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Tire Information
To safely operate your vehicle, your tires must be of the proper type and\
size, in good
condition with adequate tread, and properly inflated.
Inflation Guidelines
•
Properly inflated tires provide the best combination of handling, trea\
d life, and
comfort.
refer to the driver’
s doorjamb label or the specifications (see page
149) for the specified pressure.
•
Underinflated tires wear unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy
,
and are more likely to fail from overheating.
•
overinflated tires make your vehicle ride harshly
, are more prone to road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
•
every day before you drive, look at each of the tires. If one looks lower\
than t
he
others, check the pressure with a tire gauge.
•
Measure the air pressure when tires are cold. This means the vehicle has been
parked for at least 3 hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km). If n\
ecessar
y, add
or release air until the specified pressure is reached, and then calib\
rate the
system (see page 122). If checked when hot, tire pressure can be as mu\
ch as
4–6 psi (30–40 kPa, 0.3–0.5 kgf/cm
2) higher than checked when cold.
•
At least once a month or before long trips, use a gauge to measure the p\
ressure
in all tires, including the spare.
even tires in good condition can lose 1–2 ps
i
(10–20 kPa, 0.1–0.2 kgf/cm
2) per month.
Inspection Guidelines
every time you inflate the tires, check for the following:
•
Any damage to tires, including bumps, bulges, cuts, splits, or cracks in\
the side
or tread.
remove any foreign objects and inspect for air leaks. replace t
ires if
you see fabric or cord.
•
Uneven or excessive tread wear. Have a dealer check the wheel alignment.
•
Cracks or other damage around the valve stems.
Wear Indicators The groove where the wear indicator is located is
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) shallower than elsewhere on the
tire. If the tread has worn so low that the indicator is
exposed, replace the tire. Worn out tires have poor
traction on wet roads.
Example of a wear
indicator mark
Tire and Loading Information LabelThe label attached to the driver’s doorjamb provides necessary tire and
loading information. Using tires that are excessively worn or improperly inflated can cause\
a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this owner’s manual regarding tire inflation
and maintenance
.
WARNING
Tire and Wheel Replacement
replace your tires with radials of the same size, load range, speed ratin\
g, and
maximum cold tire pressure rating (as shown on the tire’s sidewall). Using tires
of a different size or construction can cause certain vehicle systems to\
work
incorrectly. It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that isn’\
t possible,
replace the front or rear tires in pairs.
If you change or replace a wheel, make sure that the wheel’s specifications match
those of the original wheels.
only use TPMS-specified wheels approved f
or your
vehicle.
Original
tire sizes Number of
people your
vehicle can
carry Proper cold
tire pressure
Total weight
your vehicle
can carry
(do not exceed)
Installing improper tires on your vehicle can affect handling and stabil\
ity.
This can cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of tires recommended in the
owner’
s Manual.
WARNING
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Tire Service Life
The life of your tires is dependent on many factors, including driving h\
abits, 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 re\
ach
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 TiresIf 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 ChainsInstall tire chains on the front tires only. Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, we strongly recommend using the following chains:
For 215/55R17 tires:
Cable-type: SCC
radial Chain SC1034
For 235/45R18 and 235/40R19 tires:
Cable-type: SCC
radial Chain SC1040
Mount chains as tightly as you can, and make sure that they do not touch\
the
brake lines or suspension.
T
raction devices that are the wrong size or improperly installed can dama\
ge your
vehicle’s brake lines, suspension, body, and wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the vehicle.
NOTICE
Using the wrong chains, or not properly installing chains, can damage th\
e
brake lines and cause a crash in which you can be seriously injured or k\
illed.
Follow all instructions in this guide regarding the selection and use of\
tire
chains.
WARNING
Tire Labeling
The tires that came on your vehicle have a number of markings. Those you\
should be aware of are described below.
Here is an example of what each marking means:
P215/55R17 94V
•
P: vehicle type (passenger vehicle)
•
215: tire width in millimeters
•
55: aspect ratio (tire section height as a
percentage of its width)
•
r: tire construction code (radial)
•
17: rim diameter in inches
•
94: load index (code indicating maximum load
tire can carry)
•
v: speed symbol (code indicating maximum speed rating)
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The tire identification number
(TIN) is a group of numbers
and letters that look like the
example below. TIN is located
on the sidewall of the tire.
Glossary of Tire TerminologyCold 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 gr\
ooves
designed to give a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread\
.
Tire size
Tire
identi cation
number (TIN)
Maximum
tire load
Maximu m
tire pressure
Tire siz e
DOT B97R FW6X 2209
DOT: This indicates that the tire meets all
requirements of the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
B97R: Manufacturer’s identi cation mark
FW6X: Tire type code
22 09: Date of Transportation
Year
Week
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DOT 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 T
ransportation (D
oT) standards. The following explains these
gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall betwee\
n 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.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of th\
e 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) tim\
es 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, servi\
ce 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 concre\
te. 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, hy\
droplaning,
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 w\
hen tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test whee\
l. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and re\
duce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. Th\
e 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 th\
an the
minimum required by law.
W
ARNING: 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 b\
uildup
and possible tire failure.