VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1997 (01) PDF Document

When converting wheel and tyre combinations on your VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1997, you must observe specific legislative and technical conditions to ensure vehicle safety and compliance.

Legislative Conditions:

If the size of the wheel and tyre, including the load index and speed symbol, is listed in the vehicle’s General Type Approval (GTA) or EU operating permit/type approval, it can be fitted without any problem.

It is not necessary for the specific wheel and tyre combination listed in the registration certificate to be fitted. All combinations approved in the vehicle’s GTA or EU operating permit may be fitted.

For conversions recommended by VOLKSWAGEN AG that are not in the GTA, there are no general operating permits. Using these may require inspection and an update to vehicle documents.

If you fit wheels and/or tyres that are not included in the relevant vehicle GTA or EU operating permit/type approval, the vehicle will no longer meet the requirements of road traffic regulations.

Technical Conditions:

The wheel and tyre combinations and conversions listed in the manual refer exclusively to Volkswagen genuine disc-type wheels.

Tubeless radial tyres may only be fitted to rims that have a safety hump feature on the shoulder.

Tyres with run-flat properties (reinforced sidewalls) may only be used on disc-type wheels with an extended hump and on vehicles with a tyre pressure monitoring system.

If you use the listed wheel and tyre combinations, the associated tyre inflation pressures must be strictly adhered to. These can be found on the sticker inside the fuel tank flap or in the vehicle’s tables.

Sufficient clearance between the wheels/tyres and the wheel housing, suspension, and braking system must be ensured under all operating conditions.

Unless otherwise stated, snow chains may only be fitted to the drive wheels. On all-wheel drive vehicles, only the front wheels may be fitted with snow chains.

The sidewall of a tyre contains various markings that provide important information. Here is a breakdown of what they mean:

1 – Size code: e.g., 205/55 R 16. This indicates the tyre width, aspect ratio, construction type, and rim diameter.

2 – Position of TWIs (Tread Wear Indicators): Marks on the shoulder that show where the tread wear indicator bars are located in the grooves.

3 – Manufacturer (trade name): The brand of the tyre.

4 – Construction: Indicates if the tyre is ‘Radial’ and ‘Tubeless’.

5 – Load capacity index / speed rating: e.g., 91 H. A number indicating the maximum load and a letter indicating the maximum speed.

6 – Specified direction of rotation/installation for tyre: An arrow indicating the mounting direction for directional tyres.

7 – Maximum permissible load: Data for North America.

8 – Maximum permissible tyre pressure: Data for North America.

9 – Number of plies: Information on the number of plies in the tread and sidewalls and the material used.

10 – E number = Approval number: Certifies that the tyre fulfils European guidelines.

11 – Manufacturer code / date of manufacture: An identification number for the manufacturer’s plant, tyre size, model, and the date of manufacture (week and year).

12 – DOT – Department of Transportation: Indicates the tyre fulfils standards of the US Department of Transportation.

13 – Marking for Brazil

14 – Marking for China

15 – Country of origin: e.g., Made in Germany.

16 – Safety reference for use or fitting of tyre.

17 – Relative expected service life – abrasion resistance: Based on a US standard test.

18 – Rating of wet-braking traction: A, B, or C, according to a US test.

19 – Rating of temperature resistance: A, B, or C, according to a US test.

20 – Identifying tyres with run-flat properties: e.g., SSR, RFT, etc.

21 – Tread pattern: The model name of the tread pattern, e.g., ContiPremiumContact.

The speed and load ratings are crucial for selecting the correct tyres for your VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1997. They are found on the tyre sidewall as part of the size designation (e.g., 195/65 R 15 91T).

Speed Rating: The letter at the end (e.g., ‘T’) indicates the maximum permitted speed for the tyre. You must select tyres with a maximum permitted speed greater than the maximum speed your vehicle can attain.

Load Rating (Load Index – LI): The number before the speed rating letter (e.g., ’91’) is the load rating code. It corresponds to the maximum load in kilograms that the tyre can bear.

Proper storage is essential to maintain the quality and safety of your tyres. Follow these guidelines:

Storage Room Conditions:

The storage area should be:

dark,

dry,

cool and

ventilated.

Important Precaution: Stored tyres must not come into contact with fuel, oil, grease, or chemicals under any circumstances. These substances can damage the tyre material through chemical reactions that are not always visible, potentially leading to dangerous situations when driving.

Storage of Tyres:

Complete wheels (Tyres mounted on wheels):

These can be stored flat, stacked one upon the other.

Ensure the tyres are clean and dry before storage.

The inflation pressure should be increased to a maximum of 3 bar.

Tyres without wheels:

These are best stored standing vertically.

If tyres are stacked flat for long periods, they can be pressed together, making them difficult to fit later.

If storing vertically, it is recommended to turn them every 14 days to avoid developing flat spots.

For safe driving in winter conditions, it is recommended to equip your VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1997 with winter tyres.

As a basic rule: All tyre sizes listed in the vehicle documents can also be used as winter tyres.

The handling characteristics may be affected by the use of winter tyres. Therefore, you must adapt your speed to the changed handling characteristics and road conditions.

To achieve the best possible handling, winter tyres must be fitted on all wheels.

If you are equipping your vehicle with rims other than factory-fitted ones, ensure that the wheels and wheel bolts are a matched set.

The suitability of winter tyres with less than 4-5 mm of tread depth for winter operation is limited. Some countries legally require a minimum tread depth of 4 mm for winter tyres.

It is recommended that winter tyres be replaced after no more than six years, as their special “winter properties” decline with age.

Winter Tyres with Speed Symbol “V”:

V-rated winter tyres can be used on vehicles requiring W, Y, or ZR tyres, but there are limitations. The load capacity of V-rated tyres decreases at speeds above 210 km/h. Depending on your PASSAT’s maximum axle load and top speed, you may not be able to drive at the maximum speed of 240 km/h. The following table shows the maximum speeds for specific V-rated winter tyres on certain Passat models:

Winter Tyre Pressures: The tyre pressure for winter tyres must be 0.2 bar more than the applicable tyre pressure for standard tyres but not more than 3.5 bar.

Follow these instructions to correctly measure the tread depth:

The tread depth is measured in the main tread channels.

Do not measure at the TWIs (Tread Wear Indicators). The TWIs are raised bars in the grooves that indicate the legal minimum tread depth (1.6 mm in Germany).

Measure the tread depth in the main tread channel, at the points where the tyre is worn most heavily. The position of the TWIs can be seen at various points on the shoulder of the tyre, often marked with “TWI”, a triangle symbol, or the manufacturer’s logo.

Tread depth should always be measured at the deepest point of the tread channel, not on top of the TWI bars.

A vehicle pulling to one side is often caused by the tyres, a phenomenon known as “conicity” or “tyre pull”.

Cause: Conicity is caused by a slight offset of the tyre’s internal tread and/or belt relative to its geometric centre. This creates differences in stiffness at the inner and outer shoulders, resulting in a lateral force that causes the vehicle to pull to one side. This is a result of manufacturing tolerances and can occur even in new tyres.

Remedies:

Before performing a road test, check the following:

Check all suspension components for damage.

Check and correct tyre pressure.

Check tyres for external damage (cuts, bubbles, flat spots).

Ensure all tyres are of the same type, manufacturer, and tread pattern.

Strategic Rotation of Wheels (for non-directional tyres):

If the vehicle still pulls to one side after the initial checks, a strategic rotation of the wheels can often compensate for the issue. The goal is to arrange the tyres so that their individual pulling forces cancel each other out.

Step 1. Perform a road test to confirm the vehicle pulls to one side and note which side.

Step 2. Interchange the front wheels.

Step 3. Perform another road test.

If the vehicle now travels in a straight line, the problem is solved.

If the vehicle now pulls to the other side, the problem is with one of the front tyres. Proceed to the next steps.

If the vehicle still pulls to the same side, the problem is likely with the rear tyres or alignment. Proceed to the next steps.

Step 4. If pulling persists, further diagnostic steps are needed, such as reversing a tyre on its rim (for non-directional tyres) or interchanging front and rear tyres, followed by more road tests. If these steps do not resolve the issue, a wheel alignment check is necessary.

Proper procedure for fitting and removing wheels is crucial for safety. Always perform the following checks and follow the instructions listed below.

Preparation:

Check to ensure that contact surfaces on the brake disc are free of corrosion and dirt.

Check to ensure that the contact surface on the centring seat of the brake disc is free of corrosion and dirt.

Check to ensure that the contact surface on the inner side of the wheel (rim) and the centring seat of the rim are free of corrosion and dirt.

The concave seats in the holes for the wheel bolts and the threads of the wheel bolts must also be free of corrosion, dirt, oil, or grease.

Damaged, badly corroded, or difficult to remove wheel bolts must be renewed.

Check that the wheel bolts can be screwed in easily by hand and that the threads do not contact the bore in the brake disc.

Fitting wheels:

1. When fitting the wheel, screw in all wheel bolts uniformly by hand.

2. Tighten the wheel bolts in a diagonal sequence to approximately 30 Nm.

3. Lower the vehicle to the floor and tighten all wheel bolts diagonally to the specified torque using a torque wrench. Do not use an impact driver when screwing in the bolts.