2015 SMART FORTWO COUPE tires

Treadwear indicator
:appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Storing tires !
Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact with oil, grease and fuels.
Cleaning tires !
Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire. Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a U.S.
Government requirement designed to give
drivers consistent and reliable informa-
tion regarding tire performance. Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires
based on three performance factors: tread- wear
:, traction ;, and temperature
resistance =. Although not a Government
of Canada requirement, all tires made for
sale in North America have these grades
branded on the sidewall.
i For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example: Treadwear Traction Temperature
200 AA A
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified U.S. 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 hab-
its, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction G
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. 138
Tires and wheels>> Operation.

The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent 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 perform-
ance.
Temperature G
WARNING
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 excessive heat build-up and pos- sible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability todissipate heat when tested under control-
led conditions on a specified indoor lab-
oratory test wheel. Sustained high temper- ature 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 perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. Rotating tires
G
WARNING
Do not rotate front and rear wheels as they
have different dimensions, e.g. rim size,
wheel offset etc. Otherwise, the handling
can be affected and you could endanger
yourself and others. Thoroughly clean the mounting face of the
wheels and brake discs, i.e. the inner side of the wheels/tires each time the wheels/
tires are changed. Check for and ensure
proper tire inflation pressure. G
WARNING
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
81 lb‑ft (110 Nm).
Only use genuine smart wheel bolts speci-
fied for your vehicle’s rims.
For information on wheel change, see “Flat
tire” (Y page 187). Tire labeling
Besides tire name (sales designation) and
manufacturer name, a number of markings
can be found on a tire.
Following are some explanations for the
markings on your vehicle’s tires: :
Uniform Quality Grading Standards
(Ypage 138)
; DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(Ypage 142)
= Maximum tire load (Y page 136)
? Maximum tire inflation pressure
(Ypage 133) Tires and wheels
139>> Operation. Z

A
Manufacturer
B Tire ply material (Y page 143)
C Tire size designation, load and speed
rating (Y page 140)
D Load identification (Y page 142)
E Tire name
i For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
For more information, see “Rims and
tires” (Y page 216).
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating :
Tire width
; Aspect ratio in %
= Radial tire code
? Rim diameter
A Tire load rating
B Tire speed rating
i For information purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
General:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards. Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designa-
tion: Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation: Temporary spare tires which are high pres-
sure compact spares designed for tempo-
rary emergency use only.
Tire width
Tire width :indicates the nominal tire
width in mm.
Aspect ratio
Aspect ratio ;is the dimensional rela-
tionship between tire section height and
section width and is expressed as a per-
centage. The aspect ratio is arrived at by
dividing section height by section width.
Tire code
Tire code =indicates the tire construc-
tion type. The “R” stands for radial tire
type. Letter “D” means diagonal or bias ply
construction; letter “B” means belted-bias
ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire
speed rating” (Y page 141).
Rim diameter
Rim diameter ?is the diameter of the
bead seat, not the diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating G
WARNING
The tire load rating must always be at least
half of the GAWR of your vehicle. Otherwise, tire failure may result and cause an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury to you
or others. 140
Tires and wheels>> Operation.

Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as
shown on the original part. G
WARNING
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on
the driver’s door B‑pillar. Overloading the tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or brake failure.
Tire load rating Ais a numerical code
associated with the maximum load a tire
can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load” (Y page 136)
where the maximum load associated with
the load index is indicated in kilograms
and lbs.
For additional information on tire load
rating, see “Load identification”
(Y page 142).
Tire speed rating G
WARNING
Even when permitted by law, never operate a
vehicle at speeds greater than the maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you and for others.
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use prudent driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
Tire speed rating Bindicates the
approved maximum speed for the tire. Summer tires Index Speed rating
Q up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR...Y above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR...(Y) above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR above 149 mph (240 km/h)
R
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any
tire with a speed capability above
149 mph (240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in
the size designation (for example:
245/40 ZR18). To determine the maximum
speed capability of the tire, the service description for the tire must be referred to.
The service description is comprised of
tire load rating Aand tire speed rating
B.
If your tire includes “ZR” in the size
designation and no service description
is given, the tire manufacturer must be
consulted for the maximum speed capa-
bility.
If a service description is given, the
speed capability is limited by the speed
symbol in the service description.
Example: 245/40 ZR18 97Y.
In this example, “97Y” is the service
description. The letter “Y” designates
the speed rating and the speed capabil- Tires and wheels
141>> Operation. Z

ity of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).
R Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a “ZR” in
the size designation AND the service
description must be placed in parenthe- sis. Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99Y). The “(Y)”speed rating in parenthesis designates
the maximum speed capability of the tire
as being above 186 mph (300 km/h). Con-
sult the tire manufacturer for the actual
maximum permissible speed of the tire.
All-season and winter tires Index Speed rating
Q M+S
7 up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S
7 up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S
7 up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S
7 up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
i
Not all M+S rated tires provide special
winter performance. Make sure the tires
you use show M+S and the mountain/snow-
flake marking ion the tire sidewall.
These tires meet specific snow traction
performance requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and
have been designed specifically for use
in snow conditions. Load identification
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
In addition to the tire load rating, special
load identification :may be molded into
the tire sidewall following the letter des-
ignating the tire speed rating B
(Y page 141).
No specification given: absence of any text (like in above example) indicates a stand-
ard load (SL) tire.
XL or Extra Load: designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
Light Load: designates a light load tire.
C, D, E: designates load range associated
with the maximum load a tire can carry at a
specified pressure. DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations require each new tire
manufacturer or tire retreader to mold a
TIN into or onto a sidewall of each tire
produced.
7 or M+S ifor winter tires. 142
Tires and wheels>> Operation.

The TIN is a unique identifier which facil-
itates efforts by tire manufactures to
notify purchasers in recall situations or
other safety matters concerning tires and
gives purchasers the means to easily iden- tify such tires.
The TIN is comprised of “Manufacturer’s
identification mark” ;, “Tire size”=,
“Tire type code” ?, and “Date of manufac-
ture” A.
i For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
DOT (Department of Transportation) Tire branding symbol
:which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation.
Manufacturer’s identification mark Manufacturer’s identification mark
;
denotes the tire manufacturer.
New tires have a mark with two symbols.
Retreaded tires have a mark with four sym-
bols. For more information on retreaded
tires (Y page 127).
Tire size Code
=indicates the tire size. Tire type code Tire type code
?may, at the option of the
manufacturer, be used as a descriptive
code for identifying significant charac-
teristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture Date of manufacture
Aidentifies the week
and year of manufacture.
The first two figures identify the week,
starting with “01” to represent the first
full week of the calendar year. The second
two figures represent the year.
For example, “3202” represents the 32nd
week of 2002. Tire ply material
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
This marking tells you about the type of
cord and number of plies in the sidewall :
and under the tread ;. Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
transmission, power steering, power
brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, Tires and wheels
143>> Operation. Z

and heater, to the extent that these items
are available as factory-installed equip-
ment (whether installed or not).
Air pressure The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire. Air pressure is expressed in pounds per square
inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or bars.
Aspect ratio Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width expressed
in percentage.
Bar Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) to
1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa) to
1 bar.
Bead The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least 3 hours or
driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight The weight of a motor vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capa-
city of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additionaloptional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.
DOT (Department of Transportation) A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) The GAWR is the maximum permissible axle
weight. The gross vehicle weight on each
axle must never exceed the GAWR for the
front and rear axle indicated on the cer-
tification label located on the driver’s
door B‑pillar.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) The GVW comprises the weight of the vehi-
cle including fuel, tools, installed acces-
sories, passengers and cargo. The GVW must never exceed the GVWR indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B‑pillar.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) This is the maximum permissible vehicle
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight
of the vehicle including all options, pas-
sengers, fuel, and cargo. It is indicated on
certification label located on the driver’s door B‑pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa) The metric unit for air pressure. There are
6.9 kPa to 1 psi; another metric unit for air
pressure is bars. There are 100 kilopas-
cals (kPa) to 1 bar.
Maximum load rating The maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight The sum of curb weight, accessory weight,
total load limit and production options
weight.
Maximum permissible tire inflation
pressure This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire.144
Tires and wheels>> Operation.

Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is
designed to seat, multiplied by 68 kilo-
grams (150 lbs).
Occupant distribution The distribution of occupants in a vehicle
at their designated seating positions.
Production options weight The combined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over
5 lbs (2.3 kilograms) in excess of those
standard items which they replace, not
previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
PSI (Pounds per square inch) A standard unit of measure for air pres-
sure.
Recommended tire inflation pressure The recommended tire inflation pressure
for normal driving conditions is listed on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
located on driver’s door B‑pillar and pro-
vides best handling, tread life and riding
comfort.
Rim A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Sidewall The portion of a tire between the tread and
the bead. TIN (Tire Identification Number) Unique identifier which facilitates
efforts by tire manufacturers to notify
purchasers in recall situations or other
safety matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify
such tires. The TIN is comprised of “Man-
ufacturer’s identification mark”, “Tire
size”, “Tire type code” and “Date of manu-
facture”.
Tire load rating Numerical code associated with the maxi-
mum load a tire can support.
Tire ply composition and material used This indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric
in the tire tread and sidewall. Tire manu-
facturers also must indicate the ply mate-
rials in the tire and sidewall, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
Tire speed rating Part of tire designation; indicates the
speed range for which a tire is approved.
Total load limit Rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kilo-
grams (150 lbs) times the vehicle’s desig-
nated seating capacity.
Traction Force exerted by the vehicle on the road via
the tires. The amount of grip provided.
Tread The portion of a tire that comes into con-
tact with the road. Tires and wheels
145>> Operation. Z