Ammstar Mercedes-Benz Blog

Get your tyres replaced by a Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne

  • Mercedes-Benz service Melbourne

Your Mercedes is packed to the gills with safety features – many of which our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne have talked about before.

In addition to all the sensors, cameras and driver assist features however, there’s another important part of your on-road safety that many Mercedes-Benz owners (and motorists in general) tend to overlook: your tyres.

While they may not be as glamorous as something like active braking assist, your tyres are a crucial part of the safety equation – after all, they’re the point of contact between you and the road.

Worn tyres dramatically increase your risk:

  • You’ll losing traction, grip and control
  • Increased braking distance
  • Higher risk of skidding and hydroplaning

Naturally, you’ll want to ensure that your tyres are in good condition!

There’s just one question: when should you replace your tyres?

How often should you get your tyres replaced?

As with many other automotive questions, the answer is “it depends!”

We know, it isn’t exactly the definitive answer you’re looking for. Unfortunately, things are rarely as straightforward as the service guide says they are (which is why our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne don’t always follow it).

It all comes down to…

How you drive

As the owner of a Mercedes-Benz, we don’t blame you for wanting to really push your car to the limit (especially if it’s an AMG model). After all, the Mercedes name isn’t just about luxury – it’s also about power.

However, we don’t recommend making a habit of this!

Firstly, it doesn’t help with the negative stereotypes that come with owning a Mercedes-Benz.

And secondly, it can prematurely wear out your tyres!

Rapid acceleration, harsh braking, sharp corners, driving conditions – each of these put extra wear on your tyres, and can cause them to start going bald earlier. And that directly translates to more frequent tyre replacements.

If you want to pad out the time between tyre replacements, we suggest being a little gentler with your Mercedes-Benz the next time you head out. Not only will it increase the amount of time between tyre replacements, but it’s also safer to boot.

Inflation

It only takes a couple of minutes to inflate your tyres – however, it could add months to your tyres’ lifespan.

It isn’t just underinflation that can wear your tyres, either – it’s just as important that your tyres aren’t overinflated either.

When it comes to tyre inflation, you want a Goldilocks solution – not too much under, not too much over, but just right.

It gets even more complicated – since each Mercedes-Benz model is a different weight, the level of inflation and pressure that maximises the lifespan of your tyres can change depending on which mercedes you drive.

This information should be in your owner’s manual, and on the tyre placard located inside the fuel flap door. If it isn’t however, you can find it online, or shoot our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne a quick email – we’ll be more than happy to answer your queries.

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More weight = faster tyre wear – it’s as simple as that.

Unless you drive an X-Class, Sprinter, Vito or a Caddy, your Mercedes-Benz is a passenger vehicle. Its suspension and most importantly for today’s subject, its tyres aren’t designed to carry heavy loads.

While it won’t do lasting damage, it will dramatically speed up wear-and-tear on your tyres, especially if you make a habit of overloading your vehicle.

Luckily, most of us don’t have to worry about this. Still, it’s something to keep in the back of your mind!

Alignment problems

Hitting a bump, accidentally hitting the kerb or driving over a deep pothole doesn’t just cause an unexpected bump – it can also knock your wheels out of alignment.

And when this happens, your tyres wear out faster.

Misaligned wheels can result in your tyres hitting the road in an uneven manner. Instead of sitting flat with the road, it might be the edges of your tyres that come into contact with the road.

It isn’t just impacts that can cause your tyres to tilt – it could simply be a matter of gradual wear-and-tear as the bearings, ball joints and other suspension parts wear out.

As part of your Mercedes-Benz service in Melbourne, our specialist mechanics will realign and correct problems with your wheels, prolonging the life of your tyres.

If it’s been 5 years since you last had your tyres replaced

Even if your treads are at a good level, it’s a good idea to get your tyres replaced anyway as they reach the 5-year mark.

That’s because rubber degrades, wearing out and becoming more brittle over time.

According to some sources, one of the causes of the car crash that claimed the life of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker may have been 9-year old tyres.

So even if the tread depth looks fine, it may be safer to get your tyres replaced anyway!

Mercedes-Benz specialist Melbourne

Should your next Mercedes-Benz service include tyre replacement?

The treads are starting to go bald. But is it bad enough to justify getting new tyres? After all, tyres can dramatically bump up your Mercedes-Benz service cost!

Luckily for you, there’s a simple test you can use to determine whether or not your next service should include tyre replacement.

According to Australian law, for tyres to be considered roadworthy, there needs to be a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm.

Any less, and your vehicle is no longer roadworthy. If it’s uncovered, you could be fined for driving an unroadworthy vehicle (and that’s on top of the cost of getting your tyres replaced).

Not only that, but when you take out car insurance, one of your obligations under your insurance contract is to ensure that your Mercedes-Benz is well-maintained, safe to drive and roadworthy.

Anything that happens while you’re driving an unroadworthy vehicle may not be covered under insurance, hitting your hip pocket even harder.

Luckily, most of today’s tyre brands also include tread markers in each of their tyres, allowing you to see whether or not your tyres are roadworthy (without having to measure everything by hand).

Failing that, you can always rely on our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne to give you an honest opinion!

Tyre rotation, explained

Oftentimes, your tyres don’t need to be replaced altogether. Sometimes, all that needs to happen is to swap them around.

With the exception of A and B-Class vehicles, the vast majority of Mercedes-Benz models are rear wheel drive. The rear tyres are responsible for acceleration and braking – little wonder they tend to wear out faster!

In some cases, you can prolong the mileage you get out of your tyres by simply swapping your rear and front pairs of tyres.

Of course, it isn’t quite that simple. You’ve got to consider factors such as tread direction, as well as whether your vehicle is FWD, RWD or AWD. Each of these can impact which tyres are compatible with which wheels.

In addition, many vehicles now have different size tyres from front to rear, so rotating might not be possible at all.

While you may be able to figure out some of this  on your own, it’s for these reasons that we recommend taking great care and doing your research before rotating your tyres.

Better yet, talk to a Mercedes-Benz specialist in Melbourne first to make sure your tyres are rotated correctly, and whether it’s an appropriate solution for you.

The dealership isn’t the only place you’ll find a Mercedes-Benz specialist in Melbourne

Who said you have to put up with exorbitant dealership prices anymore?

At Ammstar, we’re committed to not only providing a better service, but to bringing down your Mercedes-Benz service cost as well.

As an independent entity from the dealership network, our team has considerable flexibility in what we offer Mercedes-Benz owners like yourself. We:

  • Don’t have to deal with the same overhead costs
  • Are free to build our own supplier network (including a range of reputable tyre brands)
  • Use a proprietary system that’s even more efficient than the dealership
  • Aren’t tied to the service guide, giving us flexibility with our prices

Best of all, we don’t compromise service, either.

20 years of experience means we’re able to offer Mercedes-Benz service in Melbourne that’s on par with the dealership.

The drive towards better service starts with a simple phone call – get in touch today:

2020-05-14T06:13:36+00:00April 15th, 2020|News|