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle and

its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely handle,

and regularly inspecting tires for damage (such as cuts, slashes, ir-

regular wear, and overall condition) are the most important things that

you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure, including tread separa-

tion and blowout.

The tires and wheels are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The

tires and wheels approved by Volkswagen are specially matched to

the characteristics of the vehicle for good road holding and safe han-

dling when in good condition and properly inflated.

Avoiding tire damage

If you must drive over a curb or other obstacle, drive very slowly

and as much as possible at a right angle to the curb with the tire tread

of both front wheels contacting the curb at the same time.

Regularly check tires for damage, such as punctures, cuts, tears

and blisters.

Remove embedded material in the tread profile that has not yet

penetrated the inside of the tire ⇒ꢀTire wear and damage.

Heed all warning messages from the Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-

tem

Replace worn or damaged tires immediately ⇒ꢀ Tire wear and

damage.

Damage to tires and wheels is often not readily visible. If you notice

unusual vibration or the vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate

that one of the tires is damaged. The tires must be checked immedi-

ately for hidden damage by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. See also ⇒ꢀTire wear and

damage.

Never exceed the load and permissible maximum speed rating of

the tires ⇒ꢀTire labeling.

Always keep aggressive chemicals including grease, oil, gasoline

and brake fluid off the tires, including the spare wheel ⇒ꢀ

Replace missing valve caps immediately.

Unidirectional tires

Unidirectional tires are designed to rotate only in one direction. Unidi-

rectional tires have arrows on the sidewalls that show the direction of

rotation ⇒ꢀTire labeling. Unidirectional tires must always be mounted

according to the specified direction of rotation in order to deliver their

best grip, braking performance, low road noise, and good wear as

well as good hydroplaning resistance.

If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation,

you must drive more carefully, since the tire is no longer being used

as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You must

replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the

correct direction of rotation.

Rotating tires

To help ensure even wear on all tires, regular tire rotation according

to the diagram ⇒ꢀfig. 110 is recommended. In this way all tires can

have about the same service life.

Volkswagen recommends that you have your tires rotated by an au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facili-

ty.

Tires more than 6 years old

Tires age even if they are not being used. Physical and chemical pro-

cesses reduce tire strength and performance and cause them to

harden and become brittle. Old tires can fail suddenly and without

warning.

Volkswagen recommends replacing tires that are 6 years and older.

This also applies to tires that look new (an unused spare and the tire

on the compact spare wheel) or that seem to still be usable with tread

depth that has not yet reached the legal minimum depth ⇒ꢀ

The age of each tire can be determined with the manufacturing date

that is part of the U.S. DOT tire identification number (4).) ⇒ꢀTire label-

ing.

Tire storage

Mark tires before removing them to help make sure that the previous

location (left, right, front, rear) and rolling direction can be maintained

when remounting them. Store tires in a cool, dry and preferably dark

place. Do not store tires mounted on wheels standing up.

Tires not mounted on wheels should be covered to help protect them

from dirt and stored vertically (sitting on the tread).

WARNING

Aggressive fluids and materials can cause visible and invisible

tire damage that can cause tire blowouts.

Always keep chemicals, oils, grease, fuels, braking fluids and

other aggressive substances away from tires.

Tires and wheels -> Tire and wheel handling for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

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