MICHELIN
131
Consult your Michelin tire retailer for maximum speed capabilities.
Although a tire may be speed-rated, no vehicle should be operated in
an unsafe or unlawful manner. Speed ratings are based on laboratory
tests that relate to performance on the road, but are not applicable
if tires are underinflated, overloaded, worn out, damaged, altered,
improperly repaired, or retreaded. Furthermore, a tire’s speed rating
does not imply that vehicles can be safely driven at the maximum
speed for which the tire is rated, particularly under adverse road
and weather conditions or if the vehicle has unusual characteristics.
Michelin highway passenger tires that do not have a speed symbol on
the sidewall have a maximum speed rating of 105 mph (170 kph). Light
truck highway tires that do not have a speed symbol on the sidewall of
the tire have a maximum speed rating of 87 mph (140 kph). Michelin
winter tires that do not have a speed symbol on the sidewall or tires
with Q symbols have a speed rating of 100 mph (160 km/hr). Winter
tires with a speed symbol have a maximum speed rating in accordance
with the symbol. The speed and other ratings of retreaded tires are
assigned by the retreader and replace the original manufacturer’s
ratings. IMPORTANT: The replacement tire speed rating should be
equal to or higher than the OEM tire speed rating. If a lower speed
rated tire is selected, then the vehicle top speed becomes limited
to that of the lower speed rating selected. The customer must be
informed of the new speed restriction and that the vehicle’s handling
may be adversely impacted. REMEMBER…High speed driving can
be dangerous and may damage your tires. AND…When driving at
highway speeds, correct inflation pressure is especially important.
Inspect Your Tires, And Do Not Drive On A Damaged
Tire Or Wheel
Road hazards and objects in the road, such as potholes, curbs, glass,
metal, rocks, wood, and debris, can damage a tire and should be
safely avoided. If your vehicle hits any such hazard or object, however,
you should promptly inspect your tires. If you see any damage to any
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138
Customization of Tires, Wheels, or Suspension on
SUVs and Light Trucks
Due to their size, weight and higher center of gravity, vehicles such as
SUVs and light trucks do not have the same handling characteristics
as automobiles. Because of these different characteristics, failure to
operate your SUV or truck in a proper and safe manner can increase
the likelihood of vehicle rollover. Modifications to your SUV or truck
tire size, tire type, wheels or suspension can change your vehicle’s
handling characteristics and further increase the likelihood of vehicle \
rollover. Whether your SUV or truck has the original equipment
configuration for tires, wheels and suspension or whether any of these
items have been modified, always drive safely, avoid sudden, sharp
turns or lane changes and obey all traffic laws. Failure to do so may
result in loss of vehicle control leading to an accident and serious injury
or death.
Tire Alterations
Do not make or allow to be made any alterations on your tires.
Alterations may prevent proper performance, leading to tire damage
that can result in an accident. Tires that become unserviceable due
to alterations such as truing, whitewall inlays, addition of balancing
or sealant liquids, or the use of tire dressing containing petroleum
distillates, are excluded from warranty coverage.
Tire Repairs
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139
Whenever a Repair Is Needed, Immediately See
Your Michelin
® Tire Retailer or, If One Is Not Readily
Available, Another Qualified Tire Professional
If any MICHELIN® tire sustains a puncture, have the tire demounted
and thoroughly inspected by a qualified tire professional for possible
damage that may have occurred. A tread area puncture in any
MICHELIN
® passenger or light truck tire can be repaired if the
puncture hole is not more than 1/4” in diameter, not more than one
radial cable per casing ply is damaged, and the tire has not been
damaged further by the puncturing object or by running underinflated.
Tire punctures consistent with these guidelines can be repaired
by following the US Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA)
recommended repair procedures.
Repairs of all tires must be of the combined-plug-and-inside-patch
type. Your MICHELIN tires must be removed from the wheel for
inspection prior to repair. Plug-type repairs made on a tire that remains
mounted on a wheel are improper and can result in an accident. A tire
should be removed from the rim and inspected prior to repair. Any tire
repair done without removing the tire from the rim is improper and can
result in an accident. An improperly repaired tire may cause further
damage to the tire by either leaking air or allowing air, moisture, and
contaminants to enter the structure of the tire. An improperly repaired
tire can fail suddenly at a later date and result in an accident. Never \
repair a tire with less than 2/32nds of an inch of tread remaining. At this
tread depth, the tire is worn out and must be replaced.
Storage
Tires contain materials to protect their outer surfaces from ozone
and weather checking. As the tire rolls and flexes, those materials
continually migrate to the surface, replenishing this protection
throughout the normal use of the tire. Consequently, when tires sit
outdoors, unused for long periods of time (a month or more), their
surfaces become dry and more susceptible to ozone and weather
checking, and the casing becomes susceptible to flat spotting. For
this reason, tires should always be stored in a cool, dry, clean, indoor
environment. If storage is for one month or more, eliminate the weight
MICHELIN
142
Reading the Dot
DOT XXXX XXXX XXX (prior to August 2000)
DOT XXXX XXXX XXX
(1990-1999)
DOT XXXX XXXX XXXX (after July 2000)
The Dot
The “DOT” symbol certifies tire manufacturer’s compliance with U.S.
Department of Transportation tire safety standards. Next to the symbol
is the tire identification or “serial number.” The first two characters
identify the plant where the tire was manufactured. The next two
characters reflect the tire size. The following one to four digits may
be used at the tire manufacturer’s option as a descriptive code. The
last three characters are numbers identifying the week and year of
manufacture. (Example: “O25” means second week of the year of
decade, e.g.: 1995, 1985, etc.) For the 1990-1999 decade MICHELIN
®
brand tires are marked with a triangle pointing to the last three numeri\
c
characters. Tires produced after July 2000 have an additional digit
to identify a given decade. For example, 2800 means the tire was
produced during the 28th week of 2000; 0201 during the 2nd week
of 2001. If the last digits of your DOT number contain three numeric
characters and are not marked with a triangle, consult a qualified tire
professional to determine the year of manufacture.
Service Life for Passenger Car and Light Truck Tires
Including Spare Tires
Tires are composed of various types of material and rubber
compounds having performance properties essential to the proper
functioning of the tire itself. These component properties evolve over
time. For each tire, this evolution depends upon many factors such
as weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed,
inflation pressure, maintenance etc.) to which the tire is subjected
throughout its life. This service-related evolution varies widely so that
accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire in advance
is not possible. That is why, in addition to regular inspections and
inflation pressure maintenance by consumers, it is recommended
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143
that passenger car and light truck tires, including spare tires be
inspected regularly by a qualified tire specialist, such as a Michelin
tire retailer, who will assess the tire’s suitability for continued service.
Tires which have been in use for 5 years or more should continue to
be inspected by a specialist at least annually. Consumers are strongly
encouraged to be aware not only of their tires’ visual condition and
inflation pressure but also of any change in dynamic performance such
as increased air loss, noise or vibration, which could be an indication \
that the tires need to be removed from service to prevent tire failure. \
It
is impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their
calendar age alone. However, the older a tire, the greater the chance
that it will need to be replaced due to the service-related evolution or
other conditions found upon inspection or detected during use. While
most tires will need replacement before they achieve 10 years, it is
recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date
of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as
a precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they
have not reached the legal wear limit. For tires that were on an origina\
l
equipment vehicle (i.e., acquired by the consumer on a new vehicle),
follow the vehicle manufacturer’s tire replacement recommendations,
when specified (but not to exceed 10 years). The date when a tire
was manufactured is located on the sidewall of each tire. Consumers
should locate the Department of Transportation or “DOT” code on the
tire. The code begins with “DOT” and ends with the week and year of
manufacture. For example, a DOT code ending with “2214” indicates a
tire made in the 22nd week of 2014.
Remember . . . to Avoid Damage to Your Tires and a
Possible Accident
• INSPECT TIRES AT LEAST MONTHLY, AND IMMEDIATELY
AFTER STRIKING ANY ROAD HAZARD.
•
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE AT LEAST ONCE EACH MONTH
WHEN TIRES ARE COLD AND BEFORE EVERY LONG TRIP.
•
NEVER UNDERINFLATE OR OVERINFLATE A TIRE.
•
NEVER OVERLOAD YOUR VEHICLE AND TIRES.
•
ALWAYS OBEY LEGAL SPEED LIMITS AND DRIVE AT A
NITTO TIRE
146
Tire Warranty, Safety and Care Information for
Original Equipment Passenger & Light Truck Tires
Limited Warranty for Original Equipment Nitto Tires
(Effective July 2017)
WHAT IS COVERED AND FOR HOW LONG?
This Limited Warranty covers all Nitto brand passenger car and light
truck tires installed as original equipment on vehicles that are sold an\
d
used within the United States.
Eligible Tires
Your tires are covered under this Limited Warranty if all of the following
criteria are met:•
The tire was installed on your vehicle at the factory as an original
equipment part.
•
You are the original purchaser of the vehicle.
•
You purchased the vehicle after June 2017*.
•
You have always used the tires with this vehicle.
•
The tires have been used for normal street driving.
•
The vehicle has not been used for commercial service.
•
You properly maintained and used the tire (See “Tire Safety and
Maintenance Information” section below).
•
The tires are not subject to an exclusion (See “What is Not
Covered?” section below).
•
You fulfill the warranty claim procedure (See “How to Make a
Claim” section below).
Eligible Tires are covered under this Limited Warranty for a period of
up to 5 years from the date you purchased your new vehicle. Nitto
will replace it with a comparable new Nitto brand tire in the manner
explained in the “What Nitto Will Do” section below.
* Vehicles purchased before July 2017 may be covered by an earlier
warranty. See your Nitto retailer or contact Nitto for more information.
NITTO TIRE
152
1. Do not move or operate the car with these tires in conditions
below 15°F (-9°C).
2.
Avoid moving these tires in conditions below 15°F (-9°C).
3.
Before mounting and dismounting, store these tires for at least
24 hours in a temperature-controlled environment of 68°F (20°C)
or warmer.
4.
Remove these tires from the vehicle and deflate to half the normal
air-pressure during prolonged periods of non-use or storage.
Always inspect tires for signs of cracking and never use tires that
have cracked.
TIRE STORAGE
When dismounted from the wheel for storage, the drag tires should
be stored indoors in a cool, dry location. The tires should be placed
away from direct sunlight, harmful ozone-producing electric generators
and motors and sources of heat, such as hot pipes. Storage surfaces
should be clean and free of grease, gasoline, or other substances,
which can deteriorate the rubber.
NITTO TIRE
163
Replacement tires for any vehicle must be of a size, load range, and
load capacity (by inflation) that is capable of supporting the same load
as the vehicle’s originally installed (OE) tires. Avoid installing used tires
on a vehicle. There is no way to determine what road hazards or abuse
a previously owned tire may have incurred.
The following procedures concerning replacement tires must
be followed:•
Confirm that the load-carrying capacity is greater than or equal
to the load-carrying capacity of the OE tire size at the pressure
indicated on the vehicle Tire Information Placard.
•
Carefully note any differences between recommendations for
front and rear axle positions regarding the tire size and/or
inflation pressure.
•
The speed rating must be equal to or greater than what is specified
by the vehicle manufacturer if the speed capability of the vehicle is
to be maintained.
•
Tires should be mounted on approved wheel widths. If changing
tire sizes, check to make sure the wheel has adequate load and
inflation pressure capacity.
•
Body and chassis clearance must be checked on the vehicle’s
front and rear axles.
In addition to the above, light truck tire replacements should take
into consideration the following: