Tires 9-20 Vehicle care and maintenance
9
EXAMPLE: DOT MA L9 ABCD 1504
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlledconditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one- half (1
1/2) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tiresdepends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due tovariations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Thosegrades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci- fied government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction perfor- mance. The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the generation ofheat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled condi- tions on a specified indoor laboratorytest wheel. Sustained high tempera- ture can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, andexcessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C cor- responds to a level of performancewhich all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehi- cle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory testwheel than the minimum required by law.
DOT
Department of Transporta- tion This symbol certifies thatthe tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation tire safetystandards, and is approved for highway use.
MA
Code representing the tire manufacturing location. (2 digits)
L9 ABCD
Code representing the tire size. (2 digits)Code used by tire manufac- turer. (1 to 4 digits)
15
Number representing the week in which the tire wasmanufactured. (2 digits)
04
Number representing the year in which the tire was manufactured. (2 digits)
Treadwear, Traction and Temper- ature Grades Treadwear Tr a c t i o n
Temperature
Consumer information (For vehicles sold in U.S.A.) 10-2 Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
10
N01047100100
This information is provided in compliance with the requirements of the National High-way Traffic Safety Administration, Depart- ment of Transportation. It provides the purchasers and/or prospective purchaserswith information on reporting safety defects. DOT quality grades - All passenger vehicle tires must conform to Federal Safety Require-ments in addition to these grades. The spe- cific grade rating in each grade category is shown on the side wall of the tires on yourvehicle. The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tiregraded 150 would wear one and one-half (11/2) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart signifi- cantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ- ences in road characteristics and climate. The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those grades representthe tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement asmeasured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poortraction performance. The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C, representing the tire’s resistance to thegeneration of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre- sponds to a level of performance which allpassenger car tires must meet under the Fed- eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels ofperformance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
N01047201485
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) in addi- tion to notifying Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.
Consumer information (For vehicles sold in U.S.A.) Uniform tire quality grading Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
WA R N I N G The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak tractioncharacteristics.
Temperature A, B, C
WA R N I N G The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive load-ing, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Reporting Safety Defects
