2006 MAZDA MODEL 6 tires

Black plate (306,1)
qTire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles)/8,000
km
*(5,000 miles) or sooner if irregular
wear develops. During rotation, inspect
them for correct balance.
* Unique driving conditions for U.S.A.,
Canada and Puerto Rico
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
lIncorrect tire pressure
lImproper wheel alignment
lOut-of-balance wheel
lSevere braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-7) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
CAUTION
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to rear,
not from side to side. Tire performance
will be weakened if rotated from side to
side.
qReplacing a Tire
WARNING
Worn Tires:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Always use tires that are in good
condition.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New treadTread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace it before the band is
across the entire tread.
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Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (307,1)
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate
the aging process. You should replace
the spare tire when you replace the
other road tires due to the aging of the
spare tire. Regarding the manufacturing
week and year is indicated with 4 digit.
Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-21.
qTemporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it's properly inflated
and stored.
NOTE
The temporary spare tire condition
gradually deteriorates even if it has not
been used.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction. It is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa (4.2
kgf/cm
2or bar, 60 psi).
CAUTION
lDon't use your temporary spare tire
rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could damage both
tire and rim.
lThe temporary spare tire has a tread
life of less than 5,000 km (3,000
miles). The tread life may be shorter
depending on driving conditions.
lThe temporary spare tire is for
limited use, however, if the tread
wear solid-band indicator appears,
replace the tire with the same type of
temporary spare (page 8-40).
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate
the aging process. You should replace
the spare tire when you replace the
other road tires due to the aging of the
spare tire. Regarding the manufacturing
week and year is indicated with 4 digit.
Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-21.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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qReplacing a Wheel
WARNING
Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident. Always use
wheels of the correct size on your
vehicle.
CAUTION
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect:
lTire fit
lWheel and bearing life
lGround clearance
lSpeedometer calibration
lHeadlight aim
lBumper height
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original factory
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
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Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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qWater Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt and
lime. If moisture containing these
minerals settles on the vehicle and
evaporates, the minerals will concentrate
and harden to form white rings. The rings
can damage your vehicle's finish.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. These
steps should be taken immediately after
you find water marks on your vehicle's
finish.
qPaint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle's tires hits
your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances of
having your paint chipped by flying
gravel.
NOTE
lThe paint chipping zone varies with
the speed of the vehicle. For
example, when traveling at 90 km/h
(56 mph), the paint chipping zone is
50 m (164 ft).
lIn low temperatures a vehicle's finish
hardens. This increases the chance of
paint chipping.
lChipped paint can lead to rust
forming on your Mazda. Before this
happens, repair the damage by using
Mazda touch-up paint according to
the instructions in this section.
Failure to repair the affected area
could lead to serious rusting and
expensive repairs.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
This information relates to the tire grading system developed by the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for grading tires by tread wear, traction, and
temperature performance.
qTread Wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one-and-a-half 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 because of variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
qTraction-AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include acceleration cornering (turning), hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
qTemperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades A (the highest), B, and C, represent the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor 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.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
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Black plate (350,1)
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades will be added to the sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires over the next several
years according to a schedule established by the NHTSA and the tire manufacturers.
The grade of tires available as standard or optional equipment on Mazda vehicles may vary
with respect to grade.
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO THESE GRADES AND
TO ALL OTHER FEDERAL TIRE-SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
qUniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEAR 200 TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
UTQGS MARK (example)
9-20
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
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Form No.8U66-EA-05F

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Tire Labeling
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized information on the sidewall of
all tires. This information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of the tire
and also provides a tire identification number for safety standard certification and in case of
a recall.
qInformation on Passenger Vehicle Tires
Please refer to the diagram below.
1. TIN: U.S. DOT tire identification number
2. Passenger car tire
3. Nominal width of tire in millimeters
4. Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
5. Radial
6. Rim diameter code
7. Load index & speed symbol
8. Severe snow conditions
9. Tire ply composition and materials used
10. Max. load rating
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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Black plate (353,1)
H
“H”is the speed rating. The speed rating denotes the maximum speed for which the use of
the tire is rated.
Letter Rating Speed Rating
Q 99 mph
R 106 mph
S 112 mph
T 118 mph
U 124 mph
H 130 mph
V 149 mph
W 168
*mph
Y 186*mph
* For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph, tire manufacturers sometimes use the letters ZR. For
tires with a maximum speed capability over 186 mph, tire manufacturers always use the letters ZR.
M+S or M/S: Mud and Snow
AT: All Terrain.
AS: All Season. The“M+S”or“M/S”indicates that the tire has some functional use in
mud and snow.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This begins with the letters“DOT”which indicates the tire meets all federal standards. The
next two numbers or letters are the plant code where it was manufactured, and the last four
numbers represent the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, the numbers
457 means the 45st week of 1997. After 2000 the numbers go to four digits. For example,
the number 2102 means the 21th week of 2002. The other numbers are marketing codes
used at the manufacturer's discretion. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire
defect requires a recall.
Tire Ply Composition and Materials Used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the tire materials, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and other.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire under
normal driving conditions.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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