Recommended tire pressures
The recommended tire pressure applies to thetires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard con-tains the recommended tire pressures for coldtires on a fully loaded vehicle and for the maxi-mum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the recom-mended pressures for cold tires for variousoperating conditions, i.e. differing load andspeed conditions.
Increased vehicle weight due to optional
equipment
The combined weight of all standard andoptional equipment available for the vehicle,regardless of whether it is actually installed onthe vehicle or not.
Rim
This is the part of the wheel on which the tireis mounted.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum gross axle weightrating. The actual load on an axle must neverexceed the gross axle weight rating. The grossaxle weight rating can be found on the vehicleidentification plate on the B-pillar on the driv-er's side.
Speed rating
The speed rating is part of the tire identifica-tion. It specifies the speed range for which thetire is approved.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weightof the vehicle including fuel, tools, the sparewheel, accessories installed, occupants, lug-gage and the drawbar noseweight, if applica-ble. The gross vehicle weight must not exceedthe gross vehicle weight rating GVWR as speci-fied on the vehicle identification plate on theB-pillar on the driver's side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible grossweight of a fully loaded vehicle (the weight ofthe vehicle including all accessories, occu-pants, fuel, luggage and the drawbar nose-weight, if applicable). The gross vehicle weightrating is specified on the vehicle identificationplate on the B-pillar on the driver's side.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is the sum of:
Rthe curb weight of the vehicle
Rthe weight of the accessories
Rthe load limit
Rthe weight of the factory installed optionalequipment
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa corre-sponds to 1 psi. Another unit for tire pressureis bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are the equivalentof 1 bar.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, the loadindex may also be imprinted on the sidewall ofthe tire. This specifies the load-bearing capa-city more precisely.
Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equip-ment including the maximum capacity of fuel,oil and coolant. It also includes the air-condi-tioning system and optional equipment if theseare installed in the vehicle, but does notinclude passengers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum per-missible weight in kilograms or lbs for which atire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for onetire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculatedby dividing the maximum axle load of one axleby two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire widthin percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-ward force to each square inch of the tire'ssurface. The tire pressure is specified in
324All about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should onlybe corrected when the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked with the tiresout of direct sunlight for at least three hoursand
Rif the vehicle has not been driven furtherthan 1 mile (1.6 km)
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contactwith the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sitssecurely on the wheel. There are several steelwires in the bead to prevent the tire from com-ing loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and thebead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extrasthat weigh more than the replaced standardparts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). Theseoptional extras, such as high-performancebrakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-formance battery, are not included in the curbweight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be usedby a tire manufacturer to identify tires, forexample for a product recall, and thus identifythe purchasers. The TIN is made up of themanufacturer's identity code, tire size, tiretype code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is acode that contains the maximum load bearingcapacity of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between thetires and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is levelwith the bars, the wear limit of
