ble load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (Y page 372).
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) US tire regulations stipulate that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN
in or on the sidewall of each tire produced. The TIN is a unique identification number. The
TIN enables the tire manufacturers or retread- ers to inform purchasers of recalls and other
safety-relevant matters. It makes it possible
for the purchaser to easily identify the affec-
ted tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identifi-
cation code 0044, tire size0087, tire type code 0085
and manufacturing date 0083.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol 0043marks that the tire complies with
the requirements of the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code: manu-
facturer identification code 0044provides
details on the tire manufacturer. New tires
have a code with two symbols. Retreaded
tires have a code with four symbols.
For further information about retreaded tires,
see (Y page 362).
Tire size: identifier0087describes the tire size. Tire type code:
tire type code0085can be used
by the manufacturer as a code to describe
specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufacture
0083 provides information about the age of a
tire. The first and second positions represent
the week of manufacture, starting with "01"
for the first calendar week. Positions three
and four represent the year of manufacture.
For example, a tire that is marked with
"3208", was manufactured in week 32 in
2008.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in sidewall
0043
and under tire tread 0044.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Definition of terms for tires and loading Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of plies or the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Bar
Metric unit for tire pressure. 14.5038 poundsper square inch (psi) and 100 kilopascals
(kPa) are the equivalent of 1 bar. All about wheels and tires
381Wheels and tires Z
