5-46
Driving your vehicle
Information
• When using Snow Tires, mountthem on all four wheels.
• When using tire chains, install them on all four tires. However, if you are
in a situation to use only two tire
chains, install them on the rear tires.
In this case, drive a short distance to
prevent damage to the AWD system.
• If tire chains must be used, use AutoSock (fabric snow chain) and
install the tire chain after reviewing
the instructions provided with the
tire chains.
For more information on Snow Tires
and Tire Chains, refer to "Winter
Driving" in this chapter.
Driving up or down hills
Driving uphill - Before starting off, check if it ispossible to drive uphill.
- Drive as straight as possible.
Driving downhill - Do not change gear while drivingdownhill. Select gear before driv-
ing downhill.
- Drive slowly and select Manual Shift Mode to provide engine
braking while driving downhill.
- Drive straight as possible.
Emergency precautions
Tires
When replacing the tires, be sure to
equip all four tires with the same
size, type, tread, brand and load-car-
rying capacity.
In an emergency situation, a com-
pact spare tire may be used. But, do
not use the compact spare tire con-
tinuously. Repair or replace the origi-
nal tire as soon as possible to avoid
failure of the differential or AWD sys-
tem.
i
Exercise extreme caution driv-
ing up or down steep hills. The
vehicle may flip depending on
the grade, terrain and water/
mud conditions.
WARNING
Do not use tire and wheel with
different size and type from the
one originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to steering
failure or rollover causing seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
5-130
Driving your vehicle
Tire Loading Information Label
OIK057174N
■Type A
OIK057178N
■Type D
OIK057177N
■Type C
The label located on the driver's door
sill gives the original tire size, cold
tire pressures recommended for your
vehicle, the number of people that
can be in your vehicle and vehicle
capacity weight.
OIK057176N
■Type B
OIK057179N
■Type E
5-131
Driving your vehicle
5
Vehicle capacity weight
904 lbs. (410 kg)
Vehicle capacity weight is the maxi-
mum combined weight of occupants
and cargo. If your vehicle is equipped
with a trailer, the combined weight
includes the tongue load.
Seating capacity
Total : 5 persons (Front seat : 2 persons,
Rear seat : 3 persons)
Seating capacity is the maximum
number of occupants including a
driver, your vehicle may carry.
However, the seating capacity may
be reduced based upon the weight of
all of the occupants, and the weight
of the cargo being carried or towed.
Do not overload the vehicle as there
is a limit to the total weight, or load
limit including occupants and cargo,
the vehicle can carry.
Towing capacity
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
The cargo capacity of your vehicle
will increase or decrease depending
on the weight and the number of
occupants and the tongue load, if
your vehicle is equipped with a trailer.
Steps for determining correct load limit
1. Locate the statement "The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs." on your vehicle's
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
the "XXX" amount equals 1400
lbs. and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.) 5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trail- er, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehi-
cle.
Do not overload the vehicle as
there is a limit to the total
weight, or load limit, including
occupants and cargo, the vehi-
cle can carry. Overloading can
shorten the life of the vehicle. If
the GVWR or the GAWR is
exceeded, parts on the vehicle
can break, and it can change
the handling of your vehicle.
These could cause you to lose
control and result in an acci-
dent.
WARNING
5-133
Driving your vehicle
5
Certification label
The certification label is located on
the driver’s door sill at the center pil-
lar and shows the maximum allow-
able weight of the fully loaded vehi-
cle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel and cargo.
This label also tells you the maxi-
mum weight that can be supported
by the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).The total weight of the vehicle,
including all occupants, accessories,
cargo, and trailer tongue load must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out
the actual loads on your front and
rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Be
sure to spread out your load equally
on both sides of the centerline.
OBH059070
Overloading
Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle, the GAWR for
either the front or rear axle
and vehicle capacity weight.
Exceeding these ratings can
affect your vehicle’s handling
and braking ability, and cause
an accident.
Do not overload your vehicle.
Overloading your vehicle can
cause heat buildup in your
vehicle’s tires and possible
tire failure, increased stop-
ping distances and poor vehi-
cle handling-all of which may
result in a crash.
WARNING
6-18
What to do in an emergency
If you have a tire gage, check the tire
pressure (see "Tires and Wheels" in
chapter 8 for tire pressure instruc-
tions.). If the pressure is lower or
higher than recommended, drive
slowly to the nearest service station
and adjust it to the recommended
pressure. Always reinstall the valve
cap after checking or adjusting tire
pressure. If the cap is not replaced,
air may leak from the tire. If you lose
a valve cap, buy another and install it
as soon as possible. After changing
tires, secure the flat tire and return
the jack and tools to their proper stor-
age locations.
Check the tire pressure as soon as possible after installing a
spare tire. Adjust it to the rec-
ommended pressure.
Check and tighten the wheel lug nuts after driving over 30 miles
(50 km) if tires are replaced.
Recheck the tire wheel lug nuts
after driving over 600 miles
(1,000 km). If any of the equipment such as the
jack, lug nuts, studs, or other equip-
ment is damaged or in poor condi-
tion, do not attempt to change the
tire and call for assistance.
Use of compact spare tires
(if equipped)
Compact spare tires are designed for
emergency use only. Drive carefully
on the compact spare tire and
always follow the safety precautions.
NOTICE
Your vehicle has metric threads
on the studs and lug nuts. Make
certain during tire changing that
the same nuts that were
removed are reinstalled. If you
have to replace your lug nuts
make sure they have metric
threads to avoid damaging the
studs and ensure the wheel is
properly secured to the hub.
Consult an authorized retailer of
Genesis Branded products for
assistance.
CAUTION
To prevent compact spare tire
failure and loss of control pos-
sibly resulting in an accident:
Use the compact spare tire
only in an emergency.
NEVER operate your vehicle
over 50 mph (80 km/h).
Do not exceed the vehicle's
maximum load rating or the
load carrying capacity shown
on the sidewall of the com-
pact spare tire.
Do not use the compact spare
tire continuously. Repair or
replace the original tire as
soon as possible to avoid fail-
ure of the compact spare tire.
WARNING
7-44
Maintenance
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.
Pneumatic tire
A mechanical device made of rubber,
chemicals, fabric and steel or other
materials, that, when mounted on an
automotive wheel provides the trac-
tion and contains the gas or fluid that
sustains the load.
Pneumatic options weight
The combined weight of installed
regular production options weighing
over 5 lb. (2.3 kg) in excess of the
standard items which they replace,
not previously considered in curb
weight or accessory weight, includ-
ing heavy duty breaks, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim.
7-45
7
Maintenance
Recommended InflationPressure
Vehicle manufacturer's recommend-
ed tire inflation pressure as shown
on the tire placard.
Radial Ply Tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at 90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
A metal support for a tire and upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall
The portion of a tire between the
tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
An alphanumeric code assigned to a
tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction
The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip pro-
vided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
"wear bars", that show across the
tread of a tire when only 1/16 inch of
tread remains.
UTQGS
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards is a tire information sys-
tem that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, tempera-
ture and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing proce-
dures. The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
The number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 150 lbs. (68
kg) plus the rated cargo and luggage
load.
Vehicle Maximum Load on theTire
Load on an individual tire due to curb
and accessory weight plus maximum
occupant and cargo weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
accessory weight, and normal occu-
pant weight and dividing by 2.
Vehicle Placard
A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the original equip-
ment tire size and recommended
inflation pressure.
7-46
Maintenance
All Season Tires
Genesis Branded Vehicle specifies
all season tires on some models to
provide good performance for use all
year round, including snowy and icy
road conditions. All season tires are
identified by ALL SEASON and/or
M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better
snow traction than all season tires
and may be more appropriate in
some areas.
Summer Tires
Genesis Branded Vehicle specifies
summer tires on some models to
provide superior performance on dry
roads. Summer tire performance is
substantially reduced in snow and
ice. Summer tires do not have the tire
traction rating M+S (Mud and Snow)
on the tire side wall. If you plan to
operate your vehicle in snowy or icy
conditions, Genesis Branded Vehicle
recommends the use of snow tires or
all season tires on all four wheels.
Snow Tires
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result. Snow
tires should carry 4 psi (28 kPa)
more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard tires
on the tire label on the driver’s side of
the center pillar, or up to the maxi-
mum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less. Do not
drive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h)
when your vehicle is equipped with
snow tires.
Radial-Ply Tires
Radial-ply tires provide improved
tread life, road hazard resistance and
smoother high speed ride. The radi-
al-ply tires used on this vehicle are of
belted construction, and are selected
to complement the ride and handling
characteristics of your vehicle.Radial-ply tires have the same load
carrying capacity, as bias-ply or bias
belted tires of the same size, and use
the same recommended inflation
pressure. Mixing of radial-ply tires
with bias-ply or bias belted tires is
not recommended. Any combina-
tions of radial-ply and bias-ply or bias
belted tires when used on the same
vehicle will seriously deteriorate
vehicle handling. The best rule to fol-
low is: Identical pairs of radial-ply
tires should always be used as a set
for the front tires and a set for the
rear tires.
Longer wearing tires can be more
susceptible to irregular tread wear. It
is very important to follow the tire
rotation interval in this chapter to
achieve the tread life potential of
these tires. Cuts and punctures in
radial-ply tires are repairable only in
the tread area, because of sidewall
flexing. Consult your tire dealer for
radial-ply tire repairs.