Tires and the car’s functions

General rules and facts regarding tyres

• It’s almost impossible for a tyre to explode due to filling it with too much air. In order to make a tyre explode with air it should be filled up 5 times the normal tyre pressure and compressors at gas stations (where you normally would fill up the tyres yourself) generally are not able to give so much pressure.
• It’s recommended to have a slightly higher air pressure than the recommended air pressure for the specific tyre, because filling the tyre with 10 to 15 % more air than recommended will reduce its rolling resistance. But filling it with for instance 50% or more air is not recommended, since this will lead to the tyre wearing out faster.
• When the air pressure is however too low, the tyres will also wear out faster and the traction decreases.
• Summer tyres are not forbidden during the winter, but in case of winter conditions then you’re required to use snow chains if you have summer tyres on the car.
• The best tyres should always be placed in the rear of the car, whether your car is front-wheel or rear-wheel driven. With the "best" tyres we mean; those with the greatest tread depth, the ones with the biggest studs, or at least the ones that give the best traction.
• The minimum required tread depth for tyres is 1.6 mm but 3 mm during winter conditions during 1 December - 31 March. Winter conditions means that at least on some part of the road there is snow, ice, frost or a combination of liquid water and snow/ice (also known as slush).
• A regular spare tyre and an emergency wheel/tyre are not the same. A regular spare tyre is often identical to your normal tyres. Emergency wheels are specifically made for short distances, for instance when you have a flat tyre, they are normally made for driving up to 80 km/h and up to a 80 km distance.
• Retreated tyres means that new tread has been placed on used tyres. This means that worn out tyres can be reused, which reduces negative impacts on the environment.
• The minimum required tread depth by law for summer tyres is 1.6 mm. But keep in mind that it is recommended to already change your summer tyres when the tread depth is only 3-4 mm. This is because of the risk of aquaplaning when it rains.
• Tyres should preferably be stored cool, dark and dry. This is because the rubber of the tyre can be negatively impacted by high tempratures, sunlight and moisture.
• Both worn tyres and wide tyres are more likely to cause aquaplaning than for instance new tyres or narrow tyres. Worn tyres make the water to be dispersed less effectively. Wide tyres leads to that more water needs to be dispersed to the sides.
• When water can not be led away efficiently to the sides and the tyres are unable to have enough contact with the road, then that could lead to the tyres (and thus the car) being lifted up to the water surface (as indicated by this illustration (image 1) ), resulting in the car skidding uncontrollably.

Image 1: Tyres and car are lifted up to the water surface

Rules regarding the use of winter tyres

• You’re required to use winter tyres from 1 December to 31 March in case of winter conditions. Winter conditions means that at least on some part of the road there is snow, ice, frost or a combination of liquid water and snow/ice (also known as slush). So if, for instance, it would still be snowing in the beginning of April, then you’re not required to use winter tyres.
• Studded tyres are not allowed 16 April - 30 September, unless there are winter conditions or if winter conditions are forecasted. Winter conditions means that at least on some part of the road there is snow, ice, frost or a combination of liquid water and snow/ice (also known as slush).
• Non-studded winter tyres (also known as 'friction tyres') are always allowed, even during the summer. However, the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) does recommed using summer tyres during the summer.
• The abbrevation MS on tyres (also written as M+S / M.S / M-S / M&S, etc.) stands mostly for Mud and Snow, this basically means winter tyres. Be aware that the minimal required tread depth also applies to these tyres which in general is 1.6 mm, but 3 mm during winter conditions during 1 December - 31 March.

Note: MS could also stand for Mud and Sand, and these then are not winter tyres. To be sure you can check the tyre for a mountain peak- or snowflake symbol, these indicate that it’s a winter tyre.

• You’re never allowed to combine studded with non-studded tyres, because both types of tyres have a very different grip on the road. This could lead to unpredictable driving characteristics and therefore dangerous situations.

Dashboard

• This warning light (image 2) shown can have several meanings; it could mean that the parking brake is on, but also that the level of the brake fluid is too low.

Image 2: Parking brake on or brake fluid level too low

• The "P" symbol (image 3) indicates that the parking brake is on. Some cars do not have this particular symbol but have a general symbol, often an exlamation mark instead of a "P", to indicate that the parking brake is on.

Image 3: Parking brake on

• It’s normal that the ABS warning light symbol will be lighted up for a couple of seconds when you start the car's engine. Only if it stays on while driving it’s a sign that there could be a problem with the ABS system.
• Symbol A (image 4) indicates that the rear fog lights are on, symbol B indicates that the full headlights (sometimes also referred to as full beam) on are.

Image 4: Fog lights/Full headlights on

• This symbol (image 5) indicates that you have to check the oil. This could mean that the oil level is too low, but it could also mean that there is a bigger problem.

Image 5: Low oil level

• When this lamp (image 6) stays on, after you’ve started the engine, it means that the battery is not sufficiently being charged and is loosing its electrical power. Probably you can't even drive too far and should take care of this issue as soon as possible.

Image 6: Battery charges insufficiently

• All standard check lights are similar in basically all cars, this makes it easy to understand the lamps if you would buy another car or borrow a car from someone else.
• All cars have a gauge which shows the RPM of the enigne, which stands for Revolutions Per Minute.

Oil and other fluids

• Coolant is a mix of glycol and water. This has several functions; it protects against rust, and helps preventing both overheating and freezing.
• The fluid for the windshield washer is basically always blue and the cap of the reservoir often has a symbol on it that looks like a windshield with dotted lines that represents the fluid (image 7).

Image 7: Windshield washer reservoir

• The dipstick (image 8) enables you to quickly and easily check the level of the motor oil, for this you only have pull the dipstick out.

Image 8: Dipstick for oil

General vehicle facts

• Be aware that ’blinkers’, ’indicators’ and also ’direction indicators’ are just different terms for the same light, which is the yellow-orange light on the front, the back and also on the sides of the car that a driver should use when turning left or right.
• Power steering (also known as: power-assisted steering system) is a system that makes turning the wheel (so basically steering) a lot easier. If this system doesn't work then the steering will become a lot heavier, but not impossible.
• The function of fuses is to prevent short circuits, which therefore protects against potential fire.
• Be aware that, if you for instance need to charge your car battery, in some cars there can be a lot of plastic covers in the engine compartment so the battery good be a bit more difficult to locate.
• If you need to clear up foggy windows you can do this by switching on the button with the small window symbol (), this means the air flow will come from right below the windshield.

Image 9: Air flow windshield

• Engine idling simply means that the engine is switched on, while the car is not in motion, so it’s basicallystanding still.