Storing Tires - SMART fortwo cabriolet Operator's Manual

Tires and wheels
132
Treadwear indicator : appears as a solid
band across the tread.

Storing tires

! Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact with
oil, grease and fuels.
Cleaning tires
! Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result
in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a U.S.
Government requirement designed to give
drivers consistent and reliable
information regarding tire performance.
Tire manufacturers are required to grade
tires based on three performance factors:
treadwear :, traction ;, and temperature
resistance =. Although not a Government
of Canada requirement, all tires made for
sale in North America have these grades
branded on the sidewall.
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
Quality grades can be found, where
applicable, on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear Traction
200 AA
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified U.S. government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
1
one and one-half (1
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
G WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
A
/ ) times as well on the
2