weight AUDI TT ROADSTER 2008 Owner's Manual

_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ __
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, door or roof.
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
• Never install a rearward facing child safety seat on the front
passenger seat unless the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag system inspected immedi ­
ately by your Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc ­
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle . To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
- Place the child restraint on a seat .
- Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
- Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
~& -
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight.
- Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position .
- Guide the safety belt back into the retractor unt il the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
- You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pul ling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now activated .
- Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
- Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is properly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward
or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
• Always make sure the seat backrest to which the child restraint
is installed is in an upright position. Otherwise, the seat back with
the child safety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of
an accident or other emergency situation. ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu larly considering the comparatively small patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all -important contact
between you, your vehic le and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regularly inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts, s lashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
blowouts.
A vo iding d am age
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstac le, drive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls including grease, oi l, gaso line and brake
fluid off the tires.
Inspect the ti res regu larly for damage (cuts, cracks or b listers, etc.l .
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tir es
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota ­
t ion. This ensures you to be able to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
S tore tires in a vertical pos it ion if they a re not mounted on r ims, in
a horizonta l position if they are mounted on rims.
New tir es
New tires have to be broken in=>&.
The tread depth of new ti res may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
H idd en damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusual vibration or the vehicle pu lls to one s ide, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire cti ona l t ires
A unidirectional tire can be identif ied by arrows on the sidewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate . You must fo llow
t he specified directio n of rotation . This is necessary s o that these
tires can develop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance . For more information
=>
page 272.
& WARNING
New t ires o r ti re s th at a re old , worn or d am aged cann ot pro vid e
maximum cont rol and braking ability .
• New tires te nd to be slippery and mu st be bro ken in . To redu ce
the ri sk o f lo sin g co ntro l, a collis ion and serious per sonal injurie s,
dri ve w ith special care f or the fi rst 350 m ile s ( 560 km l.
• Driving w ith w orn or damaged tire s can lead to lo ss of control ,
sudd en tir e fa ilure , inc ludi ng a blowout a nd sudden defl atio n, ..,_

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip­
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
m eans the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to ope rate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EX TRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
mea ns the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure . You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
in flated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 239, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your wheel
size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
•
Sidewa ll
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed ra ting means the speed at which a t ire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
t o 186 mph (298 km/h) =>
page 251. You may not find this informa ­
tion on all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicab le, is molded on the tire
sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 254.
T ire pre ssu re m on it o rin g syste m
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
Tre ad
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road .
Tread sepa ra ti on
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Tr ea dw ear indi cato rs ( TW I)
means the projections with in the principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
~ page 248, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear.
U ni form Tire Q ua lity G radin g
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make re lative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way. It simply
gives tire buyers additiona l information to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loya lty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
three areas : treadwear, trac tion and temperature resistance. The
U TQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT Tire Identifi cation Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the ti re meets a ll federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week a nd year of manufac ­
ture . For example,
DOT ... 2207 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22t h week of 2007. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
t he tire manufacturer. This information is used to contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehi cle cap acity we ight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as l is ted on the label
located on the driver's side B -pi llar.
V eh icle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le its share of the max imum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Ve hic le normal lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le its share of the curb weight, accessory we ight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with tab le
below =>
page 242) and dividing by two . ._
Vehicle care I t •

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
Occupant loading for vehicle normal load (no luggage)
Designated seating capacity , number of occupants
2
Cold tire inflation pressure
Vehicle normal load (no luggage ), number of occupants
2 •
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 160 Tire pressure
label: located on
driver's side B-pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPal, the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSll. Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure." Air in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when it flexes in use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a
"co ld" tire that counts. Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pressure" recommendations.
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
Main taining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated
ij
--~--------------- j
.(SEATING CAPAOn':jorAL l :FRONT l '.CENTER I '.REAR I )
The combmedwolghl "'°"'""""ond a,gor.hould ,_ l'>CC TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESS URE
FRO l'rr -KPa, - PSI
REAR -KPa, - PSI
~ A_ R _ E i..===..=;;;..;.;; KP..;;a, :.=;;;;;..;.. PS;;..;.I_
MANUAL FOR
ADDITIONAL
I N FORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
Fig. 161 Tire pressure
label
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying .
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load-carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side B-pillar on your Audi
lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the vehicle
at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your vehicle
at the time it was manufactured .
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (no luggage) up to 2 occupants, you can adjust tire
pressures to those specified for normal vehicle load. Before oper-
i.,.

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
vehicle with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
axles. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located on
the driver's side 8-pillar. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the tire
pressure label =>
page 242, fig. 160.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
& WARNING (continued)
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control . •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
on driver's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table=>
page 242, "Cold tire inflation pressure". This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 242. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inflation pressures for the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For the location of
the label
=> page 242, fig . 160.
Most tires lose air naturally over time. They can also lose some air if
you drive over a pothole or hit a curb while parking . It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial tires used today are underinflated
just by looking at them .
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and
always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire .,_

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in t read separation , sudden t ire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cau se heat bu ild-up ,
sudden tire failure and lo ss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pres sure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always ma ke sure that fact ory insta lled valve
stem caps on all whee ls are securely mounted on the valve .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any tire can carry. A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle well
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overload ing can not only lead to loss
of vehicle contro l, but can a lso damage important parts of the
veh ic le an d ca n lead to sudden t ire fa ilu re , inc lud ing a bl owout a nd
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Yo ur saf ety a nd that of you r passenge rs also de pends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every ­
body and eve ryt hing in and on the vehic le . Th ese load limi ts are technica
lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR").
Th e "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other f luids
p lus max imum load. The ma ximu m load inc ludes the numbe r of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
w it h an assu med we ight o f 150 lbs (68 kg) for eac h pass enger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
t he vehicle.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is the maximum load that
can be a pplied a t eac h of the vehic le's two a xles .
T he Gross Veh icle Weigh t Rat ing a nd the Gross A xle We igh t R ating
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located on the
dr iver's s ide B -p illar . You r Aud i has 2 sea ting pos it io n s. Eac h seating
posit ion has a safety belt=>
page 137, "Safety belts".
T he fact that the re is a n up per lim it to yo ur vehicle's G ross Veh ic le
We ig ht Rating means that the to tal we ight o f what ev e r is be ing
ca rried in the ve hicle is lim ited. The mo re pas se ngers in the vehic le
or passe ngers w ho ar e heav ier t han th e sta ndard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as luggage.
T he ti re p ress ure labe l on yo ur Aud i al so list s the maxi mum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
th at the vehicle can car ry. F or the lo ca tio n of t he label =>
page 242,
fig . 160.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was des igned to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehi cle control .
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance. .,_

& WARNING (continued)
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a crash .•
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle 's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label)=;>
page 242, fig. 160.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
Tires and wheels 1111111
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =;>
page 242, fig. 160.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
( 1400 -750 (5 x 150) = 650 I bs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load ca pa city calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle. .,_
Vehicle care I • •

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
Tire manu fact uring da te
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DOT ... 2207 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22th week of 2007.
S peed ratin g (let te r cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 254.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H upto 130mph(210km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)2>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)2>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)2>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)21
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excel lent driving characteris tics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An e lectronic speed limiter=> page 26wil l normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S . D OT T ire Ident ifi cation Nu mber (TIN ) and tire
m anu fac ture date
This is the tire's "seria l number" . It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac-
21 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2207 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2007. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tir e ply c omp osition and m aterial s used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire . In general, the greater the number of p lies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi ­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others .
Maximum L oad Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tir e qu alit y g ra din g for tr eadwear, trac tion, a nd
te mper atu re resi stan ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 253.
Max imum P ermi ssibl e Inf latio n Pre ssure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driv ing conditions .
Repla cing tires or rims on vehicl es equipp ed with tir e
pres sure monit orin g s yst em
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constant ly monitors the air pressure ins ide the t ire, and then trans ­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehic le, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressu re monitoring system on your vehicle.
I f the sensors are to be installed on different rims, the sea l, washer,
and valve cap for each sensor must be replaced.
If you instal l rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system ..,_
Vehicle care I t •