tire size KIA Rio 2009 2.G Owner's Manual

Driving tips85Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without firstchecking local, state and municipal regu-lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
WARNING
- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety and
handling of your vehicle may be
adversely affected.

In case of an emergency18
6Important - use of compact spare
tire
your vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare tire. This compact spare
tire takes up less space than a regu-
lar-size tire. This tire is smaller than a
conventional tire and is designed for
temporary use only. The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 60 psi (420 kPa).
✽ ✽
NOTICECheck the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
Ensure that you drive slowly enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
Any continuous road use of this tire could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire. Avoid driving over obstacles. The
compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle.
Do not take this vehicle through an automatic car wash.
Do not use tire chains on this tire. Because of the smaller size, a tire
chain will not fit properly. This could
damage the vehicle and result in
loss of the chain.
This tire should not be installed on the front axle if the vehicle must be
driven in snow or on ice.
Do not use the compact spare tire on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
The compact spare tire’s tread life is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
CAUTION
You should drive carefully when the compact spare is inuse. The compact spareshould be replaced by theproper conventional tire andrim at the first opportunity.
The operation of this vehicle is not recommended withmore than one compact sparetire in use at the same time.
CAUTION
This spare tire should be usedonly for VERY short distances.Compact spares should NEVERbe used for long drives orextended distances.

723
Maintenance
TIRES AND WHEELS Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the vehicle.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handling and
reduced fuel economy. Wheel
deformation also is possible. Keep
your tire pressures at the proper
levels. If a tire frequently needs
refilling, have it checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.
• Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear at the center
of the tire tread, and a greater pos-
sibility of damage from road haz-
ards.
WARNING
- Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (10 psi (70
kPa) or more) can lead to severe
heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for protracted periods at high
speeds.
OJB059009N

Maintenance26
7Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire. Compact spare tire replacement
(if equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new Kia and should be mounted on
the same compact spare tire wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel alignment and tire
balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
✽ ✽
NOTICEImproper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
1LDA5026
Tread wear indicator
WARNING
- Replacing tires
Driving on worn-out tires is very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
(Continued)

727
Maintenance
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
(Continued)
Your vehicle is equipped withtires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all
four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capacity.
If you nevertheless decide to
equip your vehicle with any
tire/wheel combination not
recommended by Kia for off
road driving, you should not
use these tires for highway
driving.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The use of any other tire sizeor type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, stopping distance, body
to tire clearance, snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4 tires
must use the same size origi-
nally supplied with the vehicle.
Using tires of a different size
can cause the ABS (Antilock
Brake System) and ESC
(Electronic Stability Control) (If
equipped) to work irregularly.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.

Maintenance28
7Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road. Tire sidewall labeling
Federal law requires tire manufactur-
ers to place standardized information
on the sidewall of all tires. This infor-
mation identifies and describes the
fundamental characteristics of the
tire and also provides the tire identifi-
cation number (TIN) for safety stan-
dard certification. The TIN can be
used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand nameManufacturer or Brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P185/65R14 86H
P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
cars or light trucks; however, not
all tires have this marking).
185 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
14 - Rim diameter in inches.
I030B04JM
1
1
2
34
5,6
7

729
Maintenance
86 - Load Index, a numerical codeassociated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.Wheel size designation Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
5.5JX14
5.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
14 - Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger cars. The speed
rating is part of the tire size designa-
tion on the sidewall of the tire. This
symbol corresponds to that tire's
designed maximum safe operating
speed.
3. Checking tire life (TIN : Tire
Identification Number) Any tires that are over 6 years, based
on the manufacturing date, tire
strength and performance, decline
with age naturally (even unused
spare tires). Therefore, the tires
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1605 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2005.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph) V 240 km/h (149 mph)Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed
Speed
Rating
Symbol

731
Maintenance
Traction - AA, A, B & C The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. The
grades represent the tires ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance.Temperature -A, B & C The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’s resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tires to
degenerate and reduce tires life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tires failure. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by the
law.All season tires
Kia specifies all season tires on
some models to provide good per-
formance for use all year round,
including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M+S (Mud
and Snow) on the tire sidewall. Snow
tires have better snow traction than
all season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.Summer tires
Kia specifies summer tires on some
models to provide superior perform-
ance on dry roads. Summer tire per-
formance is substantially reduced in
snow and ice. Summer tires do not
have the tire traction rating M+S
(Mud and Snow) on the tire side wall.
if you plan to operate your vehicle in
snowy or icy conditions. Kia recom-
mends the use of snow tires or all
season tires on all four wheels.
Snow tires
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result.
Snow tires should carry 28 kPa (4
psi) more air pressure than the pres-
sure recommended for the standard
tires on the tire label on the driver's
side of the center pillar, or up to the
maximum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less.
Do not drive faster than 120 km/h (75
mph) when your car is equipped with
snow tires.
WARNING
- Tire
temperature
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tire failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.