Mercedes-Benz SL 550 BlueEFFICIENCY, Operator'S Manual

Page: 547 / 572

possible for the purchaser to easily identify
the affected tires.
The TIN consists of the manufacturer
identification code
;
, tire size
=
, tire type
code
?
and manufacturing date
A
.
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
symbol
:
indicates that the tire complies
with the requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code:
manufacturer identification code
;
provides
details on 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 (
Y
page 526).
Tire size: identifier
=
describes the tire size.
Tire type code: tire type code
?
can be
used by the manufacturer as a code to
describe specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: 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.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
Tire characteristics
This information describes the type of tire
cord and the number of layers in
sidewall
:
and under tire tread
;
.
i Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
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
Transportation.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants which the vehicle
is designed for, multiplied by 68 kilograms
(150 lb).
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A uniform standard to grade the quality of
tires with regards to tread quality, tire traction
and temperature characteristics. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
are molded into the sidewall of the tire.
Recommended tire pressure
The recommended tire pressure applies to
the tires mounted at the factory.
The Tire and Loading Information placard
contains the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires on a fully loaded vehicle and for the
maximum permissible vehicle speed.
The tire pressure table contains the
recommended pressures for cold tires for
All about wheels and tires
545
Wheels and tires
Z