2015 Acura MDX width

132 || 133
mAINTeNANCe
mAINTeNANCe
Tire Service Life
The life of your tires is dependent on many factors, including driving habits, road
conditions, vehicle loading, inflation pressure, maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even when the tires are not in use).
In addition to regular inspections and inflation pressure maintenance, it is recommended
that you have annual inspections performed once the tires reach five years old. All tires,
including the spare, should be removed from service after 10 years from the date of
manufacture, regardless of their condition or state of wear.
Winter Tires
If driving on snowy or frozen roads, mount all season tires marked “M+S”, snow tires, or
tire chains; reduce speed; and maintain sufficient distance between vehicles when driving.
For winter tires, select the size and load ranges that are the same as the original tires, and
mount them to all four wheels.
Tire Chains
Install tire chains on the front tires only. Because your vehicle has limited tire clearance,
we strongly recommend using the following chains: Cable type: SCC Cable Chain ZT735.
Mount chains as tightly as you can, and make sure that they do not touch the brake lines
or suspension.
Using the wrong chains, or not properly installing chains, can damage the
brake lines and cause a crash in which you can be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this guide regarding the selection and use of tire
chains.
Traction devices that are the wrong size or improperly installed can damage your
vehicle’s brake lines, suspension, body, and wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the vehicle.
WArNING
NoTICe
Tire Labeling
The tires that came on your vehicle have a number of markings. Those you should
be aware of are described below.
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The tire identification number (TIN)
is a group of numbers and letters that
look like the example shown. TIN is
located on the sidewall of the tire.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
Cold Tire Pressure – The tire air pressure when the vehicle has been parked for at
least three hours or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Load Rating – The maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given inflation
pressure.
Maximum Inflation Pressure – The maximum tire air pressure that the tire can
hold.
Maximum Load Rating – The load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible
inflation pressure for that tire.
Recommended Inflation Pressure – The cold tire inflation pressure recommended
by the manufacturer.
Treadwear Indicators (TWI) – The projections within the principal grooves
designed to give a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread.
DO T B97R FW6X 2209
DOT: This indicates that the tire meets all
requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
B97R: Manufacturer’s identication mark.
FW6X: Tire type code.
22 09: Date of manufacture.
YearWeek
Here is an example of what each marking
means:
215/70R16 100S
•  215: tire width in millimeters
•  70: aspect ratio (tire section height as a
percentage of its width)
•  R: tire construction code (radial)
•  16: rim diameter in inches
•  100: load index (code indicating maximum
load tire can carry)
•  S: speed symbol (code indicating
maximum speed rating)Tire size Tire
Identication
Number (TIN)
Maximum
tire load
Maximum
tire pressure
Tire size

134 || 135
mAINTeNANCe
mAINTeNANCe
Do T Tire Quality Grading
The tires on your vehicle meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All tires are also
graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature performance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards. The following explains these gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
TreadwearThe 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 tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) 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 significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices, and differences in road characteristics and
climate.
TractionThe traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance.
WARNING: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
TemperatureThe temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation 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 corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
WArNING: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.