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212 Wheels and tires
Traction grade
& DANGER Risk of accident due to inade‐
quate traction
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include either accelera‐
tion, cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
Always adapt your driving style and
#
drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
traffic and weather conditions.
* NOTE Damage to the drivetrain from
wheelspin
Avoid wheelspin.
#
The traction grades – from highest to lowest –
are AA, A, B and C. These grades relate to the
tire's ability to come to a standstill on a wet pave‐
ment under controlled conditions on a specified
U.S. government test surface made from asphalt
and concrete.
Temperature grade
& WARNING Risk of accident from tire
overheating and tire failure
The temperature grade for this tire is estab‐
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla‐
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause excessive heat
build-up and possible tire failure.
Observe the recommended tire pres‐
#
sures and regularly check the tire pres‐
sure of all tires including the spare
wheel.
Adjust the tire pressure as necessary.
#
The temperature grades are A (highest grade), B
and C. These relate to a tire's resistance to heat
and its ability to release heat on a specified test
wheel in laboratory tests under controlled condi‐
tions. Sustained high temperatures can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life. In addition, excessively high temperatures
can lead to sudden tire failure. Grade C refers to
a performance which all passenger vehicle tires
must exhibit, according to the U.S. Department
of Transportation's requirements.
Information on DOT and TIN (Tire Identifica‐
tion Number)
U.S. tire regulations indicate that every tire man‐
ufacturer or retreader must imprint a TIN in or on
the sidewall of each tire produced.
%
The data shown in the illustration is sample
data.
The TIN is a unique identification number for tires
and consists of the following components:
DOT (Department of Transportation): tire
R
symbol
1
indicates that the tire complies
with the requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Manufacturer identification code: manu‐
R
facturer identification code
mation about the tire manufacturer. New tires
have a code with two symbols. Retreaded
tires have a code with four symbols. For fur‐
ther information about retreaded tires, see
(
page 216).
/
Tire size: identifier
3
describes the tire size.
R
Tire type code: tire type code
R
used by the manufacturer as a code to
describe specific characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture: date of manufacture
R
5
provides information about the age of a
tire. The 1st and 2nd numbers indicate the
calendar week and the 3rd and 4th numbers
indicate the year of manufacture (e.g. "3208"
refers to the 32nd week of the year 2008).
2
provides infor‐
4
can be
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