Maximum tire load
0043is the maximum permis-
sible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (Y page 266).
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) US tire regulations stipulate that every tire man-
ufacturer 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 retreaders to inform purchasers of recalls and other safety-
relevant matters. It makes it possible for the
purchaser to easily identify the affected tires.
The TIN is made up of manufacturer identifica-
tion code 0044, tire size 0087, tire type code 0085and
manufacturing date 0083.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol 0043marks that the tire complies with the
requirements of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation.
Manufacturer identification code: manufac-
turer 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 279).
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 manufacture0083
provides information about the age of a tire. The
first and second positions represent the week of manufacture, starting with "01" for the first cal-
endar 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 deviate
from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics This information describes the type of tire cord
and the number of layers in sidewall
0043and
under tire tread 0044.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may deviate
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 pounds
per square inch (psi) and 100 kilopascals (kPa)
are the equivalent of 1 bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT-marked tires fulfill the requirements of the U S Department of Transportation.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants for which the vehicle
is designed multiplied by 68 kilograms (150 lbs). All about wheels and tires
273Wheels and tires Z
