Suzuki 2008 Reno - Manual (Page 181)

5-37
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z14-03E
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between the
tread shoulder and the maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature
A
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration, which grades tires by treadwear,
traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the
United States.) The grades are molded on
the sidewalls of most passenger car tires.
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system
does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diame-
ters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to
some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on SUZUKI vehi-
cles may vary with respect to these grades,
they all conform to federal safety require-
ments.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and a half (1.5) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road charac-
teristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades
represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
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 over-
all performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel bal-
ancing are not needed. However, if you
notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle
CAUTION
Replacing the original tires with tires
of a different size may result in false
speedometer or odometer readings.
Check with your SUZUKI dealer
before purchasing replacement tires
that differ in size from the original
tires.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Exces-
sive speed, underinflation, or exces-
sive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
Tires: