2008 HONDA FIT tires

The service lif e of your tires is
dependent on many f actors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inf lation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use).
In addition to your regular
inspections and inf lation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
perf ormed once the tires reach f ive
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a
band 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
lef t on the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators. In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Have your dealer check the tires if
you f eel a consistent vibration while
driving. A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed f rom the
wheel. When you have new tires
installed, make sure they are
balanced. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. For best results,
have the installer perform a dynamic
balance.
The last f our digits of the TIN (tire
identif ication number) are f ound on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (See on page ).248
Tires
T ire Service L if e T ire Maintenance
Tire
Labeling
Maint enance
211
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
On vehicles with aluminum wheels,
improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.
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It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Also be sure you use only TPMS
specif ic wheels (if equipped). If you
do not, the tire pressure monitoring
system will not work.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer.
Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS to work inconsistently.
TheABSworksbycomparingthe
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally
supplied with the vehicle. Tire size
and construction can affect wheel
speed and may cause the system to
activate.
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires according to the
maintenance messages displayed on
the information display. Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. If
you purchase directional tires, rotate
only f ront-to-back.
When the tires are rotated, make
sure the air pressures are checked.
Tires
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tire Rotation
212
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Front Front
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´
CONT INUED
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page
f or tire size and labeling
inf ormation. 246
248
Sport model
Sport model
All models except Sport
All models except Sport
Tires
Winter Driving
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
Snow T iresMaint enance
213
14x51/2JJ
15x6JJ
P175/65R14 81S
P195/55R15 84H
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
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Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices, with
rubber chain tensioners, on the f ront
tires. Use traction devices only when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size f or your tires. Metal link-
type ‘‘chains’’ should not be used. Check the condition of the batterymonthlybylookingatthetest
indicator window. The label on the
battery explains the test indicator’s
colors. The test indicator window’s
location dif f ers according to the
battery manuf acturer.
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Tires, Checking the Battery
Checking the BatteryT ire Chains
214
TEST INDICATOR WINDOW
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
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Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Non-porous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, periodically run the
engine until it reaches f ull
operating temperature (the
cooling f ans cycle on and of f
twice). Pref erably, do this once a
month.
If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.
Fill the f uel tank.
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc., are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in reverse
(manual) or Park (automatic).
Block the rear wheels. If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals.
Vehicle Storage
216
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Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
samewheel.Thesparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Do not mount tire chains on the
compact spare tire.
On vehicles with the TPMS
system, the low tire pressure
indicator comes on and stays on
after you replace the flat tire with
the compact spare tire. Af ter
several miles (kilometers) driving
with the compact spare tire, the
TPMS indicator comes on and the
low tire pressure indicator goes of f .
Compact Spare Tire
218
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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µµ
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle: If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to neutral.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront) and lif t them
of f the ground. The other two tires
remain on the ground. Start the engine.
Release the parking brake.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
With the f ront wheels on the ground,
do not tow the vehicle more than 50
miles (80 km), and keep the speed
below 35 mph (55 km/h).
Shif t to D position and hold f or 5
seconds, then to N. Let the engine
runfor3minutes,thenturnitoff.
Turn of f the engine.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment
T his is the best way to
transport your vehicle.
T his is an
acceptable way to tow your
vehicle.
Emergency Towing
238
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine (automatic transmission), your
vehicle must be transported with the
f ront wheels of f the ground.
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Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your vehicle and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems.
................
Identif ication Numbers .242
................................
Specif ications .244
DOT Tire Quality Grading
......................
(U.S. Vehicles) .246
Unif orm Tire Quality ..................................
Grading .246
.................................
Treadwear .246
......................................
Traction .246
.............................
Temperature .247
.................................
Tire Labeling .248
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) Required Federal ............................
Explanation .249 .......................
Emissions Controls .251
.....................
The Clean Air Act .251
Crankcase Emissions Control
....................................
System .251
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .251
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .251
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls .252
....................
PGM-FI System .252
Ignition Timing Control
................................
System .252
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ...................
(EGR) System .252
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .252
....................
Replacement Parts .252
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter .253
........................
Emissions Testing .254
T echnical Inf ormation
Technical Inf ormation
241
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