Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you are permitted to drive on tyres that have a higher speed rating.

You should only fit tyres that are authorised for use on your vehicle and listed in your vehicle’s registration documents. Here you will find detailed information on tyre size as well as the recommended load and speed indexes for your vehicle.

This is permitted as long the same type of tyre is fitted to the two opposite wheels on the same axle. Nevertheless, we would warn against mixing tyre sets as this significantly lowers tyre performance and road holding on wet or icy roads.

You need to get an approval certificate from the tyre manufacturer containing all the necessary technical information for any tyre or rim sizes that you want to buy which are not listed in your car manufacturer’s handbook. Anything different, such as size, must be checked first and given the okay by an expert. This, however is not necessary if the new tyres comply with the vehicle / EC type approval documents.

You should always seek specialist advice from either the rim or vehicle manufacturer or look in your vehicle’s registration documents to find out what tyres and type are approved for your vehicle.

In our Internet shops, after you have entered the tyre size you require, you will often be presented with further information about the sidewall design in the form of letters: e.g. WLT (raised white letters), OWL (outline white letters) and BSW or BLK (black sidewall). This will give you some idea of how the sidewall design looks.

An automatic tyre pressure monitoring valve has a special sensor which warns you when the tyre pressure falls. The valves can be bought in a set or individually (for approx. 30 GBP per valve). When a sensor needs to be renewed, it is advisable to have it fitted and calibrated correctly by a garage. Remember that automatic tyre pressure monitoring does not work with a standard tyre valve.

Modern tyres are being increasingly designed as directional. This means that they are designed to roll in one direction only and hence the indivudual properties of the tyre can be adjusted and customised to this direction. This increases tyre performance (reduces road noise and improves wet grip) as well as offering better directional stability and traction in snowy or icy conditions.

“Top Quality” is not a brand name in itself, but an indiciation of the product you are ordering. If you choose this option, you’re being offered tyres from a known manufacturer but at significantly lower prices due to high stock in the warehouse at a particular time.

These letters relate to the top speed that the tyre can be driven to. Each letter represents a different speed category. For example, T means you can drive the vehicle at speeds of up to 118 mph. You can find some useful information on speed ratings here. Winter tyres generally have a lower speed rating than “normal use” tyres. The speed rating is important and therefore a sticker marked with the permitted maximum speed for these tyres should be placed in a visible position in the car interior. You should consult your vehicle handbook to check which speed rating is applicable to your vehicle.

This code means that the tyre has a raised rubber bead running along the outside edge of the rim that offers damage protection.

In Europe, the M+S designation stands for Mud and Snow i.e. winter tyres. The tread pattern and rubber compound have been specially designed for wintery conditions. Whereas the elasticity of summer tyres starts to seriously diminish under 7°C, thus worsening road contact, winter tyres consist of a special rubber compound with high levels of silicon or natural rubber that perform well under cold conditions. Especially on wet or icy roads, M+S tyres hold the road extremely well and out-perform summer tyres when it comes to braking, steering and accelerating.

The ML code means that the tyre has sidewall flange protection to protect both the rim and tyre from kerb damage.

The German Association for Technical Inspection has an additional “GS” stamp of approval that it gives to motoring products that they find are especially safe and reliable.

For a number of years now, various components of vehicles, such as tyres, sold within the EU must comply with tougher regulations. In order to be approved for the road, tyres must pass certain standards of quality. The “E” or “e” marking on the sidewall signifies that the tyre meets these new, higher standards.

This means that this tyre is in the planning stage at the moment. It’s therefore not possible to give a delivery date since production has not yet started on this model.

The tyre load index is an international code that tells you the maximum load that an individual tyre can bear. When fitting new tyres, the load index should always be the same or have a higher rating. Mandatory is that the tyre’s load multiplied by two must cover the gross single axle load of your vehicle. The load index consists of a list of numerical codes each of which represents the maximum load (in kg) that the tyre can carry. For example, 85 = 515 kg and 86 = 530 kg. You’ll find a load index table here.

Star Performer is our own tyre brand. You can find out more information on www.starperformer.de. At the moment, we unfortunately have no tyre test information for these tyres as our private customers have not yet sent in their feedback or ratings and motoring organisations, such as the AA, don't test independently produced tyres. Nevertheless, as with all the other brands we sell, you have the same rights and claims within the warranty period.

According to the ECE-R 117 directive, the EU has defined certain thresholds for the noise levels of tyres.
An "S" in connection with a digit sequence on the tyre wall shows that the tyre features reduced driving noise levels. Car tyres without such an "S" identification will not be allowed for sale after a staggered transition period.

The transition periods for mandatory "S" identification are as follows:

- From October 1, 2009 for car tyres (according to ECE-R 30) with a cross-sectional width of 185mm.
- From October 1, 2010 for car tyres (according to ECE-R 30) with a cross-sectional width between 195 and 215mm.
- From October 1, 2011 for car tyres (according to ECE-R 30) with a cross-sectional width over 215mm.

It’s important to to keep to the same OE (original equipment) tyre size and rolling circumference when fitting new tyres on vehicles fitted with ABS or ASR systems, otherwise this could lead to system failure. You should always check with your garage, the tyre manufacturer and/or your insurance company to ensure that any different tyre dimension has been approved for fitting to your vehicle.

On our website, www.mytyres.co.uk, you will find over 10,000 different tyre models from over 60 different tyre brands. With the help of our easy-to-use tyre search engine you can find exactly the right type of tyre for your car.

All the information you require about the correct tyre type and tyre size (dimenstions) for your vehicle is contained in the vehicle manufacturer’s handbook and registration documents.

If you fit tyres of a different size to what is recommended by the manufacturer, then you need to be in possession of an approval certificate which you have to have with you at all times to be able to show it if required.

You’ll find all the test result information you need here.