2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE steering wheel

Tires and wheels
186
>> Operation Tire and Loading InformationTire and Loading Information placard
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Data shown on Tire and Loading Informa

tion placard example are for illustration pur

poses only. Load limit data are specific to
each vehicle and may vary from data shown in
the following illustration. Refer to Tire and
Loading Information placard on vehicle for
actual data specific to your vehicle.
1
Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placardThe Tire and Loading Information placard
showing the load limit information is located
on the driver’s door B
pillar (

page 185).
>Locate the statement "The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of all occupants and
cargo / luggage should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.
Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants that
can be in the vehicle. The Tire and Loading
Information placard showing the seating
capacity is located on the driver’s door
B
pillar (

page 185)
.
G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B
pillar. Overload

ing the tires can overheat them, possibly
causing a blowout. Overloading the tires
can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
189
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants and cargo as
to not exceed the permissible load limit, you
must make sure that your vehicle never
exceeds the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. You
can obtain the GVWR and GAWR from the
certification label. The certification label can
be found on the driver’s door B
pillar, see
"Technical data" (

page 293).
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) means:
the total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
and all cargo must never exceed the GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) means:
the total allowable weight that can be carried
by a single axle (front or rear).To assure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible weight limits (GVWR
and GAWR for front and rear axle), have the
loaded vehicle (including driver, passenger,
and all cargo) weighed on a suitable commer

cial scale.
Recommended tire inflation
pressure
Your vehicle is equipped with the Tire and
Loading Information placard located on the
driver’s door B
pillar (

page 185).
The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. The tires can be considered cold if the
vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours
or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
G
Warning!
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel econ

omy, and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated
tires can adversely affect handling and
ride comfort, wear unevenly, increase
stopping distance, and result in sudden
deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or
damaged by road debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B
pillar. Overload

ing the tires can overheat them, possibly
causing a blowout. Overloading the tires
can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
191 Checking tire inflation pressure
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month.
Check and adjust the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. The tires can be con

sidered cold if the vehicle has been parked
for at least 3 hours or driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
If you check the tire inflation pressure when
the tires are warm (the vehicle has been
driven for several miles or sitting less than
3 hours), the reading will be approximately
4 psi (0.3 bar) higher than the cold reading.
This is normal. Do not let air out to match the
specified cold tire inflation pressure. Other

wise, the tire will be underinflated.Checking tire inflation pressure manually
Follow the steps below to achieve correct tire
inflation pressure:
>Remove the cap from the valve on one tire.
>Firmly press a tire gauge onto the valve.
>Read tire inflation pressure on tire gauge
and check against the recommended tire
inflation pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door
B
pillar (

page 185). If necessary, add air
to achieve the recommended tire inflation
pressure.
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If you have overfilled the tire, release tire
inflation pressure by pushing the metal stem
of the valve with e.g. a tip of a pen. Then
recheck the tire inflation pressure with the
tire gauge.
>Install the valve cap.
>Repeat this procedure for each tire.
G
Warning!
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel econ

omy, and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated
tires can adversely affect handling and
ride comfort, wear unevenly, increase
stopping distance, and result in sudden
deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or
damaged by road debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B
pillar. Overload

ing the tires can overheat them, possibly
causing a blowout. Overloading the tires
can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure.

Tires and wheels
192
>> Operation Checking tire inflation pressure electroni

cally with the Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
i
The
Tire
Pressure
Monitoring
System
(TPMS) is equipped with a combination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale in the
instrument cluster (

page 34). Depending on
how the telltale illuminates, it indicates a low
tire pressure condition or a malfunction in the
TPMS system itself:
• If the telltale illuminates continuously,
one or more of your tires is significantly
underinflated. There is no malfunction in
the TPMS.
• If the telltale flashes for 60 seconds and
then stays illuminated, the TPMS system
itself is not operating properly.
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USA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the follow

ing two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful inter

ference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
Canada only:
This device complies with RSS
210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference,
and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.The TPMS only functions on wheels that are
equipped with the proper electronic sensors.
It monitors the tire inflation pressure in all
four tires. A warning is issued to alert you to
a decrease in pressure in one or more of the
tires.
G
Warning!
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures.
Always adjust tire inflation pressure
according to the Tire and Loading Infor

mation placard on the driver’s door
B
pillar.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning
due to a sudden dramatic loss of
pressure (e.g. tire blowout caused by a
foreign object). In this case bring the
vehicle to a halt by carefully applying the
brakes and avoiding abrupt steering
maneuvers.

Tires and wheels
198
>> Operation
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Tire load rating5 (

page 196) and
Tire speed rating6 (

page 196) are also
referred to as "service description".
For additional information on tire load rating,
see "Load identification" (
page 200).Tire speed rating
Tire speed rating6 (

page 196) indicates
the approved maximum speed for the tire.
i
Tire load rating5 (

page 196) and
Tire speed rating6 (

page 196) are also
referred to as "service description".Summer tires
G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
located on the driver’s door B
pillar.
Overloading the tires can overheat them,
possibly causing a blowout. Overloading
the tires can also result in handling or
steering problems, or brake failure.
G
Warning!
Even when permitted by law, never oper

ate a vehicle at speeds greater than the
maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control
and possibly resulting in an accident
and/or personal injury and possible
death, for you and for others.
Index
Speed rating
Q
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S
up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W
up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y
up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
(Y)
above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR
above 149 mph (240 km/h)

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
201
DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
Tire branding symbol1 (

page 200) which
denotes the tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
Manufacturer’s identification mark
Manufacturer’s identification mark2
(

page 200) denotes the tire manufacturer.
New tires have a mark with two symbols.
Retreaded tires have a mark with four
symbols. For more information on retreaded
tires (

page 182).
Tire size
Code3 (
page 200) indicates the tire size.
Tire type code
Code4 (
page 200) may, at the option of
the manufacturer, be used as a descriptive
code for identifying significant characteris

tics of the tire.
Date of manufacture
Date of manufacture5 (

page 200)
identifies the week and year of manufacture.The first two figures identify the week, start

ing with "01" to represent the first full week of
the calendar year. The second two figures
represent the year.
For example, "3202" represents the 32nd
week of 2002.
Maximum tire load
1
Maximum tire load rating
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in above illustration.The maximum tire load is the maximum weight
the tires are designed to support.
For more information on tire load rating
(

page 197).
For information on calculating total and cargo
load capacities (

page 187).
G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
located on the driver’s door B
pillar.
Overloading the tires can overheat them,
possibly causing a blowout. Overloading
the tires can also result in handling or
steering problems, or brake failure.

Tires and wheels
204
>> Operation Tire ply material
1
Plies in sidewall
2
Plies under tread
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For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in above illustration.
This marking tells you about the type of cord
and number of plies in the sidewall and under
the tread.
Tire and loading terminologyAccessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those stan

dard items which may be replaced) of auto

matic transmission, power steering, power
brakes, power windows, power seats, radio,
and heater, to the extent that these items are
available as factory
installed equipment
(whether installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire section
height and section width expressed in per

centage.Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped by
steel cords that hold the tire onto the rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle has
been sitting for at least 3 hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so equipped, air
conditioning and additional optional equip

ment, but without passengers and cargo.

Driving instructions
218
>> Operation
Tire speed ratingRegardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use prudent
driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of 90 mph
(145 km/h).The factory equipped tires on your vehicle
may have a tire speed rating above the maxi

mum speed permitted by the electronic speed
limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle in
t h e " T e c h n i c a l d a t a s e c t i o n " (

page 299), for
example when purchasing new tires.
For information on how to identify the tire
speed rating on a tire’s sidewall, see "Tire
size designation, load and speed rating"
(

page 196)
.
If you are uncertain about the correct read

ing of the information given on a tire’s side

wall, any authorized smart center will be glad
to assist you.i
For information on speed ratings for
winter tires, see "All
season and winter tires
"
(

page 199).
For additional general information on tire
speed markings on tire sidewall, see "Tire
speed rating" (

page 198).
Winter driving instructionsThe most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid abrupt
acceleration, braking and steering maneu

vers.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to neutral
positionN. Try to keep the vehicle under
control by corrective steering action.
For information on driving with snow chains*,
see "Snow chains*" (

page 209).
G
Warning!
Even when permitted by law, never oper

ate a vehicle at speeds greater than the
maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control
and possibly resulting in an accident
and/or personal injury and possible
death, for you and for others.
G
Warning!
On slippery road surfaces, never down

shift in order to obtain braking action.
This could result in drive wheel slip and
reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s
ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.