Maintenance
9-36
Compact spare tire replacement
(if equipped)
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 mounted on the same
compact spare tire wheel. The compact
spare tire is not designed to be mounted
on a regular size wheel, and the compact
spare tire wheel is not designed for
mounting a regular size tire.
WARNING
The original tire should be repaired or
replaced as soon as possible to avoid
failure of the spare and loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident. The
compact spare tire is for emergency
use only. Do not operate your vehicle
over 50 mph (80 km/h) when using the
compact spare 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 width and offset.
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 be replaced when tread
wear indicators appear. To reduce the
possibility of losing control, slow down
whenever there is rain, snow or ice 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 the wheel
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 removed from the
wheel.
Maintenance
9-38
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the
different 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 operating
speed.
Speed Rating Symbol Maximum Speed
S 112 mph (180 km/h)
T 118 mph (190 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h)
V 149 mph (240 km/h)
W 168 mph (270 km/h) Y 186 mph (300 km/h)
3. Checking tire lif e (TIN : Tire
Identification Number)
Any tires that are over six years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find the
manufacturing date on the tire sidewall
(possibly on the inside of the wheel),
displaying the DOT Code. The DOT Code
is a series of numbers on a tire consisting
of numbers and English letters. The
manufacturing date is designated by the
last four digits (characters) of the DOT
code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT shows a plant
code number, tire size and tread pattern
and the last four numbers indicate week
and year manufactured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1520 represents that
the tire was produced in the 15th week
of 2020.
4. Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of
rubber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include steel,
nylon, polyester, and others. The letter
“R” means radial ply construction; the
letter “D“ means diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter “B” means
belted-bias ply construction.
5. Maximum permissible inflation
pr essure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer to
the Tire and Loading Information label
for recommended inflation pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that can be
carried by the tire. When replacing the
tires on the vehicle, always use a tire that
has the same load rating as the factory
installed tire.
