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2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropri
-
ate to the prevailing weather conditions.
n Pre-winter preparations
lUse
fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tem -
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
l Have a se
rvice technician inspect the level and specific grav -
ity of battery electrolyte.
l Have the veh
icle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set
of tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
n Before driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.
lDo
not try to forcibly open a window, scrape an outside rear
view mirror surface or move a wiper or outside rear view mir -
ror that is frozen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to
me
lt the ice. Wipe away the water immediately to prevent it
from freezing.
l T
o ensure proper operation of th e climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents
in front of the windshield.
l Remove a
ny ice that has accumu lated on the vehicle chassis.
l Pe
riodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow
that may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the
brakes.
362 6-1. Specifications
nTreadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear
rate of th
e 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 the
ir use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
n 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 condit ions 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.
n 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, a nd excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a leve l of performance which all p
assen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan -
dard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher leve
ls of performance on the labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
