ability to come to a standstill on a wet pavement
under controlled conditions on a speci ed U.S.
government test surface made from asphalt and
concrete.
TTem
emper
peratur
ature gr
e grade
ade
&
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident from tire over-
heating and tire failure
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly in ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in com-
bination, can cause excessive heat build-up
and possible tire failure.
#
Observe the recommended tire pres-
sures and regularly check the tire pres-
sure of all tires including the spare
wheel.
#
Adjust the tire pressure as necessary.
The temperature grades are A (highest grade), B
and C. These relate to a tire's resistance to heat
and its ability to release heat on a speci ed test
wheel in laboratory tests under controlled condi-
tions. Sustained high temperatures can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life. In addition, excessively high temperatures can
lead to sudden tire failure. Grade C refers to a per-
formance which all passenger vehicle tires must
exhibit, according to the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation's requirements.
Inf
Infor
ormation on DO
mation on DOT and TIN (T
T and TIN (Tiriree Identi cation
Identi cation
Number)
Number)
U.S. tire regulations indicate that every tire manu-
facturer or retreader must imprint a TIN in or on
the sidewall of each tire produced.
%
The data shown in the illustration is sample
data.
The TIN is a unique identi cation number for tires
and consists of the following components:
R
DO
DOT (Depar
T (Department of Tr
tment of Transport
ansportation):
ation): tire sym-
bol
1
indicates that the tire complies with the
requirements of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation.
R
Manuf
Manufactur
acturer
er identi cation
identi cation code:
code: manufac-
turer identi cation code
2
provides informa-
tion about the tire manufacturer. New tires
have a code with two symbols. Retreaded tires
have a code with four symbols. For further
information about retreaded tires, see
(
/
page 252).
R
TTirire size:
e size: identi er
3
describes the tire size.
R
TTirire type code:
e type code: tire type code
4
can be used
by the manufacturer as a code to describe spe-
ci c characteristics of the tire.
R
Dat
Date of manuf
e of manufactur
acture:
e: date of manufacture
5
provides information about the age of a tire.
The 1st and 2nd numbers indicate the calendar
week and the 3rd and 4th numbers indicate
the year of manufacture (e.g. "3208" refers to
the 32nd week of the year 2008).
Inf
Infor
ormation on maximum tir
mation on maximum tire load
e load
%
The data shown in the illustration is sample
data.
Maximum tire load
1
is the maximum permissible
weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the maxi-
mum permissible load. The maximum permissible
load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and Load-
ing Information placard on the B-pillar on the driv-
er's side (
/
page 245).
Wheels and tires 249
249
