2009 TOYOTA MATRIX Owners Manual

409 6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle 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 main-
tains the air pressure.
Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure (→P. 307)
Maximum cold tire inflation pressure (→P. 400)
This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.
Summer tires or all season tires (→P. 308)
An all season tire has “M+S” on the sidewall. A tire not marked
“M+S” is a summer tire.
“TEMPORARY USE ONLY” (→P. 371)
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.

410 6-1. 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
that the tire conforms to
applicable Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.

411 6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle 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

412 6-1. Specifications
Tire section names
Bead
Sidewall
Shoulder
Tread
Belt
Inner liner
Reinforcing rubber
Carcass
Rim lines
Bead wires
Chafer
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
This information has been prepared in accordance with regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic 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 must 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

413 6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle 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 (1-1/2)
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 AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C,
and they 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 cornering (turn-
ing) 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
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the labo-
ratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.

414 6-1. Specifications
Warning: The temperature grades for this tire are established for a
tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.
Glossary of tire terminology
Tire related termMeaning
Cold tire inflation pres-
sureTire 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
pressureThe maximum cold inflated pressure to which a
tire may be inflated, shown on the sidewall of
the tire
Recommended infla-
tion pressureCold tire inflation pressure recommended by a
manufacturer
Accessory weightThe 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)
Curb weightThe 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 weight optional
engine
Maximum loaded vehi-
cle weightThe sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight
(d) Production options weight

415 6-1. Specifications
6
Vehicle specifications
Tire related termMeaning
Normal occupant
weight150 lb. (68 kg) times the number of occupants
specified in the second column of Table 1
* that
follows
Occupant distributionDistribution of occupants in a vehicle as speci-
fied in the third column of Table 1
* below
Production options
weightThe combined weight of installed regular pro-
duction options weighing over 5 lb. (2.3 kg) in
excess of the standard items which they
replace, not previously considered in curb
weight or accessory weight, including heavy
duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim
RimA 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 designationThe 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
capacity
Vehicle maximum load
on the tireThe load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehicle weight, and dividing
by two
Vehicle normal load
on the tireThe load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of curb
weight, accessory weight, and normal occu-
pant weight (distributed in accordance with
Ta b l e 1
* below), and dividing by two

416 6-1. Specifications
Tire related termMeaning
Weather sideThe surface area of the rim not covered by the
inflated tire
BeadThe part of the tire that is made of steel wires,
wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim
Bead separationA breakdown of the bond between components
in the bead
Bias ply tireA pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at alternate angles
substantially less than 90 degrees to the cen-
terline of the tread
CarcassThe tire structure, except tread and sidewall
rubber which, when inflated, bears the load
ChunkingThe breaking away of pieces of the tread or
sidewall
Cord The strands forming the plies in the tire
Cord separationThe parting of cords from adjacent rubber com-
pounds
CrackingAny parting within the tread, sidewall, or inner-
liner of the tire extending to cord material
CTA pneumatic tire with an inverted flange tire
and rim system in which the rim is designed
with rim flanges pointed radially inward and the
tire is designed to fit on the underside of the
rim in a manner that encloses the rim flanges
inside the air cavity of the tire
Extra load tireA tire designed to operate at higher loads and
at higher inflation pressures than the corre-
sponding standard tire
Groove The space between two adjacent tread ribs
InnerlinerThe layer(s) forming the inside surface of a
tubeless tire that contains the inflating medium
within the tire