Tyres when under warranty

[Flatteraxe372]

Hello all,

I have a GLE that is currently running Continental ContiSportContact 2 265/40R21

I need 4 new tyres and the car is still under warranty. Does anyone know if I have to have these exact tyres or can I have any continentals? The Sport Contact 6 seem the latest ones and I can get them fitted £50 a tyre cheaper than at Mercedes.

Thanks.

[Flatteraxe372]

Hello all,

I have a GLE that is currently running Continental ContiSportContact 2 265/40R21

I need 4 new tyres and the car is still under warranty. Does anyone know if I have to have these exact tyres or can I have any continentals? The Sport Contact 6 seem the latest ones and I can get them fitted £50 a tyre cheaper than at Mercedes.

Thanks.

[Scrump]

I changed the tyres on my MB whilst under warranty to a different brand and nothing was said when it went in for subsequent warranty work (unconnected to the tyres).

[Dashnine]

Doesn't even have to be Continental, as long as the tyres are the same size and load rating (or a higher load rating) you can pick whatever you like.

If you enter your reg number on any of the tyre fitting companies (e.g. Kwik Fit) it will show you what's available and costs.

[Flatteraxe372]

Thanks for the input. They actually called me about something else and I asked and all they said was you can fit what you like but if you have runflats you have to have runflats again. Good to know.

[DamienCBR]

Flatteraxe372 said:

Thanks for the input. They actually called me about something else and I asked and all they said was you can fit what you like but if you have runflats you have to have runflats again. Good to know.

I emailed my dealer and got this from the service manager:
You can fit non-run-flat tyres to your vehicle, and this will not affect your warranty. The advice is to put MO tyres on the vehicle, as they are made for Mercedes-Benz, but of course, it is your vehicle

[TarquinMX5]

MB themselves fit different makes, I have one fitted from the factory with Continentals and one with Michelin.

I've also seen a new one in the showroom with a different brand again, I think Hankook but not sure which one it was.

MB will say that MO tyres should be fitted to ensure that all of the electronic systems will work as designed; whether there's any evidence to support that view is unknown, I haven't seen any. However, in reality, I doubt whether the vast majority of people, if any, would notice any difference.

As others have said, as long as you fit the same size and the same spec. or higher (speed and load ratings), then that should be okay. However, higher speed and load ratings can affect the ride due to stronger construction and, of course, a car with run flats might not have any form of tyre repair kit.

[Dashnine]

The reasons manufacturers have their own ‘special’ version of tyres is not so much that electronic systems work (after all, they can’t admit they won’t work when you change tyre, what happens when the branded tyres are no longer available?).

It’s more that the tyre is tuned to the car with a slightly different construction, compound, perhaps even a minor tread pattern change to remove vibrations, meet internal refinement requirements, etc. that may be exaggerated without the tyre modifications.

At the end of the day you’re paying (usually) extra for that final 2-3% of refinement / compatibility with the car that most people would never notice. If they’re the same price or cheaper, get them by all means but generally not worth paying significantly extra for.

[TarquinMX5]

If you read Mercedes Benz's own blurb, they quote the compatibility with the car's electronic systems, for the reasons you've outlined, ie 'tuned' to the car, if you like. There have also been views expressed that they also have smaller tolerances on things such as 'roundness' and 'balance', but again, may or may not be any truth in those comments.