2012 SUBARU LEGACY Owners Manual

13-4Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
!Maximum load rating
The load rating at the maximum
permissible weight load for this tire.
For example, “MAX. LOAD 615 kg
(1,356 LBS) @ 350 kPa (51 PSI)
MAX. PRESS. ”
WARNING
Maximum load rating applies
only to the tire, not to the
vehicle. Putting a load rated
tire on any vehicle does not
mean the vehicle can be
loaded up to the tire ’s rated
load.
! Construction type
Applicable construction of this tire.
For example, “TUBELESS STEEL
BELTED RADIAL ”
! Construction
The generic name of each cord
material used in the plies (both
sidewall and tread area) of this tire.
For example, “PLIES: TREAD 2 STEEL + 2 POLYESTER + 1
NYLON SIDEWALL 2 POLYE- STER
”
! Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
For details, refer to “Uniform tire
quality grading standards ”F 13-14 .
& Recommended tire inflation pressure
! Recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressure
For the recommended cold tire
inflation pressure for your vehicle ’s
tires, refer to “Tires ”F 12-9 . !
Vehicle placard
The vehicle placard is affixed to the driver ’s side B-pillar.
Example:

The vehicle placard shows original
tire size, recommended cold tire
inflation pressure on each tire at
maximum loaded vehicle weight,
seating capacity and loading infor-mation. !Adverse safety consequences
of under-inflation
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to flex severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and failure of the
tire(s). Possible resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to anaccident. ! Measuring and adjusting air
pressure to achieve proper in-
flation
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month and
before any long journey. Check the
tire pressures when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to
adjust the tire pressures to the specific values. Driving even a
short distance warms up the tires
and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected
by the outside temperature. It is
best to check tire pressure out-
doors before driving the vehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air
inside it expands, causing the tire
pressure to increase. Be careful not
to mistakenly release air from a
warm tire to reduce its pressure.
& 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 thetire.. Cord separation
The parting of cords from adjacent
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13-6Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
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-
ing on a vehicle.
. Light truck (LT) tire
A tire designated by its manufac-
turer as primarily intended for use
on lightweight trucks or multipur-
pose passenger vehicles. . Load rating
The maximum load that a tire is
rated to carry for a given inflation pressure. . Maximum inflation pressure
The maximum cold inflation pres-
sure to which a tire may be inflated.. Maximum load rating
The load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire. .
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of: (a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight
(d) Production options weight
. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
The maximum cold inflation pres-
sure to which a tire may be inflated.. Measuring rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
physical dimension requirements.. Normal occupant weight
150 lbs (68 kg) times the number of
occupants specified in the second
column of Table 1 that is appended
to the end of this section. . Occupant distribution
Distribution of occupants in a vehi-
cle as specified in the third column
of Table 1 that is appended to the
end of this section. . Open splice
Any parting at any junction of tread,

sidewall, or innerliner that extends
to cord material..Outer diameter
The overall diameter of an inflated
new tire.. Overall width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, including elevations
due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs. . Passenger car tire
A tire intended for use on passen-
ger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, and trucks, that have a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 10,000 lbs (4,535 kg) or less. . Ply
A layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.. Ply separation
A parting of rubber compound
between adjacent plies.. Pneumatic tire
A mechanical device made of rub-
ber, chemicals, fabric and steel or
other materials, that, when mounted on an automotive wheel,
provides the traction and contains
the gas or fluid that sustains the load.
. Production options weight
The combined weight of those
installed regular production options
weighing over 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) in
excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously
considered in curb weight or acces-
sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specialtrim. . 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-
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13-8Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
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,
accessory weight, and normal oc-
cupant weight (distributed in accor-
dance with Table 1 that is ap-
pended to the end of this section)
and dividing by 2. . Wheel-holding fixture
The fixture used to hold the wheel
and tire assembly securely duringtesting.

Table 1—Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for
various designated seating capacities
Designated seating
capacity, number of
occupants Vehicle normal load,
number of occupants Occupant distribution in a
normally loaded vehicle
2 through 4 2 2 in front.
5 through 10 3 2 in front, 1 in second seat.
11 through 15 5 2 in front, 1 in second
seat, 1 in third seat, 1 in
fourth seat.
16 through 22 7 2 in front, 2 in second
seat, 2 in third seat, 1 in
fourth seat.&
Tire care –maintenance and
safety practices
. Check on a daily basis that the
tires are free from serious damage,
nails, and stones. At the same time,
check the tires for abnormal wear. . Inspect the tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visi-
ble. When a tire ’s tread wear
indicator becomes visible, the tire
is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately.
With a tire in this condition, driving
at even low speeds in wet weather
can cause the vehicle to hydro-
plane. Possible resulting loss of
vehicle control can lead to anaccident.
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13-10Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
. To maximize the life of each tire
and ensure that the tires wear
uniformly, it is best to rotate the
tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Rotating the tires involves switch-
ing the front and rear tires on the
right-hand side of the vehicle and
similarly switching the front and
rear tires on the left-hand side of
the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly
worn tire at the time of rotation.
After tire rotation, adjust the tire
pressures and make sure the wheel
nuts are correctly tightened. For
information about the tightening
torque and tightening sequence
for the wheel nuts, refer to “Flat
tires ”F 9-6 .
& Vehicle load limit –how to
determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the driver
’s side B-pillar. Locate the
statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs ”
on your vehicle ’s placard.
Thevehicleplacardalsoshows
seating capacity of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes the
total weight of driver and all pas-
sengers and their belongings, any
cargo, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike
carrier, etc., and the tongue load of
a trailer. Therefore cargo capacity
can be calculated by the following method.
Cargo capacity = Load limit (total
weight of occupants + total weight
of optional equipment + tongue
load of a trailer (if applicable))
For towing capacity information and
weight limits, refer to “Trailer tow-
ing ”F 8-19 . !
Calculating total and load ca-
pacities varying seating con-
figurations
Calculate the available load capa-
city as shown in the followingexamples:
Example 1A
Vehicle capacity weight of the
vehicle is 800 lbs (363 kg), which
is indicated on the vehicle placard
with the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed 363 kg or
800 lbs ”.
For example, if the vehicle has one

occupant weighing 154 lbs (70 kg)
plus cargo weighing 551 lbs (250 kg). 1.Calculate the total weight.
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity by subtracting the total
weight from the vehicle capacity
weight of 800 lbs (363 kg).
3. The result of step 2 shows that a
further 95 lbs (43 kg) of cargo can
be carried. Example 1B
For example, if a person weighing
176 lbs (80 kg) now enters the
same vehicle (bringing the number
of occupants to two), the calcula-
tions are as follows: 1.
Calculate the total weight.
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3. The total weight now exceeds
the capacity weight by 81 lbs (37
kg), so the cargo weight must be
reduced by 81 lbs (37 kg) or more.
Example 2A
Vehicle capacity weight of the
vehicle is 800 lbs (363 kg), which
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