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vehicle owner’s manual and is on a placard located in the vehicle’s
door jamb, inside the fuel hatch, or on the glove compartment door. If
you have plus-size tires that require a higher inflation pressure, your
tire pressure monitoring system will require re-calibration to the new
proper inflation pressure. Refer to your tire dealer/installer of plus-size
tires for proper inflation pressure. You should check air pressure in all
your tires, including the spare, once each month and before every long
trip. Regardless whether your spare is a full-size spare or a mini-spare,
make sure that it is properly inflated. If the TPMS generates improper
monitoring or signals, you should consult your vehicle owner’s manual
and follow up with your vehicle’s manufacturer.
TIRE SPINNING
Do not spin wheels at more than 35 mph (55 km/hr) as indicated
on your vehicle’s speedometer. Excessive speed in a free-running,
unloaded tire can cause it to “explode” from centrifugal force. The
energy released by such an explosion may cause serious physical
injury or death. Never allow anyone to stand near or behind a spinning
tire. When in mud, sand, snow, ice, or another slippery condition,
do not engage in excessive wheel spin. Accelerating the motor
excessively, particularly with automatic transmission vehicles, may
cause a drive tire that has lost traction to spin beyond its speed-
enduring capability. This is also true when balancing a drive tire/wheel
assembly on the vehicle using the vehicle engine to spin the
tire/wheel assembly.
High Speed Driving Is Dangerous
Correct inflation pressure is especially important. However, at high
speeds, even with the correct inflation pressure, a road hazard is more
difficult to avoid, and if tire contact is made with it, there is a greater
chance of causing tire damage than at a lower speed. Moreover,
driving at high speed reduces the reaction time available to avoid
accidents and bring your vehicle to a safe stop.
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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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tire or wheel, replace it with a properly inflated spare at once and have
your tires, including the spare, inspected by a tire professional.
A tire that hits a road hazard or object can be damaged but not have
any visible sign of damage on its surface. A tire damaged by an impact
can suddenly fail a day, a week, or even months later. You may not
recall having hit an object or a road hazard and may not see any tire
damage, but such an event may have damaged one or more of your
tires. Air loss, unusual tire wear, localized wear, or vibrations can also
be signs of internal tire damage and, accordingly, should be addressed
as promptly as are instances of visible tire damage.
If you suspect any damage to your tire or wheel from an impact with a
curb, pothole, debris on the road, or any other road hazard or object,
or if you feel or hear any unusual vibration, replace the tire and wheel\
with a properly inflated spare at once and immediately visit a qualified
tire professional.
Inspection
If you see any damage to a tire or wheel, replace it with a properly
inflated spare at once and visit a Michelin tire retailer.
Inspect your tires at least once per month, and immediately after
contacting any road hazard or object, such as a curb, a pothole, or
debris. When inspecting your tires, including the spare, check the
inflation as instructed above. If the pressure check indicates that one
of your tires has lost pressure of two pounds or more, look for signs of\
penetration, valve leakage, or wheel damage that may account for the
air loss.
If you have Michelin SelfSeal tires and observe an object penetrating
the tread surface, have the object removed by a trained tire technician
at an authorized Michelin dealer who can then inspect the tire for
potential damage.
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Tires loaded beyond their maximum allowable loads for the particular
application will build up excessive heat that may result in sudden tire \
failure and an accident. Do not exceed the gross axle weight rating for \
any axle on your vehicle.
Trailer Towing
If you anticipate towing a trailer, you should visit your Michelin tire
retailer for advice about the correct tire size and pressures. Tire size
and pressures will depend on the type and size of trailer and hitch
utilized, but in no case must the maximum cold inflation pressure
or tire load rating be exceeded. Check the tire information placard
that came on your vehicle, (located in the vehicle’s door jamb, inside
the fuel hatch, or on the glove compartment door) and the owner’s
manual supplied by the manufacturer of your vehicle for further
recommendations on trailer towing.
Self-Supporting Zero Pressure (ZP) Tires and Trailer Towing
Operation of ZP tires at low or zero air pressure with a trailer in tow
is dangerous and should be avoided. If the low pressure warning
indicator is activated when a trailer is in tow, stop, disconnect the
trailer, and do not continue to tow the trailer until the tire has been
properly repaired and re-inflated to the proper inflation. If the tire
cannot be properly repaired, it must be replaced with a new full-size,
matching ZP tire, and inflated to the proper inflation, before the trailer
can be safely towed again.
Wheel Alignment and Balancing Are Important for
Safety and Maximum Mileage from Your Tires.
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is molded into the sidewall. Tires without this notation are not
recommended for winter driving in regions that experience
winter conditions.
Although All-Season tires are designed to provide reliable performance
in some winter conditions, the use of four winter tires is recommended
for optimal performance. Tires designated for use in severe winter
conditions are marked on at least one sidewall with the letters
“M” and “S” plus a pictograph of a mountain with a snowflake
on it. If such a tire needs to be temporarily replaced with a
tire not so marked, you should immediately drive at a safe
speed to a Michelin dealer to have the spare returned to the
trunk and replaced on your vehicle by another tire with the letters
“M” and “S” and the related pictograph.
Tire Rotation and Replacement
To obtain maximum tread life, you must rotate your tires. You should
rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles (10,000 to 12,000 km)
or as specified by your vehicle manufacturer, whichever occurs
more frequently. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for any
recommendations by your vehicle manufacturer. Monthly inspection
for tire wear is recommended. Your tires should be rotated at the first
sign of irregular wear, even if it occurs before 6,000 miles (10,000
km). This is true for all vehicles. When rotating tires with a directional
tread pattern, observe the arrows molded on the sidewall that show the
direction in which the tire should rotate.
Care must be taken to maintain the proper rotation direction. Some Tire
Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) may not recognize that a tire
has been moved to a different position on your vehicle. Make certain
that your TPMS system is reset, if necessary, so as to correctly identify
the location of each tire on your vehicle.
Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual or your vehicle dealer for this
information. Determine whether rotated tires require tire inflation
adjustment, because front and rear position tire pressure may vary
according to the vehicle manufacturer’s specification due to the actual
load on that wheel position. Some vehicles may have tires of different
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size mounted on the front versus the rear axles, and these different
tires have rotation restrictions. Always check the vehicle owner’s
manual for the proper rotation recommendations.
Full-Size Spare
Full-size spare tires (not temporary spares) of the same size and
construction should be used in a five-tire rotation and should be
inspected by a tire professional during routine tire inspection. Always
have spare tires inspected before installation. Tires are composed
of various types of rubber compounds and other materials having
performance properties essential to the proper functioning of the tire. \
These component properties change over time. Always check the
inflation pressure of the full-size spare and look for any indication of
cracking or other damage immediately before incorporating the spare
into rotation. If you see any damage, or if the tire is underinflated, do
not resume driving with that tire unless you have no other option, in
which case you should drive only as slowly as is safely possible in the \
traffic conditions until you can both get the spare tire properly inflated
and have it checked by a tire professional to ensure that it is safe
to use. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pattern for
rotation. If such a recommendation is unavailable, see a qualified
tire professional.
Replacement of Two Tires
All four tires should be replaced at the same time. However, if only
two tires are replaced, the new ones should be put on the rear.
Deeper tread tires on the rear axle provide better handling, wet grip
and evacuate water, thereby helping to avoid oversteer and loss of
vehicle stability on wet surfaces. Deeper tread tires on the front axle \
can improve wet straight line braking and stopping distance. If only
two tires are being replaced, Michelin generally recommends they be
installed on the rear axle in the absence of a tire service professional’ s
recommendation or consumer’s preference to the contrary.
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have safety humps or ledges. Always utilize valve caps capable of
containing the tire’s inflation, should the valve core leak. The valve
cap is the primary seal against air loss. Each tire and wheel assembly
should be balanced to ensure proper tire and vehicle performance and
to maintain tire warranty coverage. Tires and wheel assemblies that
are not balanced may cause steering difficulties, a bumpy ride, and
irregular tire wear.
Special Mounting Instructions For Self-Supporting
Zero Pressure™ (ZP) Tires
ZP tires can be more difficult to mount than conventional tires. They
should be mounted and demounted only by a properly trained tire
professional. ZP tires can generate a tremendous amount of heat
when run at low or zero pressure. ALWAYS ALLOW A ZP TIRE TO
COOL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO HANDLE IT. FAILURE TO DO
SO COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. Michelin
® ZP tires are
tubeless tires designed to operate in emergency conditions at low or
zero air inflation.
MICHELIN® Self Supporting Zero Pressure™ (Zp) Tires
and Special Sh-M (Symmetric Hump-Modified) Wheels
Some MICHELIN® ZP tires can perform with zero pressure capability
only when mounted on special SH-M wheels. These tires bear the
SH-M designation immediately following the ZP designation on the
sidewall of the tire.
Temporary Type Spare Tires
When using any temporary type spare tire, be sure to follow the vehicle \
manufacturer’s instructions.
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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