Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
& Tire care – maintenance and
safety practices
. Check on a daily basis that the
tires are free from serious damage,
nails, and stones. At the same time,
check the tires for abnormal wear.
. Inspect the tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visible. When a tire’s tread wear
indicator becomes visible, the tire
is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately.
With a tire in this condition, driving
at even low speeds in wet weather
can cause the vehicle to hydroplane. Possible resulting loss of
vehicle control can lead to an
accident.
. To maximize the life of each tire
and ensure that the tires wear
uniformly, it is best to rotate the
tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Rotating the tires involves switching the front and rear tires on the
right-hand side of the vehicle and
similarly switching the front and
rear tires on the left-hand side of
the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly
worn tire at the time of rotation.
After tire rotation, adjust the tire
pressures and make sure the wheel
nuts are correctly tightened. For
information about the tightening
torque and tightening sequence
for the wheel nuts, refer to “Flat
tires” F9-6.
& Vehicle load limit – how to
determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by available cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver’s side B-pillar. Locate the
statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs”
on your vehicle’s placard.
The vehicle placard also shows
seating capacity of your vehicle.
13-11
The total load capacity includes the
total weight of driver and all passengers and their belongings, any
cargo, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike
carrier, etc., and the tongue load of
a trailer. Therefore cargo capacity
can be calculated by the following
method.
Cargo capacity = Load limit − (total
weight of occupants + total weight
of optional equipment + tongue
load of a trailer (if applicable))
For towing capacity information and
weight limits, refer to “Trailer towing” F8-19.
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