7-29
7
Maintenance
TTIIRR EESS AA NN DD WW HHEEEELLSS
Tire Care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.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.
Tire failure may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident. To reduce risk of
SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH,
take the following precautions:
Inspect your tires monthly for
proper inflation as well as
wear and damage.
The recommended cold tire
pressure for your vehicle can
be found in this manual andon the tire label located on the
driver's side center pillar.
Always use a tire pressure
gauge to measure tire pres-
sure. Tires with too much ortoo little pressure wear
unevenly causing poor han-dling.
Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering) control, ortraction.
WARNING
7-30
Maintenance
All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the driver’s side center
pillar.
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressures
All tire pressures should be checked
when the tires are cold. "Cold tires"
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or drivenless than 1.6 km (1 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
OFE088003
7-33
7
Maintenance
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.
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 (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
NOTICE
OLMB073027
Tread wear indicatorTo 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.
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.
WARNING
7-35
7
Maintenance
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.Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.) 225/60 R17 99H
225 - Tire width in millimeters.
60 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
17 - Rim diameter in inches.
99 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - 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.
OLMB073028
1
1
2
34
5,6
7
7-36
Maintenance
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger car 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.
3. Checking tire life (TIN : TireIdentification Number)
Any tires that are over six years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
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 consist-
ing of numbers and English letters.
The manufacturing date is designat-
ed by the last four digits (characters)
of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 14 20 represents
that the tire was produced in the 14th
week of 20 20.
4. Tire ply composition and
material
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-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 con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and theletter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible infla-tion pressure
This number is the greatest amountof 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.
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)
7-41
7
Maintenance
Radial Ply Tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at 90 degrees to the centerline ofthe tread.
Rim
A metal support for a tire and uponwhich the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall
The portion of a tire between thetread and the bead.
Speed Rating
An alphanumeric code assigned to a
tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction
The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip pro-vided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes intocontact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
"wear bars", that show across thetread of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 inch) of tread remains.
UTQGS
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards is a tire information sys-
tem that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, tempera-
ture and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing proce-
dures. The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
The number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 68 kg (150
lbs.) plus the rated cargo and lug-gage load.
Vehicle Maximum Load on theTire
Load on an individual tire due to curb
and accessory weight plus maximum
occupant and cargo weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
accessory weight, and normal occu-
pant weight and dividing by 2.
Vehicle Placard
A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the original equip-
ment tire size and recommended
inflation pressure.
7-42
Maintenance
All Season Tires
HYUNDAI specifies all season tires
on some models to provide good
performance for use all year round,
including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M+S (Mud
and Snow) on the tire sidewall. Snow
tires have better snow traction than
all season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.
Summer Tires
HYUNDAI specifies summer tires on
some models to provide superior
performance on dry roads. Summer
tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer
tires do not have the tire traction rat-
ing M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
side wall. If you plan to operate your
vehicle in snowy or icy conditions,
HYUNDAI recommends the use of
snow tires or all season tires on all
four wheels.
Snow Tires
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result. Snow
tires should carry 28 kPa (4 psi)more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard tires
on the tire label on the driver’s side of
the center pillar, or up to the maxi-
mum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less. Do not
drive faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
when your vehicle is equipped with
snow tires.
Radial-Ply Tires
Radial-ply tires provide improved
tread life, road hazard resistance and
smoother high speed ride. The radi-
al-ply tires used on this vehicle are of
belted construction, and are selected
to complement the ride and handling
characteristics of your vehicle.
Radial-ply tires have the same load
carrying capacity, as bias-ply or bias
belted tires of the same size, and usethe same recommended inflation
pressure. Mixing of radial-ply tireswith bias-ply or bias belted tires is
not recommended. Any combina-
tions of radial-ply and bias-ply or biasbelted tires when used on the same
vehicle will seriously deteriorate
vehicle handling. The best rule to fol-
low is: Identical pairs of radial-ply
tires should always be used as a set
for the front tires and a set for the
rear tires.
8-4
Specifications and Reporting Safety DefectsT
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When replacing tires, use the same size originally supplied with the vehicle.
Using tires of a different size can damage the drivetrain, cause driveability issues, and possibly cause
damage.
CAUTION
If your vehicle is not equipped with a compact spare tire, your vehicle will be equipped with a Tire Mobility Kit.
Items Tire SizeWheel Size
Inflation Pressure kPa (psi)Wheel Lug Nut
Torque kgf •m
(lbf ft, N m)
Normal Load * 1Maximum Load * 2
FrontRearFrontRear
Full size tire225/60 R177.0J X 17250 (36)250 (36)250 (36)250 (36)11~13
(79~94, 107~127)
245/45 R197.5J X 19
It is permissible to add 20 kPa (3 psi) to the standard tire pressure specification if colder temperatures are expected soon. Tires typically loose 7 kPa (1 psi) for every 7°C (12°F) temperature drop. If extreme temper-
ature variations are expected, recheck your tire pressure as necessary to keep them properly inflated.
An air pressure generally decreases, as you drive up to a high-altitude area above sea level. Thus, if you plan to drive a high-altitude area, check the tire pressures in advance. If necessary, inflate them to a prop-
er level (Air inflation per altitude: +10 kPa/1 km (+2.4 psi/1 mile)).
NOTICE
*1
: Normal load : Up to 3 persons
* 2
: Maximum load : Up to 5 persons