MO tyres or not?

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V8andTurbos

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Sep 11, 2014
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Car
MK5 Golf GTI + C63 AMG
my a35 needs 2 front tyres. My options are 2 new Pirelli’s on the front in MO spec

4 new tyres,

Costco have bridgestone potenza’s on offer, but only in Audi spec ( same size ). Can I use these on an a35 and would they invalidate warranty?

other options are 4 Michelin PS4s in MO
Or Goodyear in non MO spec..

personally I’d like to go down the Bridgestone route..

opinions?
 
1. First, choose the make and model of tyre that you want.

2. Then, if the tyre that you have chosen is available as MO, at the same price (or just slightly more) than the non-MO variant, buy the MO.

3. If the tyre that you have chosen is not available as MO, then buy the non-MO variant anyway.

Personal opinion.
 
agree with the above post. I usually look at the tyre label as well to see other than being a MO tyre what other differences there are. Just ensure the tyre ratings have no differences such as load or speed ratings.

I just picked up 2 new tyres for my E400d from Kwik Fit. They weren't branded MO when they I bought them online but when they were fitted they had the MO badge on them. Saved me nearly 100 per tyre in comparison to other sites.
 
Costco currently have 4 bridgestone potenza’s fitted for £400 which is a great deal. That’s my first choice. As they’re Audi spec not sure I could run them on my a35? If there was a drivetrain issue, is there a good chance MB would invalidate my warranty due to tyres being non MO ?
 
Costco currently have 4 bridgestone potenza’s fitted for £400 which is a great deal. That’s my first choice. As they’re Audi spec not sure I could run them on my a35? If there was a drivetrain issue, is there a good chance MB would invalidate my warranty due to tyres being non MO ?
What do think Audi spec or MB spec" means?

In reality a good quality tyre is just that.

Stop overthinking this non problem and fit the tyres you want. 👍
 
I was intrigued by your post and did a quick bit of google based research. One of the better articles i found was this:


so it would appear that a Michelin x and a Michelin x MO (or whatever OE des) could vary in its inner construction - i didn't know this. It would seem possible that there may be some handling/suspension differences if you went with non MO?
 
I was intrigued by your post and did a quick bit of google based research. One of the better articles i found was this:


so it would appear that a Michelin x and a Michelin x MO (or whatever OE des) could vary in its inner construction - i didn't know this. It would seem possible that there may be some handling/suspension differences if you went with non MO?
Would any average driver in normal conditions ever notice this difference let alone be able to exploit it?
 
Would any average driver in normal conditions ever notice this difference let alone be able to exploit it?
Not at all. For normal road use they wouldn't. Track days may be a different thing but I doubt it even then.
Let's not forget that there is 'MO' for 'normal' Mercs and then for AMG cars there is 'MO1' label tyres.
I spoke with one of the Michelin R&D techs whilst attending Le Mans a few years back and asked this very question. He said that in general these tyres tend to identical to 'normal' tyres, just that they have greater conformity to circularity, runout and balance specs. They are more 'uniform' tyre to tyre.
Some of the more exotic marques and models do have bespoke construction and compound formulations but these are easily identified by they much higher prices!
 
Tyres and engine oil.... :D

It's worth noting that both are not model-specific! MB do not have different MO tyres or different oil recommendations for different models.

The MO standard - and the MB Spec Sheet for oil - represent MB's view as to what is the correct balance of characteristics for a tyre or engine oil.

I have no reason not to accept their recommendations, but again keeping in mind that they are generic and not specific to your model of car.

(The exception is some high performance models)
 
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And the times I had my dealership fit new tyres, they weren't 'MO' labelled.
Make of that what you will ...
 
Costco currently have 4 bridgestone potenza’s fitted for £400 which is a great deal. That’s my first choice. As they’re Audi spec not sure I could run them on my a35? If there was a drivetrain issue, is there a good chance MB would invalidate my warranty due to tyres being non MO ?
Catch yourself on. Non MO spec tyres will not cause drivetrain issues.
Just buy good quality tyres, the best you can afford, but preferably not ditch finders
 
Buy what suits you in terms of quality/price and characteristics as said already MO is not model specific. just a basic satandard for mercedes which all decent tyre manufactueres would meet anyway. I prefer comfortable and quiet even on my AMG and so go for goodyear or dunlop which I have found best in that particular respect with NO noticeable difference in other areas. Had MO amd non MO and never noticed any difference
 
MO tyres are different and tailored to MB's requirements.

Here is a tyre industry insider explaining how original equipment tyres are developed.

Barry's Tire Tech
 
A
MO tyres are different and tailored to MB's requirements.

Here is a tyre industry insider explaining how original equipment tyres are developed.

Barry's Tire Tech
Agreed, and I am all for MO tyres, but it's important to understand that they are tailored to the general requirements of MB as a company, and not to MB's individual car models.
 
I know non MO tyres won’t cause drivetrain issues however I doubt Mercedes would agree if I had issues down the line. Most likely they’d try to wriggle out of any drivetrain warranty claim..

Currently my choices are PS4S from camskill - £520 plus fitting ( £560-580 all in )

bridgestone potenza S005 ( Audi A3 fitment ) £400 fitted from Costco.

most likely the Michelin’s
 
I'd go for the Michelin’s :thumb:
 

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