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Tires and Wheels
11-22 . Tires and Wheels s11av
& Types of Tires s11av01
You should be familiar with type of tires present on your vehicle . The factory installed tires on your new vehicle are summer tires .
! Summer tires s11av0102
Summer tires are high-speed capability tires best suited for highway driving under dry conditions .
Summer tires are inadequate for driving on slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads .
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered or icy roads , we strongly recommend the use of winter ( snow ) tires .
When installing winter tires , be sure to replace all four tires .
! All season tires s11av0101
All season tires are designed to provide an adequate measure of traction , handling and braking performance in year-round driving including snowy and icy road conditions . However , all season tires do not offer as much traction performance as winter ( snow ) tires in heavy or loose snow or on icy roads .
All season tires are identified by “ ALL SEASON ” and / or “ M + S ” ( Mud & Snow ) on the tire sidewall . ! Winter ( snow ) tires s11av0103
Winter tires are best suited for driving on snow-covered and icy roads . However , winter tires do not perform as well as summer tires and all season tires on roads other than snow-covered and icy roads .
NOTE
If the tread wears down below 0.16 in ( 4 mm ) on the snow tires the effectiveness of snow tires is lost .
! Low profile tires s11av0104
Generally , low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance will be reduced on snowy and / or icy roads when compared to standard tires . Be sure to use snow tires or tire chains on snowy and / or icy roads and drive carefully at a speed appropriate for road and weather conditions .
NOTE
Low profile tires may cause greater damage than usual to the wheel when receiving impact from the road surface . Therefore pay attention to the following :
. Be sure to use the proper tire inflation pressure . If tires are underinflated , they may be damaged more severely .
. Avoid pot holes , uneven pavement , curbs and other road hazards . Failure to do so may lead to severe tire and wheel damage .
& Tire Pressure Monitoring System ( TPMS ) ( U . S . -Spec. Models ) s11av02
The tire pressure monitoring system provides the driver with a warning message by sending a signal from a sensor that is installed in each wheel when tire pressure is severely low . The tire pressure monitoring system will activate only when the vehicle is driven . Also , this system may not react immediately to a sudden drop in tire pressure ( for example , a blow-out caused by running over a sharp object ).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm garage and will then drive the vehicle in cold outside air , the resulting drop in tire pressures may cause the low tire pressure warning light to illuminate . To avoid this problem when adjusting the tire pressures in a warm garage , inflate the tires to pressures higher than those shown on the tire inflation pressure label . Specifically , inflate them by an extra 1 psi ( 6.9 kPa , 0.07 kgf / cm 2 ) for every difference of 108F ( 5.68C ) between the temperature in