2008 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID Owners Manual

409
6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle specifications
Tire infor mation
Typical tire symbols (standard tire)
Typical tire symbols (compact spare tire)
Tire size( P. 412)
DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN) ( P. 411)
Uniform tire quality grading
For details, see “Uniform Tire Quality Grading” that follows.
Location of treadwear indicators ( P. 304)

410 6-1. Specifications
Tire ply composition and materials
Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the strands
which form the plies in a tire.
Radial tires or bias-ply tires
A radial tire has RADIAL on the sidewall. A tire not marked RADIAL is a
bias-ply tire.
“TUBELESS” or “TUBE TYPE”
A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly filled in the tire. A
tube type tire has a tube inside the tire and the tube maintains the air
pressure.
Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure (P. 415)
Maximum cold tire in flation pressure ( P. 415)
This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.
Summer tires or all season tires ( P. 309)
An all season tire has “M+S” on the sidewall. A tire not marked “M+S”
is a summer tire.
“TEMPORARY USE ONLY” ( P. 373)
A compact spare tire is identified by the phrase “TEMPORARY USE
ONLY” molded into its sidewall. This tire is designed for temporary
emergency use only.

411
6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle specifications
Typical DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)
DOT symbol
*
Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
Tire manufacturer's identifica-
tion mark
Tire size code
Manufacturer's optional tire
type code (3 or 4 letters)
Manufacturing week
Manufacturing year
*: The DOT symbol certifies thatthe tire conforms to applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards.

412 6-1. Specifications
Tire size■ Typical tire size information
The illustration indicates typical
tire size.
Tire use
(P = Passenger car,
T = Temporary use)
Section width (millimeters)
Aspect ratio
(tire height to section width)
Tire construction code
(R = Radial, D = Diagonal)
Wheel diameter (inches)
Load index (2 or 3 digits)
Speed symbol
(alphabet with one letter)
■ Tire dimensions
Section width
Tire height
Wheel diameter

413
6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle specifications
Tire section names
Bead
Sidewall
Shoulder
Tread
Belt
Inner liner
Reinforcing rubber
Carcass
Rim lines
Bead wires
Chafer
Uniform Tire Quality GradingThis information has been prepared in accordance with regulations
issued by the National Highway Tr affic Safety Administration of the
U.S.A. Department of Transportation.
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 grades
All passenger vehicle tires mu st conform to Federal Safety
Requirements in addition to these grades. 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

414 6-1. Specifications
■Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a speci-
fied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1.5) 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, servic e practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
■ Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C,
and they represen t the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled cond itions 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 cornering (turning)
traction.
■ Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent-
ing the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a speci-
fied indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degen-
erate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum required by law.

415
6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle specifications
Warning: The temperature grades of a tire assume that it 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.
Glossary of tire terminology
Tire related termMeaning
Cold tire inflation pres-
sure Tire pressure when the vehicle has been parked
for three hours or more, or has not been driven
more than 1 mile or 1.5 km under that condition
Maximum inflation
pressure The maximum cold inflated pressure to which a
tire may be inflated, shown on the sidewall of the
tire
Recommended infla-
tion pressure Cold tire inflation pressure recommended by a
manufacturer
Accessory weight The combined weight (in excess of those stan-
dard items which may be replaced) of automatic
transmission, power steering, power brakes,
power windows, power seats, radio and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as fac-
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not)
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 condi-
tioning and additional weight optional engine
Maximum loaded vehi-
cle weight The sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight
(d) Production options weight
Normal occupant
weight 150 lb. (68 kg) times the number of occupants
specified in the second column of Table 1
* that
follows

416 6-1. Specifications
Tire related termMeaning
Occupant distribution Distribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified
in the third column of Table 1
* below
Production options
weight The combined weight of installed regular produc-
tion options weighing over 5 lb. (2.3 kg) in excess
of the standard items which they replace, not pre-
viously considered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim
Rim A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire beads are seated
Rim diameter
(Wheel diameter) Nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designation Rim diameter and width
Rim type designation The industry manufacturer's designation for a rim
by style or code
Rim width Nominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle capacity weight
(Total load capacity) The rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lb. (68
kg) times the vehicle's designated seating capac-
ity
Vehicle maximum load
on the tire The load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of the maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight, and dividing by two
Vehicle normal load on
the tire The load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of curb
weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant
weight (distributed in accordance with Table 1
*
below), and dividing by two
Weather side The surface area of the rim not covered by the
inflated tire