Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
XSpecification for maximumgross vehicle
weight :is listed in the Tire and Loading
Informatio nplacard: "The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs."
The gross weight of all vehicleo ccupants, load
and luggage must not exceed the specified
value.
iThe specifications shownont he Tire and
Loading Informatio nplacard in the illustration
are examples. The maximu mpermissible
gross vehiclew eight rating is vehicle-specific
and may differf rom that in the illustration.
You can find the vali dmaximu mpermissible
gross vehiclew eight rating for you rvehicleo n
the Tire and Loading Informatio nplacard.
Number of seats
Maximu mnumber of seats :indicates the
maximu mnumber of occupants allowedt o
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Informatio nplac-
ard.
iThe specifications shownont he Tire and
Loading Informatio nplacard in the illustration
are examples. The number of seats is vehicle-
specific and can differf rom the details shown.
The number of seats in you rvehiclec an be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.
Determiningt he correct load limit
Step-by-ste pinstructions
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Cod eofU .S. FederalR egulations, Part 575 pur-
suant to the "National Traffi cand Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966".
XStep 1: Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on you rvehicle’s
Tire and Loading Informatio nplacard.
XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of
the drivera nd passengers that wil lberiding in
you rvehicle.
XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of the
drivera nd passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX lbs.
XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the avail-
abl eamount of cargo and luggage loadc apa-
city. For example, if the "XXX "amount equals
1400 lbs and there wil lbefive 150-lb pas-
sengers in you rvehicle, the amount of avail-
abl ecargo and luggage loadc apacity is
650 lbs (1400 -750 (5 x150) = 650 lbs).
XStep 5: Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehi-
cle. That weight may not safel yexceed the
available cargo and luggage loadc apacity cal-
culated in step 4.
Example:s teps1to3
The following table showse xamples on how to calculate total and cargo loadc apacities with varying
seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use aloadl imito f
Loading the vehicle299
Wheels and tires
Z
PSI (pounds per squareinch)
Astandard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire width
in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-
ward force to each square inch of the tire's sur-
face. The tire pressure is specified in pounds per
square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be corrected when
the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and
Rif the vehicle has not been driven further than
1m ile (1.6 km)
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact with
the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits securely
on the wheel. There are several steel wires in the
bead to prevent the tire from coming loose from
the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, aroof rack or ahigh-per-
formanceb attery, are not included in the curb
weight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is aunique identifier which can be used by
at ire manufacturer to identify tires, for example
for aproduct recall, and thus identify the pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er's identity code, tire size, tire type code and
the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is acode
that contains the maximum load bearing capa-
city of atire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the tires
and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of áin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in avehicle at their
designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(15 0lbs)m ultiplied by the number of seats in
the vehicle.
Changing awheel
Flat tire
The "Breakdown assistance" section
(Ypage 271) contains information and notes on
how to deal with aflat tire. Information on driv-
ing with MOExtended tires in the event of aflat
tire can be found under "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics" (
Ypage 271).
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is arisk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equippedw ithatire pressure
monitor ,electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Changing awheel307
Wheels and tires
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