Page 409 of 486

7-36
Maintenance
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. "Cold tires" means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or has been driven
for less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Warm tires normally exceed recom-
mended cold tire pressures by 28 to
41 kPa (4 to 6 psi). Do not release air
from warm tires to adjust the pres-sure or the tires will be under-inflat-
ed. For recommended inflation pres-
sure, refer to "Tire and Wheels" inchapter 8.Recommended pressures must
be maintained for the best ride,
vehicle handling, and minimum
tire wear.
Over-inflation or under-inflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure that
could result in loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
Severe under-inflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation andother tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident. This
risk is much higher on hot days
and when driving for long peri-ods at high speeds.
WARNING
Under-inflation results in
excessive wear, poor handling
and reduced fuel economy.
Wheel deformation is also
possible. Keep your tire pres-
sures at the proper levels. If a
tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer.
Over-inflation produces a
harsh ride, excessive wear atthe center of the tire tread,and a greater possibility of
damage from road hazards.
CAUTION
Page 410 of 486

7-37
7
Maintenance
Check Tire Inflation Pressure
Check your tires, including the spare
tire, once a month or more.
How to check
Use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to check tire pressure. You
can not tell if your tires are properly
inflated simply by looking at them.
Radial tires may look properly inflat-
ed when they are under-inflated.
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflationpressure matches the recommendedpressure on the tire label located on
the driver's side center pillar or in this
manual. No further adjustment is
necessary. If the pressure is low, add
air until you reach the recommended
pressure. Make sure to put the valve
caps back on the valve stems.
Without the valve cap, dirt or mois-
ture could get into the valve core and
cause air leakage. If a valve cap is
missing, install a new one as soon as
possible.If you overfill the tire, release air bypushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gauge. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leakage.
If a valve cap is missing, install a new
one as soon as possible.
A cold tire means the vehicle has
been sitting for 3 hours and driven forless than 1.6 km (1 mile) in that 3
hour period.
Allow the tire to cool before measur-
ing the inflation pressure. Always be
sure the tire is cold before inflating to
the recommended pressure.
Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, HYUNDAI recommends that the tires be rotatedaccording to the maintenance sched-
ule or sooner if irregular wear devel-
ops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of the tire.
Replace the tire if you find any of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness (proper torque is11~13 kgf·m [79~94 lbf·ft]).
Page 411 of 486

7-38
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.Information
Tires that are asymmetrical or direc-
tional can only be installed on the
wheel in one direction. The outside
and inside of an asymmetrical tire is
not easily distinguishable. Pay careful
attention to the markings on the side-
walls of the tires, noting the "outside"
marking and also the rotating direc-
tion before installing them on the
vehicle.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle’s aluminum
wheels. Use only approved wheelweights.
NOTICE
i
Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in anaccident.
WARNING
ODH073802
■ Without a spare tire
Page 412 of 486

7-39
7
Maintenance
Tire Replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there isless than 1.6 mm (2/32 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the tread surface to
become level with the tread wear
indicators before replacing the tire.When replacing the tires, recheck
and tighten the wheel nuts after
driving about 620 mile. If the steer-
ing wheel shakes or the vehicle
vibrates while driving, the tire is
out of balance. Align the tire bal-
ance. If the problem is not solved,
we recommend that you contact
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
NOTICE
OLMB073027
Tread wear indicator
To reduce the risk of DEATH or
SERIOUS INJURY:
Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, andtraction.(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Always replace tires with the
same size as each tire that
was originally supplied with
this vehicle. Using tires andwheels other than the recom-
mended sizes could cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics, poor vehicle control, or
negatively affect your vehi-
cle’s Anti-Lock Brake System(ABS) resulting in a seriousaccident.
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, HYUNDAI recommendsthat tires be replaced after six
(6) years of normal service.(Continued)
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7-40
Maintenance
(Continued)
When replacing tires (or
wheels), it is recommended to
replace the two front or two
rear tires (or wheels) as a pair.Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle's
handling. If only replacing one
pair of tires, it is recommend-
ed to install the pair of new
tires on the rear axle.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent high loading con-ditions can accelerate the
aging process. Failure to fol-
low this warning may cause
sudden tire failure, which
could lead to a loss of vehicle
control resulting in an acci-dent.
Replacing tires
Driving on worn-out tires is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-tion.
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size andtype of tire and wheel that is
different form the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equipped
all four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capability.(Continued)
(Continued)
The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, stopping distance, body
to tire clearance, snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
It is best to replace all four
tires at the same time. If that
is not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle'shandling.
The ABS works by comparing
the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control)(if equipped) to work
irregularly.
(Continued)
WARNING
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7-41
7
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mountedon the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is notdesigned to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel Replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.
The original tire should berepaired or replaced as soon as
possible to avoid failure of the
spare and loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident. The
compact spare tire is for emer-
gency use only. Do not operate
your vehicle over 50 mph (80km/h) when using the compact
spare tire.
WARNING
(Continued)
For replacement with an
unsymmetrical tire, you
should check the outside/inside of the unsymmetrical
tire. Make sure that the out-side mark should locate in the
outward direction. If not, it
may adversely affect vehicle
performance, riding comfort,
and tire worn-out rates.
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,speedometer and odometer cal-
ibration, headlamp aim and
bumper height.
WARNING
Page 415 of 486

7-42
Maintenance
Tire Traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should bereplaced when the tread depth is at
least 1.6 mm (2/32 inch). To reduce
the possibility of losing control, slow
down whenever there is rain, snow orice on the road.
Tire Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check thewheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. TheTIN can be used to identify the tire incase of a recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designationmean.
OLMB073028
1
1
2
34
5,6
7
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7-43
7
Maintenance
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.) 225/45R17 91W
225 - Tire width in millimeters.
45 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s sectionheight as a percentage of its width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
17 - Rim diameter in inches.
91 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
W - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:7.0J X 17
7.0 - Rim width in inches. J - Rim contour designation.
17 - Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger vehicle tires. The
speed rating is part of the tire size
designation on the sidewall of the
tire. This symbol corresponds to that
tire's designed maximum safe oper-ating speed.
Speed
Rating
Symbol Maximum Speed
S 180 km/h (112 mph) T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph) V 240 km/h (149 mph)
W 270 km/h (168 mph)
Y300 km/h (186 mph)