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MAINTENANCEMAINTENANCE
Tire Service Life
The life of your tires is dependent on many factors, including driving habits, road
conditions, vehicle loading, infl ation pressure, maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even when the tires are not in use).
In addition to regular inspections and infl ation pressure maintenance, it is
recommended that you have annual inspections performed once the tires reach
fi ve years old. All tires, including the spare, should be removed from service after
10 years from the date of manufacture, regardless of their condition or state of
wear.
Winter Tires
If driving on snowy or frozen roads, mount all season tires marked “M+S”, snow
tires, or tire chains; reduce speed; and maintain suffi cient distance between
vehicles when driving. For winter tires, select the size and load ranges that are
the same as the original tires, and mount them to all four wheels. For tire chains,
install them on the front tires only.
Using the wrong chains, or not properly installing chains, can damage the
brake lines and cause a crash in which you can be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this guide regarding the selection and use of tire
chains.
WARNING
Traction devices that are the wrong size or improperly installed can damage your
vehicle’s brake lines, suspension, body, and wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the vehicle.
NOTICE
Tire Labeling
The tires that came on your vehicle have a number of markings. Those you
should be aware of are described below.
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The tire identifi cation number (TIN)
is a group of numbers and letters
that look like the example below. TIN
is located on the sidewall of the tire.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
Cold Tire Pressure – The tire air pressure when the vehicle has been
parked for at least three hours or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Load Rating – The maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
infl ation pressure.
Maximum Infl ation Pressure – The maximum tire air pressure that the tire
can hold.
Maximum Load Rating – The load rating for a tire at the maximum
permissible infl ation pressure for that tire.
Recommended Infl ation Pressure – The cold tire infl ation pressure
recommended by the manufacturer.
Treadwear Indicators (TWI) – The projections within the principal grooves
designed to give a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread.
Tire Size
Tire
Identification
Number (TIN)
Maximum
Tire Load
Maximum
Tire Pressure
Tire Size
DOT B97R FW6X 2209
DOT: This indicates that the tire meets all
requirements of the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
B97R: Manufacturer’s identification mark.
FW6X: Tire type code.
22 09: Date of manufacture.
Year
Week
Here is an example of what each marking
means:
215/70R16 100S
• 215: tire width in millimeters
• 70: aspect ratio (tire section height as a
percentage of its width)
• R: tire construction code (radial)
• 16: rim diameter in inches
• 100: load index (code indicating
maximum load tire can carry)
• S: speed symbol (code indicating
maximum speed rating)
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