FAQ Winter Rims
1. Do winter tyres need special winter rims?
Some rim manufacturers mark their products for use in winter and summer, respectively. AEZ displays the required wheel/tyre combinations in its online 3D configurator together with the selected car according to the respective season. This way, every user gets a 100-percent technically certified recommendation. The configurator furthermore indicates the use of snow chains.
2. Do I need TPMS in winter, too?
Tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are inbuilt systems in cars for the continuous monitoring of tyre pressure. If your car is already equipped with TPMS it is necessary to find out whether it's a direct or indirect system. In case of an indirect system you don't have to do anything since the wheel and tyre purchase has no influence on the TPMS.
In case of a direct TPMS, when buying a wheel, you should consider the following:
Does the wheel design of your choice meet all the requirements for the installation of a TPMS sensor?
Due to the complex TPMS technology we recommend you look for a specialist supplier who has the relevant special or programming tools for changing tyres as well as maintenance work, and who can assist you with questions and problems (e.g. display warnings).
3. How is a winter rim different?
In order to ride the roads in the cold winter months on designer rims they need special protection. Just like you protect yourself against the cold with several layers, the precious metal likes to be protected by several coating layers, too. AEZ winter rims use three layers: primer coat, paint coat and finish coat (SR3). The latter is a transparent sealing and first line of defence against environmental influences.
4. What's in a rim design?
Open designs, such as for example classic straight five-spokes designs, facilitate cleaning. A delicate multi-spokes design needs more intensive cleaning as dirt can be more persistent in the smaller intermediate spaces.
5. Is there a special winter rim colour?
No. In general there is no such thing as a "winter colour". Only the previously mentioned finish counts, which makes all the difference. Preferably, it consists of three layers. As regards colour choice, the AEZ experts recommend darker shades, i.e. rim designs in grey, graphite or black, for the simple reason that dirt is less visible as compared to lighter rim designs.
6. Is special care required?
When it comes to caring for your rim, the same applies as for the protective coat. Washing has never done any harm, because driving around for days in snow, ice, road salt and grit leaves a mark. Especially after long cross-country and motorway rides a car wash really pays off.
If the technical side gives you a headache you can always turn to a competent tyre dealer, car dealer, a testing organisation (TÜV, DEKRA, etc.), or an automobile association. Testing organisations are often very helpful when no approval has been given to a desired rim and tyres by the car manufacturer. This may require a special registration, which entails certain costs depending on the scope of testing.
