Volvo S80 Owner's Manual page 214

New tires
1502
Remember that tires are perishable goods.
As of 2000, the manufacturing week and year
(Department of Transportation (DOT) stamp)
will be indicated with 4 digits (e.g. 1502
means that the tire illustrated was manufac-
tured during week 15 of 2002).
Tire age
• Tires degrade over time, even when they
are not being used. It is recommended
that tires generally be replaced after 6
years of normal service. Heat caused by
hot climates, frequent high loading condi-
tions or Ultra Violet (U.V.) exposure can
accelerate the aging process.
• You should replace the spare tire when
you replace the other road tires due to the
aging of the spare.
06 Maintenance and specifications
• A tire's age can be determined by the DOT
stamp on the sidewall (see the illustration
above).
• A tire with e.g., visible cracks or discolora-
tion should be replaced immediately.
Improving tire economy
• Maintain correct tire pressure. See the tire
pressure tables beginning on page 217.
• Drive smoothly: avoid fast starts, hard
braking and tire screeching.
• Tire wear increases with speed.
• Correct front wheel alignment is very im-
portant.
• Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy
and driving comfort.
• Tires must maintain the same direction of
rotation throughout their lifetime.
• When replacing tires, the tires with the
most tread should be mounted on the rear
wheels to reduce the chance of oversteer
during hard braking.
• Hitting curbs or potholes can damage the
tires and/or wheels permanently.
Wheels and tires
06
213