EXAMPLE:
DOT MA L9 ABCD 0301
01 = Number representing the year in which the tire was manufactured (two digits)
—01 means the year 2001
— Prior to July 2000, tire manufacturers were only required to have one number to represent the year in which
the tire was manufactured. Example: 031 could represent the 3rd week of 1981 or 1991
Tire Terminology And Definitions
Term Definition
B-Pillar The vehicle B-Pillar is the structural member of the body located behind the
front door.
Cold Tire Inflation Pressure Cold tire inflation pressure is defined as the tire pressure after the vehicle has
not been driven for at least 3 hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after
sitting for a three hour period. Inflation pressure is measured in units of PSI
(pounds per square inch) or kPa (kilopascals).
Maximum Inflation Pressure The maximum inflation pressure is the maximum permissible cold tire infla-
tion pressure for this tire. The maximum inflation pressure is molded into the
sidewall.
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation
Pressure Vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold tire inflation pressure as shown on
the tire placard.
Tire Placard A paper label permanently attached to the vehicle describing the vehicle’s
loading capacity, the original equipment tire sizes and the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures.
224
Tire Loading And Tire
Pressure
Tire And Loading Information
Placard Location
NOTE: The proper cold tire in-
flation pressure is listed on the
driver’s side B-Pillar or the rear
edge of the driver's side door.Tire And Loading Information
Placard
This placard tells you important
information about the:
1) number of people that can be
carried in the vehicle
2) total weight your vehicle can
carry
3) tire size designed for your ve-
hicle
4) cold tire inflation pressures for
the front, rear, and spare tires.
Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire
must not exceed the load carrying ca-
pacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire's load carrying
capacity if you adhere to the loading
conditions, tire size, and cold tire in-
flation pressures specified on the Tire
and Loading Information placard and
in the “Vehicle Loading” section of
this manual. NOTE:
Under a maximum loaded
vehicle condition, gross axle weight
ratings (GAWRs) for the front and
rear axles must not be exceeded.
For further information on GAWRs,
vehicle loading, and trailer towing,
refer to “Vehicle Loading” in this
section.
To determine the maximum loading
conditions of your vehicle, locate the
statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never ex-
ceed XXX lbs or XXX kg” on the Tire
and Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue
weight (if applicable) should never
exceed the weight referenced here.
Tire Placard Location
225
Steps For Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX lbs or
XXX kg” on your vehicle's placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX lbs or XXX kg.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
“XXX” amount equals 1,400 lbs
(635 kg) and there will be five 150 lb
(68 kg) passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(295 kg) (since 5 x 150 = 750, and
1400 – 750 = 650 lbs [295 kg]).5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle.
NOTE:
The following table shows ex-
amples on how to calculate total
load, cargo/luggage, and towing
capacities of your vehicle with
varying seating configurations
and number and size of occu-
pants. This table is for illustration
purposes only and may not be ac-
curate for the seating and load
carry capacity of your vehicle. For the following example, the
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
865 lbs (392 kg).
226
WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is danger-
ous. Overloading can cause tire
failure, affect vehicle handling, and
increase your stopping distance.(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Use tires of the recommended load
capacity for your vehicle. Never
overload them.
227
CAUTION!
After inspecting or adjusting the
tire pressure, always reinstall the
valve stem cap. This will prevent
moisture and dirt from entering the
valve stem, which could damage
the valve stem.
Inflation pressures specified on the
placard are always “cold tire inflation
pressure.” Cold tire inflation pressure
is defined as the tire pressure after the
vehicle has not been driven for at least
three hours, or driven less than
1.6 km after a three hour period. The
cold tire inflation pressure must not
exceed the maximum inflation pres-
sure molded into the tire sidewall.
Check tire pressures more often if
subject to a wide range of outdoor
temperatures, as tire pressures vary
with temperature changes.
Tire pressures change by approxi-
mately 0.07 BAR per 7°C of air tem-
perature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire pressure inside a
garage, especially in the Winter. Example: If garage temperature =
20°C and the outside temperature =
0°C then the cold tire inflation pres-
sure should be increased by
0.21 BAR, which equals 0.07 kPa for
every 7°C for this outside temperature
condition.
Tire pressure may increase from 0.13
to 0.4 BAR during operation. DO
NOT reduce this normal pressure
build up or your tire pressure will be
too low.
TIRE PRESSURES FOR
HIGH SPEED OPERATION
The manufacturer advocates driving
at safe speeds within posted speed
limits. Where speed limits or condi-
tions are such that the vehicle can be
driven at high speeds, maintaining
correct tire inflation pressure is very
important. Increased tire pressure
and reduced vehicle loading may be
required for high-speed vehicle op-
eration. Refer to original equipment
or an authorized tire dealer for recom-
mended safe operating speeds, load-
ing and cold tire inflation pressures.
WARNING!
High speed driving with your ve-
hicle under maximum load is dan-
gerous. The added strain on your
tires could cause them to fail. You
could have a serious collision. Do
not drive a vehicle loaded to the
maximum capacity at continuous
speeds above 120 km/h.
RADIAL PLY TIRESWARNING!
Combining radial ply tires with
other types of tires on your vehicle
will cause your vehicle to handle
poorly. The instability could cause
a collision. Always use radial ply
tires in sets of four. Never combine
them with other types of tires.
Cuts and punctures in radial tires are
repairable only in the tread area be-
cause of sidewall flexing. Consult
your authorized tire dealer for radial
tire repairs.
229
the wheel’s specifications match those
of the original wheels.
It is recommended you contact your
original equipment or an authorized
tire dealer with any questions you
may have on tire specifications or ca-
pability. Failure to use equivalent re-
placement tires may adversely affect
the safety, handling, and ride of your
vehicle.WARNING!
Do not use a tire, wheel size or
rating other than that specified for
your vehicle. Some combinations
of unapproved tires and wheels
may change suspension dimen-
sions and performance character-
istics, resulting in changes to steer-
ing, handling, and braking of your
vehicle. This can cause unpredict-
able handling and stress to steer-
ing and suspension components.
You could lose control and have a
collision resulting in serious injury
or death. Use only the tire and
wheel sizes with load ratings ap-
proved for your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Never use a tire with a smaller load
index or capacity, other than what
was originally equipped on your
vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller
load index could result in tire over-
loading and failure. You could lose
control and have a collision.Failure to equip your vehicle with
tires having adequate speed capa-
bility can result in sudden tire fail-
ure and loss of vehicle control.CAUTION!Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false
speedometer and odometer readings.TIRE CHAINS
(TRACTION DEVICES)
Use of Security Chain Company
(SCC) Super Z6 SZ143 or Iceman Z6
IZ-643 cables or equivalent are rec-
ommended on 225/65R17 tires. NOTE:
These chains can be found at an
authorized LANCIA Dealership.
Do not use tire chains on a com- pact spare tire.
Use of traction devices require suffi-
cient tire-to-body clearance. Follow
these recommendations to guard
against damage.
Traction device must be of proper size for the tire, as recommended by
the traction device manufacturer.
Install on Rear Tires Only.
Due to limited clearance, the Security
Chain Company (SCC) Super Z6 low
profile traction device or equivalent is
recommended on P215/65R17,
P225/60R18 or P235/55R18 tires. For an All Wheel Drive vehicle, P235/55R19 tire with the use of a
traction device that meets the SAE
type “Class S” specification is rec-
ommended.
232
EMERGENCY FUEL
FILLER DOOR RELEASE
If you are unable to open the fuel filler
door, use the fuel filler door emer-
gency release.
1. Open the trunk.
2. Remove the access cover (located
on the left side inner trim panel).
3. Pull the release cable.TRAILER TOWING
In this section you will find safety tips
and information on limits to the type
of towing you can reasonably do with
your vehicle. Before towing a trailer,
carefully review this information to
tow your load as efficiently and safely
as possible.
To maintain warranty coverage, fol-
low the requirements and recommen-
dations in this manual concerning
vehicles used for trailer towing.
COMMON TOWING
DEFINITIONS
The following trailer towing related
definitions will assist you in under-
standing the following information:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR)
The GVWR is the total allowable
weight of your vehicle. This includes
driver, passengers, cargo and tongue
weight. The total load must be limited
so that you do not exceed the GVWR.
Refer to “Vehicle Loading/Vehicle
Certification Label” in “Starting and
Operating” for further information.Gross Trailer Weight (GTW)
The GTW is the weight of the trailer
plus the weight of all cargo, consum-
ables and equipment (permanent or
temporary) loaded in or on the trailer
in its "loaded and ready for opera-
tion" condition. The recommended
way to measure GTW is to put your
fully loaded trailer on a vehicle scale.
The entire weight of the trailer must
be supported by the scale.
Gross Combination Weight Rating
(GCWR)
The GCWR is the total permissible
weight of your vehicle and trailer
when weighed in combination.
NOTE:
The GCWR rating in-
cludes a 68 kg allowance for the
presence of a driver.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum capacity
of the front and rear axles. Distribute
the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not
exceed either front or rear GAWR.
Access CoverRelease Cable
242
Towing Requirements – Tires
– Do not attempt to tow a trailerwhile using a compact spare tire.
– Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe and satisfactory
operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires – General Information” in
“Starting and Operating” for infor-
mation on tire pressures and for
proper tire inflation procedures.
–Check the trailer tires for proper tire
inflation pressures before trailer
usage.– Check for signs of tire wear or vis- ible tire damage before towing a
trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for information on tread
wear indicators and for the proper
inspection procedure.
– When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Information” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for information
on replacement tires and for the
proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher
load carrying capacity will not in-
crease the vehicle's GVWR and
GAWR limits. Towing Requirements – Trailer
Brakes
– Do
notinterconnect the hydraulic
brake system or vacuum system of
your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate brak-
ing and possible personal injury.
–
An electronically actuated trailer
brake controller is required when
towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a
trailer equipped with a hydraulic
surge actuated brake system, an
electronic brake controller is not
required.–Trailer brakes are recommended for
trailers over 454 kg and required for
trailers in excess of 907 kg.CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than
454 kg loaded, it should have its
own brakes, and they should be of
adequate capacity. Failure to do
this could lead to accelerated brake
wear, higher brake pedal effort, and
longer stopping distances.
WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle's hydraulic brake
lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You
might not have brakes when you
need them and could have a col-
lision.
Towing any trailer will increase
your stopping distance. When
towing, you should allow for addi-
tional space between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front of you.
Failure to do so could result in a
collision.
Towing Requirements – Trailer
Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regard-
less of the trailer size, stoplights and
turn signals on the trailer are required
for motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include
a 7-pin or a 13-pin wiring harness.
Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
247