DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:
DOT (Department of Transportation)
;
Manufacturer identification code
=
Tire size
?
Tire type code
A
Date of manufacture
U.S tire regulations prescribe that every tire
manufacturer or retreader must imprint a
TIN in or on the sidewall of every tire pro-
duced.
The TIN is a unique identification number.
The TIN enables the tire manufacturers or
retreaders to inform purchasers of recalls
and other safety-relevant matters. It makes
it possible for the purchaser to easily iden-
tify the affected tires.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
:
indi-
cates that the tire complies with the require-
ments of the United States Department of
Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code
;
pro-
vides details on the tire manufacturer. New
tires have a code with two symbols. Retrea-
ded tires have a code with four symbols.
Tire type code
?
can be used by the manu-
facturer as a code to describe specific char-
acteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture
A
provides information
about the age of a tire. The first and second
positions represent the week of manufacture,
starting with "01" for the first calendar week.
Positions three and four represent the year of
manufacture. For example, a tire that is
marked with "3208", was manufactured in
week 32 in 2008.
Tire characteristics
:
Tire cord and the number of layers in the
side wall
;
Tire cord and the number of layers under
the tread
Definition of terms for tires and loading
Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of plies or the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. These are made of steel,
nylon, polyester and other materials.
Bar
Metric unit for tire pressure. 14.5038 pounds
per square inch (psi) and 100 kilopascals
(kPa) are the equivalent of 1 bar.
DOT (Department of Transportation)
DOT marked tires fulfill the requirements of
the United States Department of Transpor-
tation.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants for which the vehi-
cle is designed multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lbs).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A uniform standard to grade the quality of
tires with regards to tread quality, tire trac-
tion and temperature characteristics. The
quality grading assessment is made by the
manufacturer following specifications from
the U.S. government. The ratings are molded
into the sidewall of the tire.
Obtaining information on tires
137
>>
Maintenance
and
care.
Z
Summary of Contents for Smart fortwo cabrio
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