Tire Sidewall Labeling - Pontiac 2009 Vibe Owner's Manual

9-42 Vehicle Service and Care

Tire Sidewall Labeling

Useful information about a
tire is molded into its sidewall.
The examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
(A) Tire Size The tire size
:
is a combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
"Tire Size" illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) DOT (Department of
Transportation) The
:
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the tire
is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
(C) Tire Identification Number
(TIN) The letters and numbers
:
following DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire
Identification Number (TIN). The
TIN shows the manufacturer and
plant code, tire size, and date the
tire was manufactured. The TIN
is molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(D) Tire Ply Material
:
of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under
the tread.
(E) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG) Tire
:
manufacturers are required
to grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 9-56.
(F) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit Maximum load
:
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load.
The type