A VW service employee takes a look at the car tyre of a red VW – wheel knowledge

Wheel knowledge

Absolutely packed with knowledge. Learn more about minimum tread depths, wheel/tyre combinations, our complete wheels and much more. Plus, benefit from our tips and tricks. Let’s get things rolling!

Safety, comfort, energy consumption – they’re influenced by your tyres, too

Safety, comfort, energy consumption – they’re influenced by your tyres, too

EU tyre label with information on the tyre, supplier, as well as tyre type identifier, size and class

The EU tyre label gives you an overview of the properties of your tyre

The EU tyre label is mandatory for all new tyres. Find out here how the energy efficiency class can affect your car’s fuel consumption. We’ll also explain what the symbols shown reveal about the properties of your tyre, such as wet grip or ice and snow grip.

  • Two VW rims

    Rim labelling

    Discover here what the abbreviations on your rims mean, such as 7,0 J X 17, ET49, LK112/5.

  • A VW tyre with different labellings

    Tyre labelling

    225 / 45 R 17 94 W – what do the numbers and letters mean on the tyre? Alongside the name of the manufacturer and the product, you’ll find more important information about your tyres on the side flank.

  • A VW winter tyre with M+S marking and alpine symbol

    Winter tyre labelling

    It’s not only when purchasing winter wheels that you should take note of the tyre labelling – it’s important for all-season tyres, too. Since they are classed as winter tyres, the same symbols on the tyre sidewall are mandatory.

The layers of your tyre

Car tyres are complex structures that have to withstand considerable strain. Every tyre is made up of a contact surface and a tyre substructure.

  1. Tread – for an effective grip on the road and for taking up and draining water
  2. Jointless bandage – enables high speeds
  3. Steel cord belt layers – optimise driving stability and rolling resistance
  4. Textile cord insert – maintains the shape of the tyre, even at high interior pressure
  5. Inner liner – renders the tyre airtight
  6. Side walls – protect against lateral damages
  7. Apex – supports driving stability, steering behaviour and comfort response
  8. Steel core – ensures a firm fit to the rim
  9. Tyre bead reinforcement – supports driving stability and precise steering behaviour

Tyre tread

Measuring minimum tread depth

In the rough tread grooves of the tyres you’ll find a small 1.6 mm tall projection – this represents the mandatory minimum tread depth. By looking at this in comparison with your tyres, you’ll see how worn your tyres are. You can also hold a 1 euro coin in the grooves – the golden edge is 4 mm wide and therefore corresponds to our recommended minimum tread for winter and all-weather tyres. For summer tyres we recommend at least 3 mm. This table contains the minimum tread depth recommended by different countries.

This illustration shows how worn winter tyres affect braking distance.

Illustration of how to measure tread depth with a 1 euro coin
A service employee checks the tyre of a VW

Tyre tips

We have put together a few handy tips to ensure a long tyre service life.

Illustration of tyres

Tyre damage

Learn about the most common types of tyre damage here.

Illustration of abnormal tyre wear on a VW tyre

Abnormal tyre wear

Find out here about the potential irregular damage patterns that require action.

Tyre pressure

Yellow VW warning lamp: Tyre inflation pressure too low or tyre control display faulty
Warning lamp

Tyre pressure too low or tyre pressure loss indicator faulty

Is the warning lamp illuminated? Then the tyre pressure in a wheel has probably fallen or a tyre is structurally damaged. Drive more slowly, avoid any heavy steering and braking manoeuvres and check your tyres as quickly as possible. Everything is OK but the lamp is still on? Have the system checked by your workshop. You will find more information on the warning lamp in your owner’s manual.

A white VW T-Roc stands in a yard with flowers
Tyre pressure monitoring system

Lower consumption and greater driving comfort

Too low a tyre pressure quickly leads to tyre damage – the reason for many accidents resulting in personal injury. Since November 2014, we have been equipping all new Volkswagen passenger car models with a tyre pressure monitoring system ex-works.

Tyre pressure FAQs