2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid flat tire

7-44
Maintenance
T
TI
IR
R E
ES
S
A
A N
N D
D
W
W H
HE
EE
EL
LS
S

Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within the
load limits and weight distribution rec-
ommended for your vehicle.
(Continued)Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are dam-
aged. Worn tires can cause
loss of braking effectiveness,
steering) control, or traction.
ALWAYS replace tires with the
same size as each tire that
was originally supplied with
this vehicle. Using tires and
wheels other than the recom-
mended sizes could cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics, poor vehicle control, or
negatively affect your vehi-
cle’s Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) resulting in a serious
accident.
Tire failure may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident. To reduce risk of
SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH,
take the following precautions:
Inspect your tires monthly for
proper inflation as well as
wear and damage.
The recommended cold tire
pressure for your vehicle can
be found in this manual and on
the tire label located on the dri-
ver’s side center pillar. Always
use a tire pressure gauge to
measure tire pressure. Tires
with too much or too little
pressure wear unevenly caus-
ing poor handling.
Check the pressure of the
spare every time you check
the pressure of the other tires
on your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING

7-45
7
Maintenance
All specifications (sizes and pressures)
can be found on a label attached to the
driver’s side center pillar.
Recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
one mile (1.6 km).
Warm tires normally exceed recom-
mended cold tire pressures by 4 to 6
psi (28 to 41 kPa). Do not release air
from warm tires to adjust the pres-
sure or the tires will be under-inflat-
ed. For recommended inflation pres-
sure, refer to “Tire and Wheels” in
chapter 8.Recommended pressures must
be maintained for the best ride,
vehicle handling, and minimum
tire wear.
Over-inflation or under-inflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure that
could result in loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
Severe under-inflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident. This
risk is much higher on hot days
and when driving for long peri-
ods at high speeds.
WARNING
OLF084007N

7-46
Maintenance
Check tire inflation pressure
Check your tires, including the spare
tire, once a month or more.
How to check
Use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to check tire pressure. You
can not tell if your tires are properly
inflated simply by looking at them.
Radial tires may look properly inflat-
ed when they are under-inflated.
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended pressure. Make sure to
put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. Without the valve cap, dirt or
moisture could get into the valve
core and cause air leakage. If a valve
cap is missing, install a new one as
soon as possible.If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gauge. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leakage.
If a valve cap is missing, install a new
one as soon as possible.
Under-inflation results in
excessive wear, poor handling
and reduced fuel economy.
Wheel deformation is also
possible. Keep your tire pres-
sures at the proper levels. If a
tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer.
Over-inflation produces a
harsh ride, excessive wear at
the center of the tire tread,
and a greater possibility of
damage from road hazards.
CAUTION

7-49
7
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
(Continued)
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, HYUNDAI recommends
that tires be replaced after six
(6) years of normal service.
Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process. Failure to follow this
warning may cause sudden
tire failure, which could lead to
a loss of vehicle control result-
ing in an accident.
The original tire should be
repaired or replaced as soon as
possible to avoid failure of the
spare and loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident. The
compact spare tire is for emer-
gency use only. Do not operate
your vehicle over 50 mph (80
km/h) when using the compact
spare tire.
WARNING

7-50
Maintenance
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
Tire sidewall labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The
TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
205/65R16 95H
205 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
95 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
OLMB073028
1
1
2
34
5,6
7

7-52
Maintenance
4. Tire ply composition andmaterial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D“ means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible infla-tion pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
TREAD wear 200
TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times (1½) as well on the gov-
ernment 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.
These grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on your vehicle
may vary with respect to grade.

7-53
7
Maintenance
Traction - AA, A, B & C
The 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 spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance.
Temperature - A, B & C
The 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 condi-
tions 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. Grade C
responds 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 labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include accelera-
tion, cornering, hydroplaning,
or peak traction characteristics.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-inflation, over-inflation,
or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination,
can cause heat build-up and
possible sudden tire failure.
This may cause loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
WARNING

7-55
7
Maintenance
Intended Outboard Sidewall
The side of an asymmetrical tire, that
must always face outward when
mounted on a vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa)
The metric unit for air pressure.
Light truck (LT) tire
A tire designated by its manufacturer
as primarily intended for use on light-
weight trucks or multipurpose pas-
senger vehicles.
Load ratings
The maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure.
Load Index
An assigned number ranging from 1
to 279 that corresponds to the load
carrying capacity of a tire.
Maximum Inflation Pressure
The maximum air pressure to which
a cold tire may be inflated. The max-
imum air pressure is molded onto the
sidewall.
Maximum Load Rating
The load rating for a tire at the maxi-
mum permissible inflation pressure
for that tire.
Maximum Loaded VehicleWeight
The sum of curb weight; accessory
weight; vehicle capacity weight; and
production options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight
The number of occupants a vehicle
is designed to seat multiplied by 150
pounds (68 kg).
Occupant Distribution
Designated seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall
An asymmetrical tire has a particular
side that faces outward when mount-
ed on a vehicle. The outward facing
sidewall bears white lettering or
bears manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same moldings on
the inner facing sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) tire
A tire used on passenger cars and
some light duty trucks and multipur-
pose vehicles.
Ply
A layer of rubber-coated parallel
cords