tire size INFINITI M 2011 User Guide

●The steering wheel is forcibly turned beyond
its operation limits.
● The battery voltage is reduced.
Repeated steering maneuvers that may activate
the protection mechanism will damage the
4WAS system.
WARNING
The 4WAS system, although a sophisticated
device, cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving techniques.
Ultimately the responsibility for safety of self
and others rests in the hands of the driver.
Therefore only through attentive and careful
driving methods can the 4WAS system be fully
appreciated and safety optimized.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock becomes
frozen, heat the key before inserting it into the
key hole or use the Intelligent Key system.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C),
check antifreeze to assure proper winter protec-
tion. For additional information, see “ENGINE
COOLING SYSTEM” in the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during ex-
tremely cold weather conditions, the battery
fluid may freeze and damage the battery. To
maintain maximum efficiency, the battery
should be checked regularly. For additional
information, see “BATTERY” in the “8. Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourself” section.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, including
the engine block. Refill before operating the
vehicle. For details, see “ENGINE COOLING SYS-
TEM” in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself”
section.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to provide
superior performance on dry pavement. How-
ever, the performance of these tires will be
substantially reduced in snowy and icy condi-
tions. If you operate your vehicle on snowy or
icy roads, INFINITI recommends the use of MUD
& SNOW or ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels.
Consult an INFINITI retailer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded snow
tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be poorer than
that of non-studded snow tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see “TIRE
CHAINS” in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-
yourself” section of this manual.
For all-wheel drive
If you install snow tires, they must also be the
same size, brand, construction and tread pat-
tern on all four wheels.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-92Starting and driving
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2. Loosen each wheel nut one or two turnsby turning counterclockwise with the
wheel nut wrench. Do not remove the
wheel nuts until the tire is off the ground.
3. Carefully raise the vehicle until the tire clears the ground. To lift the vehicle,
securely hold the jack lever and rod with
both hands as shown above. Remove the
wheel nuts, and then remove the tire.Installing the spare tire
The T-type spare tire is designed for emergency
use. (See specific instructions under the head-
ing “WHEELS AND TIRES” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section.)
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surface
between the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the spare tire on and tighten the wheel nuts finger tight.
Models equipped with different sized tires in
the front and rear:
When replacing a front tire, make sure that
the hole in the spare tire wheel is aligned
with the pin on the brake rotor.
SCE0504SCE0661
6-6In case of emergency
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●The T-type spare tire and small size spare
tire are designed for emergency use. See
specific instructions under the heading
“WHEELS AND TIRES” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-free
number to call (U.S.) or Warranty Information
Booklet (Canada). To start your engine with a booster battery, the
instructions and precautions below must be
followed.
WARNING
●
If done incorrectly, jump starting can lead to
a battery explosion, resulting in severe in-
jury or death. It could also damage your
vehicle.
● Explosive hydrogen gas is always present in
the vicinity of the battery. Keep all sparks
and flames away from the battery.
● Do not allow battery fluid to come into con-
tact with eyes, skin, clothing or painted sur-
faces. Battery fluid is a corrosive sulphuric
acid solution which can cause severe burns.
If the fluid should come into contact with
anything, immediately flush the contacted
area with water.
● Keep the battery out of the reach of children.
● The booster battery must be rated at 12
volts. Use of an improperly rated battery can
damage your vehicle. ●
Whenever working on or near a battery, al-
ways wear suitable eye protectors (for ex-
ample, goggles or industrial safety spec-
tacles) and remove rings, metal bands, or
any other jewelry. Do not lean over the bat-
tery when jump starting.
● Do not attempt to jump start a frozen battery.
It could explode and cause serious injury.
● Your vehicle has an automatic engine cool-
ing fan. It could come on at any time. Keep
hands and other objects away from it.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-free
number to call (U.S.) or Warranty Information
Booklet (Canada).
JUMP STARTING
6-8In case of emergency
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When driving in areas using road salt or other
corrosive materials, check lubrication fre-
quently.
Lights*:Clean the headlights on a regular
basis. Make sure that the headlights, stop
lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and other
lights are all operating properly and installed
securely. Also check headlight aim.
Road wheel nuts (lug nuts)*: When checking the
tires, make sure no wheel nuts are missing, and
check for any loose wheel nuts. Tighten if
necessary.
Tire rotation*: Tires should be rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). If your vehicle is
equipped with different sized tires in the front
and rear, tires cannot be rotated.
Tires*: Check the pressure with a gauge often
and always prior to long distance trips. If nec-
essary, adjust the pressure in all tires, includ-
ing the spare, to the pressure specified. Check
carefully for damage, cuts or excessive wear.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) trans-
mitter components: Replace the TPMS transmit-
ter grommet seal, valve core and cap when the
tires are replaced due to wear or age.
Tire, wheel alignment and balance: If the vehicle
should pull to either side while driving on a straight and level road, or if you detect uneven
or abnormal tire wear, there may be a need for
wheel alignment.
If the steering wheel or seat vibrates at normal
highway speeds, wheel balancing may be
needed.
For additional information regarding tires, refer
to “Important Tire Safety Information” (US) or
“Tire Safety Information” (Canada) in the
INFINITI Warranty Information Booklet.
Windshield:
Clean the windshield on a regular
basis. Check the windshield at least every six
months for cracks or other damage. Have a
damaged windshield repaired by a qualified
repair facility.
Windshield wiper blades*: Check for cracks or
wear if they do not wipe properly.
Inside the vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked on a regular basis, such as when
performing periodic maintenance, cleaning the
vehicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal: Check the pedal for smooth
operation and make sure the pedal does not
catch or require uneven effort. Keep the floor
mat away from the pedal. Automatic transmission P (Park) mechanism:
On
a fairly steep hill, check that your vehicle is held
securely with the selector lever in the P (Park)
position without applying any brakes.
Brake pedal: Check the pedal for smooth opera-
tion. If the brake pedal suddenly goes down
further than normal, the pedal feels spongy or
the vehicle seems to take longer to stop, see an
INFINITI retailer immediately. Keep the floor mat
away from the pedal.
Brakes: Check that the brakes do not pull the
vehicle to one side when applied.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake opera-
tion regularly. The vehicle should be securely
held on a fairly steep hill with only the parking
brake applied. If the parking brake needs ad-
justed, see an INFINITI retailer.
Seat belts: Check that all parts of the seat belt
system (for example, buckles, anchors, adjuster
and retractors) operate properly and smoothly,
and are installed securely. Check the belt web-
bing for cuts, fraying, wear or damage.
Seats: Check seat position controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. to ensure
they operate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in every position. Check that the head
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-3
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Tire and Loading Information label
1Seating capacity: The maximum
number of occupants that can be
seated in the vehicle.
2Vehicle load limit: See “VEHICLE
LOADING INFORMATION” in the “9.
Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section.
3Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle
at the factory.
4Cold tire pressure: Inflate the tires
to this pressure when the tires are
cold. Tires are considered COLD
after the vehicle has been parked
for 3 or more hours, or driven less
than 1 mile (1.6 km) at moderate
speeds. The recommended cold
tire inflation is set by the manufac-
turer to provide the best balance of
tire wear, vehicle handling, drive-
ability, tire noise, etc., up to the
vehicle’s GVWR.
5Tire size — see “TIRE LABELING”
later in this section.
6Spare tire size or compact spare
tire size (if so equipped)SDI2567
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Checking the tire pressure
1.Remove the valve stem cap from the
tire.
2.Press the pressure gauge squarely
onto the valve stem. Do not press too
hard or force the valve stem side-
ways, or air will escape. If the hissing
sound of air escaping from the tire is
heard while checking the pressure,
reposition the gauge to eliminate this
leakage.
3.Remove the gauge.
4.Read the tire pressure on the gauge
stem and compare it to the specifica-
tion shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label.
5.Add air to the tire as needed. If too
much air is added, press the core of
the valve stem briefly with the tip of
the gauge stem to release pressure.
Recheck the pressure and add or re-
lease air as needed.
6.Install the valve stem cap.
7.Check the pressure of all other tires,
including the spare.
SIZE COLD TIRE INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT
ORIGINAL TIRE P245/
50R18
99V 230 kPa,
33 PSI
245/
40R20
95W 230 kPa,
33 PSI
SIZE COLD TIRE
INFLATION
PRESSURE
REAR
ORIGINAL TIRE P245/
50R18
99V 230 kPa,
33 PSI
245/
40R20
95W 230 kPa,
33 PSI
SPARE TIRE T165/
80R17 420 kPa,
60 PSI
T165/
80D17 420 kPa,
60 PSI
T155/
80R18 420 kPa,
60 PSI
SDI1949
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-33
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TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufacturers
to place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information
identifies and describes the fundamen-
tal characteristics of the tire and also
provides the tire identification number
(TIN) for safety standard certification.
The TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.1Tire size (example: P215/60R16 94H)
1.P: The “P” indicates the tire is de-
signed for passenger vehicles. (Not all
tires have this information.)
2.Three-digit number (215): This num-
ber gives the width in millimeters of
the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge.
3.Two-digit number (60): This number,
known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire’s ratio of height to width.
4.R: The “R” stands for radial.
5.Two-digit number (16): This number is
the wheel or rim diameter in inches.
6.Two- or three-digit number (94): This
number is the tire’s load index. It is a
measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may not
find this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
7.H: Tire speed rating. You should not
drive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
Example
SDI1575
Example
SDI1606
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2TIN (Tire Identification Number) for a
new tire (example: DOT XX XX XXX
XXXX)
1.DOT: Abbreviation for the “Depart-
ment of Transportation”. The symbol
can be placed above, below or to the
left or right of the Tire Identification
Number.
2.Two-digit code: Manufacturer’s iden-
tification mark
3.Two-digit code: Tire size
4.Three-digit code: Tire type code (Op-
tional)
5.Three-digit code: Date of Manufacture
6.Four numbers represent the week and
year the tire was built. For example,
the numbers 3103 means the 31st
week of 2003. If these numbers are
missing, then look on the other side-
wall of the tire.
3Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of
rubber-coated fabric in the tire.
Tire manufacturers also must indi-
cate the materials in the tire, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.
4Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure.
5Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
6Term of “tubeless” or “tube type”
Indicates whether the tire requires an
inner tube (“tube type”) or not
(“tubeless”).
7The word “radial”
The word “radial” is shown, if the tire
has radial structure.
8Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
Other tire-related terminology:
In addition to the many terms that are
defined throughout this section, In-
tended Outboard Sidewall is (1) the side-
wall that contains a whitewall, bears
Example
SDI1607
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-35
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white lettering or bears manufacturer,
brand and/or model name molding that
is higher or deeper than the same mold-
ing on the other sidewall of the tire, or
(2) the outward facing sidewall of an
asymmetrical tire that has a particular
side that must always face outward
when mounted on a vehicle.
TYPES OF TIRES
WARNING
●When changing or replacing tires, be sure all
four tires are of the same type (Example:
Summer, All Season or Snow) and construc-
tion. An INFINITI retailer may be able to help
you with information about tire type, size,
speed rating and availability.
● Replacement tires may have a lower speed
rating than the factory equipped tires, and
may not match the potential maximum ve-
hicle speed. Never exceed the maximum
speed rating of the tire.
● Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the proper
operation of the TPMS. ●
For additional information regarding tires,
refer to “Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
All season tires
INFINITI specifies all season tires on some
models to provide good performance all year,
including snowy and icy road conditions. All
Season tires are identified by ALL SEASON
and/or M&S (Mud and Snow) on the tire side-
wall. Snow tires have better snow traction than
All Season tires and may be more appropriate in
some areas.
Summer tires
INFINITI specifies summer tires on some models
to provide superior performance on dry roads.
Summer tire performance is substantially re-
duced in snow and ice. Summer tires do not
have the tire traction rating M&S on the tire
sidewall.
If you plan to operate your vehicle in snowy or
icy conditions, INFINITI recommends the use of
SNOW tires or ALL SEASON tires on all four
wheels.
Snow tires
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to
select tires equivalent in size and load rating to
the original equipment tires. If you do not, it can
adversely affect the safety and handling of your
vehicle.
Generally, snow tires will have lower speed
ratings than factory equipped tires and may not
match the potential maximum vehicle speed.
Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the
tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the same
size, brand, construction and tread pattern on
all four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires. Skid and traction capa-
bilities of studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.
8-36Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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TIRE CHAINS
Use of tire chains may be prohibited according
to location. Check the local laws before install-
ing tire chains. When installing tire chains,
make sure they are the proper size for the tires
on your vehicle and are installed according to
the chain manufacturer’s suggestions.Use only
SAE Class S chains. Class “S” chains are used
on vehicles with restricted tire to vehicle clear-
ance. Vehicles that can use Class “S” chains are
designed to meet the SAE standard minimum
clearances between the tire and the closest
vehicle suspension or body component re-
quired to accommodate the use of a winter
traction device (tire chains or cables). The mini-
mum clearances are determined using the fac-
tory equipped tire size. Other types may dam-
age your vehicle. Use chain tensioners when
recommended by the tire chain manufacturer to
ensure a tight fit. Loose end links of the tire
chain must be secured or removed to prevent
the possibility of whipping action damage to
the fenders or underbody. If possible, avoid
fully loading your vehicle when using tire
chains. In addition, drive at a reduced speed.
Otherwise, your vehicle may be damaged
and/or vehicle handling and performance may
be adversely affected.
Tire chains must be installed only on the rear
wheels and not on the front wheels. Never install tire chains on a TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire.
Do not use tire chains on dry roads. Driving with
tire chains in such conditions can cause dam-
age to the various mechanisms of the vehicle
due to some overstress.
CHANGING WHEELS AND TIRES
Tire rotation (Models equipped with
same size tires on all wheels)
INFINITI recommends rotating the tires
every 7,500 miles (12,000 km). (See
“FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section for tire replacing proce-
dures.)
As soon as possible, tighten the wheel
nuts to the specified torque with a torque
wrench.
SDI1662
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37
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