worn to the tread wear indicators, the tire
should be replaced. Refer to “Replacement
Tires” in this section for further information.
Life Of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including, but not limited to:
• Driving style.
• Tire pressure - Improper cold tire inflation
pressures can cause uneven wear patterns
to develop across the tire tread. These ab-
normal wear patterns will reduce tread life,
resulting in the need for earlier tire replace-
ment.
• Distance driven.
• Performance tires, tires with a speed rating
of V or higher, and Summer tires typically
have a reduced tread life. Rotation of these
tires per the vehicle scheduled mainte-
nance is highly recommended.
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be replaced
after six years, regardless of the remaining
tread. Failure to follow this warning can
WARNING!
result in sudden tire failure. You could lose
control and have a collision resulting in
serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible.
Protect tires from contact with oil, grease,
and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a bal-
ance of many characteristics. They should be
inspected regularly for wear and correct cold
tire inflation pressures. The manufacturer
strongly recommends that you use tires
equivalent to the originals in size, quality and
performance when replacement is needed.
Refer to the paragraph on “Tread Wear Indi-
cators” in this section. Refer to the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the Vehicle
Certification Label for the size designation of
your tire. The Load Index and Speed Symbol
for your tire will be found on the original
equipment tire sidewall.It is recommended to replace the two front
tires or two rear tires as a pair. Replacing just
one tire can seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling. If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specifications match
those of the original wheels.
It is recommended you contact an authorized
tire dealer or original equipment dealer with
any questions you may have on tire specifica-
tions or capability. Failure to use equivalent
replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not use a tire, wheel size, load rating,
or speed rating other than that specified
for your vehicle. Some combinations of
unapproved tires and wheels may
change suspension dimensions and per-
formance characteristics, resulting in
changes to steering, handling, and brak-
ing of your vehicle. This can cause un-
predictable handling and stress to steer-
ing and suspension components. You
could lose control and have a collision
241
WARNING!
resulting in serious injury or death. Use
only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your vehicle.
• Never use a tire with a smaller load index
or capacity, other than what was origi-
nally equipped on your vehicle. Using a
tire with a smaller load index could re-
sult in tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have a collision.
• Failure to equip your vehicle with tires
having adequate speed capability can
result in sudden tire failure and loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false speedom-
eter and odometer readings.
Tire Types
All Season Tires — If Equipped
All Season tires provide traction for all sea-
sons (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter).
Traction levels may vary between different all
season tires. All season tires can be identi-
fied by the M+S, M&S, M/S or MS designa-
tion on the tire sidewall. Use all season tires
only in sets of four; failure to do so may
adversely affect the safety and handling of
your vehicle.
Summer Or Three Season Tires — If
Equipped
Summer tires provide traction in both wet
and dry conditions, and are not intended to
be driven in snow or on ice. If your vehicle is
equipped with Summer tires, be aware these
tires are not designed for Winter or cold
driving conditions. Install Winter tires on your
vehicle when ambient temperatures are less
than 40°F (5°C) or if roads are covered with
ice or snow. For more information, contact an
authorized dealer.
Summer tires do not contain the all season
designation or mountain/snowflake symbolon the tire sidewall. Use Summer tires only in
sets of four; failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not use Summer tires in snow/ice con-
ditions. You could lose vehicle control,
resulting in severe injury or death. Driving
too fast for conditions also creates the
possibility of loss of vehicle control.
Snow Tires
Some areas of the country require the use of
snow tires during the Winter. Snow tires can
be identified by a “mountain/snowflake”
symbol on the tire sidewall.
If you need snow tires,
select tires equivalent
in size and type to the
original equipment
tires. Use snow tires
only in sets of four;
failure to do so may
adversely affect the
safety and handling of your vehicle.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
242
Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings
than what was originally equipped with your
vehicle and should not be operated at sus-
tained speeds over 75 mph (120 km/h). For
speeds above 75 mph (120 km/h) refer to
original equipment or an authorized tire
dealer for recommended safe operating
speeds, loading and cold tire inflation pres-
sures.
While studded tires improve performance on
ice, skid and traction capability on wet or dry
surfaces may be poorer than that of non-
studded tires. Some states prohibit studded
tires; therefore, local laws should be checked
before using these tire types.
Spare Tires — If Equipped
For vehicles equipped with Tire Service Kit
instead of a spare tire, please refer to “Tire
Service Kit” in “In Case Of Emergency” in the
Owner’s Manual for further information.
CAUTION!
Because of the reduced ground clearance,
do not take your vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash with a compact or limited
use temporary spare installed. Damage to
the vehicle may result.
Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel — If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with a spare
tire and wheel equivalent in look and function
to the original equipment tire and wheel
found on the front or rear axle of your vehicle.
This spare tire may be used in the tire rotation
for your vehicle. If your vehicle has this op-
tion, refer to an authorized tire dealer for the
recommended tire rotation pattern.
Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped
The compact spare is for temporary emer-
gency use only. You can identify if your ve-
hicle is equipped with a compact spare by
looking at the spare tire description on the
Tire and Loading Information Placard located
on the driver’s side door opening or on thesidewall of the tire. Compact spare tire de-
scriptions begin with the letter “T” or “S”
preceding the size designation. Example:
T145/80D18 103M.
T,S=Temporary Spare Tire
Since this tire has limited tread life, the
original equipment tire should be repaired (or
replaced) and reinstalled on your vehicle at
the first opportunity.
Do not install a wheel cover or attempt to
mount a conventional tire on the compact
spare wheel, since the wheel is designed
specifically for the compact spare tire. Do not
install more than one compact spare tire and
wheel on the vehicle at any given time.
WARNING!
Compact and collapsible spares are for
temporary emergency use only. With these
spares, do not drive more than 50 mph
(80 km/h). Temporary use spares have lim-
ited tread life. When the tread is worn to
the tread wear indicators, the temporary
use spare tire needs to be replaced. Be
sure to follow the warnings, which apply to
243
WARNING!
your spare. Failure to do so could result in
spare tire failure and loss of vehicle con-
trol.
Full Size Spare — If Equipped
The full size spare is for temporary emer-
gency use only. This tire may look like the
originally equipped tire on the front or rear
axle of your vehicle, but it is not. This spare
tire may have limited tread life. When the
tread is worn to the tread wear indicators, the
temporary use full size spare tire needs to be
replaced. Since it is not the same as your
original equipment tire, replace (or repair)
the original equipment tire and reinstall on
the vehicle at the first opportunity.
Limited Use Spare — If Equipped
The limited use spare tire is for temporary
emergency use only. This tire is identified by
a label located on the limited use spare
wheel. This label contains the driving limita-
tions for this spare. This tire may look like the
original equipped tire on the front or rear axle
of your vehicle, but it is not. Installation ofthis limited use spare tire affects vehicle
handling. Since it is not the same as your
original equipment tire, replace (or repair)
the original equipment tire and reinstall on
the vehicle at the first opportunity.
WARNING!
Limited use spares are for emergency use
only. Installation of this limited use spare
tire affects vehicle handling. With this tire,
do not drive more than the speed listed on
the limited use spare wheel. Keep inflated
to the cold tire inflation pressures listed on
your Tire and Loading Information Placard
located on the driver’s side B-Pillar or the
rear edge of the driver’s side door. Replace
(or repair) the original equipment tire at
the first opportunity and reinstall it on your
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in
loss of vehicle control.
Tire Chains (Traction Devices)
Use of traction devices require sufficient tire-
to-body clearance. Follow these recommen-
dations to guard against damage:• Traction device must be of proper size for
the tire, as recommended by the traction
device manufacturer.
• Install on front tires only.
• For a 215/65R16 tire, use of a snow trac-
tion device with a maximum projection of
7 mm beyond the tire profile is recom-
mended.
• No other tire sizes are recommended for
use with a tire chain or traction device.
WARNING!
Using tires of different size and type
(M+S, Snow) between front and rear axles
can cause unpredictable handling. You
could lose control and have a collision.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires,
observe the following precautions:
• Because of restricted traction device
clearance between tires and other sus-
pension components, it is important
that only traction devices in good condi-
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
244
CAUTION!
Proper operation of four-wheel drive ve-
hicles depends on tires of equal size, type
and circumference on each wheel. Any
difference in tire size can cause damage to
the power transfer unit. Tire rotation
schedule should be followed to balance
tire wear.
STORING THE VEHICLE
If the vehicle should remain stationary for
more than a month, observe the following
precautions:
• Park your vehicle in a covered, dry and
possibly airy location the windows open
slightly.
• Check that the Electric Park Brake is not
engaged.
• Disconnect the negative (-) terminal from
the battery post and be sure that the battery
is fully charged. During storage check bat-
tery charge quarterly.• If you do not disconnect the battery from
the electrical system, check the battery
charge every 30 days.
• Clean and protect the painted parts by
applying protective waxes.
• Clean and protect polished metal parts by
applying protective waxes.
• Apply talcum powder to the front and rear
wiper blades and leave raised from the
glass.
• Cover the vehicle with an appropriate cover
taking care not to damage the painted sur-
face by dragging across dirty surfaces. Do
not use plastic sheeting which will not
allow the evaporation of moisture present
on the surface of the vehicle.
• Inflate the tires at a pressure of +7.25 psi
(+0.5 bar) higher than recommended on
the tire placard and check it periodically.
• Do not drain the engine cooling system.
• Whenever you leave the vehicle is station-
ary for two weeks or more, run idle the
engine for approximately five minutes, withthe air conditioning system on and high fan
speed. This will ensure a proper lubrication
of the system, thus minimizing the possi-
bility of damage to the compressor when
the vehicle is put back into operation.
NOTE:
When the vehicle has not been started or
driven for at least 30 days, an Extended Park
Start Procedure is required to start the ve-
hicle. Refer to “Starting The Engine” in
“Starting And Operating” for further
information.
CAUTION!
Before removal of the positive and nega-
tive terminals to the battery, wait at least a
minute with ignition switch in the OFF
position and close the driver’s door. When
reconnecting the positive and negative ter-
minals to the battery be sure the ignition
switch is in the OFF position and the
driver’s door is closed.SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
246
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to
ensure that the wheel is properly mounted to
the vehicle. Any time a wheel has been re-
moved and reinstalled on the vehicle, the lug
nuts/bolts should be torqued using a properly
calibrated torque wrench using a high quality
six sided (hex) deep wall socket.
Torque Specifications
Lug Nut/Bolt
Torque**Lug Nut/Bolt
SizeLug Nut/Bolt
Socket Size
100 Ft-Lbs
(135 N·m)M12 x 1.25 17 mm
**Use only your authorized dealer recom-
mended lug nuts/bolts and clean or remove
any dirt or oil before tightening.
Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to
mounting the tire and remove any corrosion
or loose particles.Tighten the lug nuts/bolts in a star pattern
until each nut/bolt has been tightened twice.
Ensure that the socket is fully engaged on the
lug nut/bolt (do not insert it halfway).
NOTE:
If in doubt about the correct tightness, have
them checked with a torque wrench by your
authorized dealer or service station.After 25 miles (40 km), check the lug nut/
bolt torque to be sure that all the lug nuts/
bolts are properly seated against the wheel.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off
the jack, do not tighten the lug nuts fully
until the vehicle has been lowered. Failure
to follow this warning may result in per-
sonal injury.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS —
GASOLINE ENGINE
1.4L Turbo Gasoline Engine
This engine is designed to meet all emission
regulations and provide satisfactory fuel
economy and performance when using high-
quality unleaded gasoline having a minimum
research octane rating (RON) of 95. For op-
timum performance and fuel economy the
use of minimum research octane rating
(RON) of 98 or higher is recommended.
Torque Pattern
255