10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively.
. Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine. NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle
’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. ! Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody. Carefully flush the suspen-
sion and axle parts, as they are particu-
larly prone to mud and sand buildup. Do
not use a sharp-edged tool to remove
caked mud. NOTE
Be careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-nents. !
Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle. . Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
&Glossary of tire terminology
. Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be
replaced) of automatic transmis-
sion, power steering, power brakes,
power windows, power seats, radio,
and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in-
stalled equipment (whether in-
stalled or not). . Bead
The 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 separation
A breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead. . Bias ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at alternate angles substantially
less than 90 degrees to the center-
line of the tread. . Carcass
The tire structure, except tread and sidewall rubber which, when in-
flated, bears the load.
. Chunking
The breaking away of pieces of the
tread or sidewall.. Cold tire pressure
The pressure in a tire that has been
driven less than 1 mile or has been
standing for three hours or more.. Cord
The strands forming the plies in the tire. . Cord separation
The parting of cords from adjacent
rubber compounds.. Cracking
Any parting within the tread, side-
wall, or inner liner of the tire
extending to cord material. . 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 weight
optional engine. .
Extra load tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and higher inflation pressure
than the corresponding standardtire. . Groove
The space between two adjacent
tread ribs.. Innerliner
The layer(s) forming the inside sur-
face of a tubeless tire that contains
the inflating medium within the tire. . Innerliner separation
The parting of the innerliner from
cord material in the carcass.. Intended outboard sidewall
(1) The sidewall that contains a
whitewall, bears white lettering
or bears manufacturer, brand,
and/or model name molding that
is higher or deeper than the
same molding on the other side-
wall of the tire, or (2) The outward facing sidewall
of an asymmetrical tire that has
a particular side that must al-
ways face outward when mount-
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-7
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sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim. .Radial ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread. . Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer. . Reinforced tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pres-
sures than the corresponding stan-
dard tire. . Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire
and tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated. . Rim diameter
Nominal diameter of the bead seat. . Rim size designation
Rim diameter and width. .
Rim type designation
The industry of manufacturer ’s des-
ignation for a rim by style or code. . Rim width
Nominal distance between rim flanges. . Section width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, excluding elevations
due to labeling, decoration, or
protective bands. . Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.. Sidewall separation
The parting of the rubber com-
pound from the cord material in
the sidewall.. Test rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
testing, and it may be any rim listed
as appropriate for use with that tire.. Tread
That portion of a tire that comes
into contact with the road. .
Tread rib
A tread section running circumfer-
entially around a tire. . Tread separation
Pulling away of the tread from the
tire carcass. . Treadwear indicators (TWI)
The projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a visual
indication of the degrees of wear of
the tread. . Vehicle capacity weight
The rated cargo and luggage load
plus 150 lbs (68 kg) times thevehicle ’s designated seating capa-
city. . Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
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 tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-9
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13-14Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
occupants to three), and a child
restraint system weighing 11 lbs (5
kg) is installed in the vehicle for the
child to use, the calculations are asfollows. 1. Calculate the total weight.
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3. The total weight now exceeds
the capacity weight by 32 lbs (15
kg), so the cargo weight must be
reduced by 32 lbs (15 kg) or more. & Determining compatibility of
tire and vehicle load capaci- ties
The sum of four tires ’maximum
load ratings must exceed the max-
imum loaded vehicle weight( “ GVWR ”). In addition, sum of the
maximum load ratings of two front
tires and of two rear tires must
exceed each axle ’smaximum
loaded capacity ( “GAWR ”). Original
equipment tires are designed to
fulfill those conditions.
The maximum loaded vehicle
weight is referred to Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). And each axle ’s maximum loaded capacity is
referred to Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing (GAWR). The GVWR and eachaxle ’s GAWR are shown on the
vehicle certification label affixed to
the driver ’s door. The GVWR and front and rear
GAWRs are determined by not only
the maximum load rating of tires but
also loaded capacities of the vehi-cle
’s suspension, axles and other
parts of the body.
Therefore, this means that the
vehicle cannot necessarily be
loaded up to the tire ’s maximum
load rating on the tire sidewall.
& Adverse safety conse-
quences of overloading on
handling and stopping and
on tires
Overloading could affect vehicle
handling, stopping distance, and
vehicle and tire performance in the
following ways. This could lead to
an accident and possibly result in
severe personal injury. . Vehicle stability will deteriorate.
. Heavy and/or high-mounted
loads could increase the risk of
rollover. . Stopping distance will increase.
. Brakes could overheat and fail.