Damaged Run Flat tires, or Run Flat
tires that have experienced a loss of
pressure should be replaced immedi-
ately with another Run Flat tire of
identical size and service description
(Load Index and Speed Code).
Tire Types
All Season Tires (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
All Season tires provide traction for
all seasons (spring, summer, fall and
winter). Traction levels may vary be-
tween different all season tires. All
season tires can be identified by the
M+S, M&S, M/S or MS designation on
the tire sidewall. Use all season tires
only in sets of four; failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and
handling of your vehicle.
Summer Or Three Season Tires
(for versions/markets, where
provided)
Summer tires provide traction in both
wet and dry conditions, and are not
intended to be driven in snow or on
ice. If your vehicle is equipped withsummer tires, be aware these tires are
not designed for winter or cold driving
conditions. For more information,
contact a authorized dealer. Summer
tires do not contain the all season
designation or mountain/snowflake
symbol on the tire sidewall.
Use summer tires only in sets of four;
failure to do so may adversely affect
the safety and handling of your ve-
hicle.
Snow Tires
Some areas of the country require the
use of snow tires during the winter.
Snow tires can be identified by a
mountain/snowflake symbol on the
tire sidewall.
If you need snow tires, select tires
equivalent in size and type to the
original equipment tires. Use snow
tires only in sets of four; failure to do
so may adversely affect the safety and
handling of your vehicle.
Snow tires generally have lower speed
ratings than what was originally
equipped with your vehicle and
should not be operated at sustained
speeds over 120 km/h. For speeds
above 120 km/h refer to original
equipment or an authorized tire
dealer for recommended safe operat-
ing speeds, loading and cold tire infla-
tion pressures.
While studded tires improve perfor-
mance on ice, skid and traction capa-
bility on wet or dry surfaces may be
poorer than that of non-studded tires.
Some states prohibit studded tires;
therefore, local laws should be
checked before using these tire types.
Run Flat Tires (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
Run Flat tires allow you the capability
to drive 80 km at 80 km/h after a
rapid loss of inflation pressure. This
rapid loss of inflation is referred to as
the Run Flat mode. A Run Flat mode
occurs when the tire inflation pressure
is of/or below 96 kPa. Once a Run
Flat tire reaches the run flat mode it
has limited driving capabilities and
needs to be replaced immediately. A
Run Flat tire is not repairable.
261
It is not recommended driving a ve-
hicle loaded at full capacity or to tow
a trailer while a tire is in the run flat
mode.
See the tire pressure monitoring sec-
tion for more information.
Spare Tires (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
NOTE: For vehicles equipped
with TIREFIT instead of a spare
tire, please refer to “TIREFIT KIT”
in “In an emergency” for further
information.
CAUTION!
Because of the reduced ground
clearance, do not take your vehicle
through an automatic car wash
with a compact, full size or limited-
use temporary spare installed.
Damage to the vehicle may result.Spare Tire Matching Original
Equipped Tire And Wheel (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
spare tire and wheel equivalent in
look and function to the original
equipment tire and wheel found on
the front or rear axle of your vehicle.
This spare tire may be used in the tire
rotation for your vehicle. If your ve-
hicle has this option, refer to an au-
thorized tire dealer for the recom-
mended tire rotation pattern.
Compact Spare Tire (for
versions/markets, where provided)
The compact spare is for temporary
emergency use only. You can identify if
your vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare by looking at the spare tire
description on the Tire and Loading
Information Placard located on the
driver’s side door opening or on the
sidewall of the tire. Compact spare tire
descriptions begin with the letter “T”
or “S” preceding the size designation.
Example: T145/80D18 103M.
T,S=T
emporary Spare Tire Since this tire has limited tread life,
the original equipment tire should be
repaired (or replaced) and reinstalled
on your vehicle at the first opportu-
nity.
Do not install a wheel cover or at-
tempt to mount a conventional tire on
the compact spare wheel, since the
wheel is designed specifically for the
compact spare tire. Do not install
more than one compact spare tire and
wheel on the vehicle at any given time.
WARNING!
Compact spares are for temporary
emergency use only. With these
spares, do not drive more than
80 km/h. Temporary use spares
have limited tread life. When the
tread is worn to the tread wear in-
dicators, the temporary use spare
tire needs to be replaced. Be sure to
follow the warnings, which apply to
your spare. Failure to do so could
result in spare tire failure and loss
of vehicle control.
262
Full Size Spare (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
The full size spare is for temporary
emergency use only. This tire may
look like the originally equipped tire
on the front or rear axle of your ve-
hicle, but it is not. This spare tire may
have limited tread life. When the
tread is worn to the tread wear indi-
cators, the temporary use full size
spare tire needs to be replaced. Since
it is not the same as your original
equipment tire, replace (or repair) the
original equipment tire and reinstall
on the vehicle at the first opportunity.
Limited-Use Spare (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
The limited-use spare tire is for tem-
porary emergency use only. This tire is
identified by a label located on the
limited-use spare wheel. This label
contains the driving limitations for
this spare. This tire may look like the
original equipped tire on the front orrear axle of your vehicle, but it is not.
Installation of this limited-use spare
tire affects vehicle handling. Since it is
not the same as your original equip-
ment tire, replace (or repair) the origi-
nal equipment tire and reinstall on the
vehicle at the first opportunity.
WARNING!
Limited-use spares are for emer-
gency use only. Installation of this
limited-use spare tire affects ve-
hicle handling. With this tire, do
not drive more than the speed listed
on the limit-use spare wheel. Keep
inflated to the cold tire inflation
pressures listed on your Tire and
Loading Information Placard lo-
cated on the driver’s side B-Pillar or
the rear edge of the driver’s side
door. Replace (or repair) the origi-
nal equipment tire at the first op-
portunity and reinstall it on your
vehicle. Failure to do so could result
in loss of vehicle control.
Tire Spinning
When stuck in mud, sand, snow, or ice
conditions, do not spin your vehicle's
wheels above 48 km/h or for longer
than 30 seconds continuously without
stopping.
Refer to “Freeing A Stuck Vehicle” in
“In an emergency” for further infor-
mation.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be danger-
ous. Forces generated by excessive
wheel speeds may cause tire dam-
age or failure. A tire could explode
and injure someone. Do not spin
your vehicle's wheels faster than
48 km/h for more than 30 seconds
continuously when you are stuck,
and do not let anyone near a spin-
ning wheel, no matter what the
speed.
263
Tread Wear Indicators
Tread wear indicators are in the origi-
nal equipment tires to help you in
determining when your tires should
be replaced.
These indicators are molded into the
bottom of the tread grooves. They will
appear as bands when the tread depth
becomes 2 mm. When the tread is
worn to the tread wear indicators, the
tire should be replaced. Refer to “Re-
placement Tires” in this section for
further information.
Life Of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent
upon varying factors including, but
not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Performance tires, tires with aspeed rating of V or higher, and
summer tires typically have a re-
duced tread life. Rotation of these
tires per the vehicle maintenance
schedule is highly recommended.
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be
replaced after six years, regardless
of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in
sudden tire failure. You could lose
control and have a collision result-
ing in serious injury or death. Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide
a balance of many characteristics.
They should be inspected regularly
for wear and correct cold tire inflation
pressure. The manufacturer strongly
recommends that you use tires
equivalent to the originals in size,
quality and performance when re-
placement is needed. Refer to the
paragraph on “Tread Wear Indica-
tors”. Refer to the Tire and Loading
Information placard or the Vehicle
Certification Label for the size desig-
nation of your tire. The Load Index
and Speed Symbol for your tire will be
found on the original equipment tire
sidewall. See the Tire Sizing Chart
example found in the Tire Safety In-
formation section of this manual for
more information relating to the Load
Index and Speed Symbol of a tire.
1—WornTire
2 — New Tire
264
It is recommended to replace the two
front tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
affect your vehicle’s handling. If you
ever replace a wheel, make sure that
the wheel’s specifications match those
of the original wheels.
It is recommended you contact your
authorized tire dealer or original
equipment dealer with any questions
you may have on tire specifications or
capability. Failure to use equivalent
replacement tires may adversely af-
fect 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.
Never use a tire with a smallerload index or capacity, other than
what was originally equipped on
your vehicle. Using a tire with a
smaller load index could result in
tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have a col-
lision.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
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 read-
ings.
TIRE CHAINS
(TRACTION DEVICES)
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, on a 225/ 65R17 102H, use reduced size
snow chains or traction devices
265
with a maximum projection of
6 mm beyond the tire profile.
WARNING!
Using tires of different size and type
(M+S, Snow) between front and
rear axles can cause unpredictable
handling. You could lose control
and have a collision.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or
tires, observe the following precau-
tions:
Because of restricted traction de-vice clearance between tires and
other suspension components, it
is important that only traction
devices in good condition are
used. Broken devices can cause
serious damage. Stop the vehicle
immediately if noise occurs that
could indicate device breakage.
Remove the damaged parts of the
device before further use.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
Install device as tightly as pos-sible and then retighten after
driving about 0.8 km.
Do not exceed 48 km/h.
Drive cautiously and avoid severe turns and large bumps, especially
with a loaded vehicle.
Do not drive for prolonged period on dry pavement.
Observe the traction device manufacturer’s instructions on
the method of installation, oper-
ating speed, and conditions for
use. Always use the suggested op-
erating speed of the device manu-
facturer’s if it is less than
48 km/h.
Do not use traction devices on a compact spare tire.
TIRE ROTATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
The tires on the front and rear of your
vehicle operate at different loads and
perform different steering, driving, and braking functions. For these rea-
sons, they wear at unequal rates.
These effects can be reduced by
timely rotation of tires. The benefits
of rotation are especially worthwhile
with aggressive tread designs such as
those on all season type tires. Rotation
will increase tread life, help to main-
tain mud, snow and wet traction lev-
els, and contribute to a smooth, quiet
ride.
NOTE: Rotate tires at the first
sign of irregular wear.
TIRE PRESSURE
MONITOR SYSTEM
(TPMS)
The TPMS will warn the driver of a
low tire pressure based on the cold
inflation tire pressure requirements
found on the tire placard located on
the driver's-side B-pillar.
The tire pressure will vary with tem-
perature by about 0.07 BAR for every
7°C. This means that when the out-
side temperature decreases, the tire
pressure will decrease. Tire pressure
266
should always be set based on cold
inflation tire pressure. This is defined
as the tire pressure after a vehicle has
not been driven for more than three
hours - and in outside ambient tem-
perature.Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for information on how to
properly inflate the vehicle’s tires.
The tire pressure will also increase as
the vehicle is driven - this is normal
and there should be no adjustment for
this increased pressure.
The TPMS will warn the driver of a
low tire pressure if the tire pressure
falls below the low pressure warning
threshold for any reason, including
low temperature effects, or natural air
pressure loss through the tire.
The TPMS will continue to warn the
driver of low tire pressure as long as
the condition exists, and will not turn
off until the tire pressure is at or above
recommended cold tire placard pres-
sure. Once the low tire pressure warn-
ing has been illuminated, the tire
pressure must be increased to the rec-
ommended cold tire placard pressure in order for the “Tire Pressure Moni-
toring Telltale Light” to be turned off.
The system will automatically update
and the “Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale Light” will extinguish once
the updated tire pressures have been
received. The vehicle may need to be
driven for up to 20 minutes above
24 km/h to receive this information.
For example, your vehicle may have a
recommended cold (parked for more
than three hours) tire pressure of 2.4
BAR. If the ambient temperature is
20°C and the measured tire pressure
is 2.1 BAR, a temperature drop to
-7°C will decrease the tire pressure to
approximately 1.8 BAR. This tire
pressure is sufficiently low enough to
turn on the “Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale Light.” Driving the vehicle
may cause the tire pressure to rise to
approximately 2.1 BAR, but the “Tire
Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light”
will still be on. In this situation, the
“Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
Light” will turn off only after the tires
have been inflated to the vehicle’s rec-
ommended cold tire pressure value.CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized
for the original equipment tires
and wheels. TPMS pressures have
been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Unde-
sirable system operation or sensor
damage may result when using
replacement equipment that is
not of the same size, type, and/or
style. Aftermarket wheels can
cause sensor damage. It is recom-
mended not to use aftermarket
sealants or balance beads if your
vehicle is equipped with a TPMS,
as damage to the sensors may re-
sult. In case of use of aftermarket
tire sealants not equivalent to the
original TIREFIT sealant, please
take your vehicle to a authorized
dealer to have the sensor function
checked.
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 dam-
age the TPMS sensor.
267
Towing Requirements – Tires
Do not attempt to tow a trailerwhile using a compact spare tire.
Proper tire inflation pressures are essential for the safe and satisfac-
tory operation of your vehicle. Re-
fer to “Tires – General Informa-
tion” in “Starting and Operating”
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 the proper inspection
procedure.
When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Information” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for proper tire
replacement procedures. Replacing
tires with a higher load carrying
capacity will not increase the vehi-
cle'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.
– 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 450 kg and re-
quired for trailers in excess of
750 kg.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than
450 kg loaded, it should have its
own brakes, and they should be of
adequate capacity. Failure to do
this could lead to accelerated brake
lining wear, higher brake pedal ef-
fort, and longer stopping distances.
WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes toyour 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 an ac-
cident.
Towing any trailer will increase your stopping distance. When
towing, you should allow for ad-
ditional space between your ve-
hicle and the vehicle in front of
you. Failure to do so could result
in an accident.
Towing Requirements – Trailer
Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regard-
less of the trailer size, stop lights and
turn signals on the trailer are required
for motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include
a seven-pin or a thirteen-pin wiring
harness. Use a factory approved
trailer harness and connector.
NOTE: Do not cut or splice wiring
into the vehicles wiring harness.
280