1997 TOYOTA TERCEL traction control

111
Determine what kind of tires your
vehicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited to highway driving under dry conditions. Since
summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow-covered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have ad-
equate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
CAUTION!
Do not mix summer and all season
tires on your vehicle as this can cause dangerous handling char-
acteristics, resulting in loss of control.
Do not use tire other than the
manufacturer 's designated tires,
and never mix tires or wheels of
the sizes different from the origi- nals.
Types of tires

162WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recom-
mended when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires. SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select the same
size, construction and load capacity
as the original tires on your Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possbile restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. Installing snow tires on the front wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure to install them in the same direction when replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires in- correctly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.!
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use tire chains of the correct size and type. Use SAE Class Sº type radial tire chains
except radial cable chains or V-bar type chains.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of r oad, so always check them be-
fore installing chains.
CHAIN INSTALLATIONInstall the chains on the front tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the rear tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5 '1.0 km
(1/4 '1/2 mile). When installing chains on your tires, care- fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
If wheel covers are used, they will be
scratched by the chain band, so remove the covers before putting on the chains.

Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer's recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which may cause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-
wheel braking, as use of chains
may adversely affect vehicle han- dling.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to use a tire chain on
the compact spare tire, as it may
result in damage to the vehicle as well as the tire.
NOTICE
Installing snow tires and chains

182This
information has been prepared in ac-
cordance with regulations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation. It provides the purchasers and/
or prospective purchasers of Toyota
vehicles with information on uniform tire
quality grading.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer any
questions you may have as you read this information.
DOT quality gradesÐAll passenger
vehicle tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition tothese grades. These quality grades are
molded on the sidewall.
Treadwear ÐThe treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1-1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. Traction A, B, C
ÐThe traction grades,
from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C,
and they represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C ÐThe temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C, rep-
resenting the tire's resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled condi-tions on a specific indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire life, and ex- cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to alevel of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grades for thistire
are established for a tire that is proper-
ly inflated and not overloaded. Excessivespeed, underinflation, or excessive load- ing, wither separately or in combination,can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Uniform tire quality grading