Correct tyre pressures Maintaining your correct tyre pressures is very important. Driving on any tyre that does not have the correct inflation pressure is dangerous. Proper inflation pressure for your tyres may be found in the vehicle owner's manual. • Any under inflated tyre builds up excessive heat that may result in sudden tyre destruction. • Refer to the tyre information plate on the vehicle (check vehicle and/or vehicle owners manual for plate location) for the recommended operating pressures. These pressures must be maintained as a minimum. Do not exceed the maximum pressure indicated on the tyre side-wall of passenger car tyres. • If you are replacing the original size tyres with tyres of a different size, you must consult a knowledgeable dealer to determine the correct inflation pressure for your new tyres.   Check tyre inflation pressures • Failure to maintain correct inflation may cause rapid and irregular tyre wear, sudden tyre destruction and may result in loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury. Therefore, inflation pressures should be checked at least once a month and always prior to long distance trips. Any tyre is susceptible to losing air pressure if not properly maintained. • Pressures should be checked when tyres are cold; in other words, before they have been driven on. Driving, even for a short distance, causes tyres to heat up and air pressure to increase. Tyres run even short distances while severely under- inflated may be damaged beyond repair. High speed driving can be dangerous. Remember that at high speeds, even with the correct inflation pressures, a road hazard is more difficult to avoid and if contact is made, has a greater chance of causing tyre damage than at a lower speed. Moreover, driving at high speed reduces the reaction time available to avoid accidents and bring your vehicle to a safe stop. Driving on a damaged tyre or wheel can be dangerous. • Always look for bulges, cracks, cuts, splits, penetrations, and abnormal tread wear. Damage can occur within the tyre body without being visible on the outside. A vibration or ride disturbance may be a sign of tyre damage. • If you see any damage to your tyres or wheels, replace with spare at once and immediately have the damaged tyre professionally inspected. • If while driving, you notice a vibration or ride disturbance, and/or you suspect possible damage to the tyres or vehicle: immediately reduce your speed, drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road, stop, and inspect the tyres. If a tyre is damaged, deflate it, remove it from the vehicle, and replace the tyre and wheel with your spare. If you do not see any tyre damage and cannot otherwise determine the source of the vibration, have the vehicle towed to the nearest vehicle or tyre dealer for a thorough inspection. • These conditions may be caused by misalignment, under inflation, overloading, impact damage, and/or a separation within the tyre body. Use of a damaged tyre could result in sudden tyre destruction. • When inspecting your tyres, including the spare, check your air pressures. If your pressure check indicates that one of your tyres has lost pressure of two pounds or more, look for signs of penetrations, valve leakage, or wheel damage that may account for the air loss. • All tyres will wear out faster when subjected to high speeds as well as hard cornering, rapid starts, sudden stops, frequent driving on roads which are in poor condition, and off road use. Roads with holes, rocks or other objects can damage tyres and cause misalignment of your vehicle. When you drive on such roads, drive on them carefully and slowly, and before driving at normal or motorway speeds, examine your tyres for any damage, such as cuts or penetrations. Worn out tyres are dangerous. Tyres contain "Wear-Bars" in the grooves of the tyre tread which show up when only 1.6mm of tread remains. At this stage, your tyres must be replaced. Tyres worn beyond this stage are dangerous. • Do not overload your tyres. • The maximum load rating of your tyres is marked on the tyre side-wall. Do not exceed these ratings. Tyres which are loaded beyond their maximum allowable loads for the particular application will build up excessive heat that may result in sudden tyre destruction. • Do not exceed the gross axle weight ratings for any axle on your vehicle. Consult the vehicle manufacturers plate and/or vehicle owners manual to determine the gross axle weight rating. Following the loading instructions of the vehicle manufacturer should insure that your tyres are not overloaded. • If you are replacing the original size tyres with tyres of a different size, the replacement tyres must have a load carrying capacity equal to or greater than the original equipment tyres. Towing a trailer. If you anticipate towing a trailer, you should see your tyre dealer for advice concerning the correct size of tyre and inflation pressures. Tyre size and air pressure depend upon the type and size of trailer and hitch utilized, but never exceed the maximum cold inflation pressure or the maximum tyre load rating. The only sure way to prevent overload is to weigh, axle by axle, the fully- loaded vehicle on a reliable platform scale. Check the tyre plate on the vehicle and the owners manual supplied by the manufacturer of your vehicle for further recommendations on trailer towing. Wheel alignment and balancing • Inspect your tyres regularly: at least once a month inspect your tyres closely for signs of uneven wear. • Uneven wear patterns may be caused by improper inflation pressure, misalignment, improper balance or suspension neglect. If not corrected, further tyre damage will occur. These conditions shorten the life of your tyres and may result in loss of vehicle control and serious personal injury. • If any of these conditions exist, the cause may often be corrected at your tyre dealer or other service facility. Your tyres will then last longer. Proper tyre rotation is important. If you notice irregular or uneven tread wear, the tyres should be rotated to alleviate the problem. Remember: it is important to check your tyres and wheels for signs of possible damage and check your vehicle for any mechanical problems and correct if necessary. You should follow the rotation pattern or procedure indicated in your limited warranty and the vehicle owners manual. We recommend you rotate tyres on front wheel drive vehicles and/or all season tyres on any vehicle every 8,000 miles to equalize the rate of wear; however, rotate your tyres earlier if signs of irregular or uneven tyre wear arise, and have the vehicle checked by a qualified mechanic to determine the cause of the wear condition. The first rotation is the most important. Sometimes front and rear tyres on a vehicle use different inflation pressures. After rotation, adjust individual tyre air pressure to the figures recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for the new locations - front or rear - as shown on the tyre plate on the vehicle. Tyre mixing can be dangerous. Most passenger tyres today are radial tyres. For best performance, we recommend the same size and type of tyre be used on all four wheel positions unless the vehicle manufacturer specified different sizes, front and rear, as original equipment. Check the vehicle plate. If only two radials are mounted with two non-radials, the radials should be mounted on the rear. If tyres of different types are mixed on a vehicle in any configuration, they should not be used for long periods and speeds should be kept to a minimum. Mixing or matching of tyres on four-wheel drive vehicles requires special precautions. Always check vehicle manufacturers' manual for their recommendations. Tyre alterations are dangerous. Do not perform any alteration on your tyres. Alterations may prevent proper performance, leading to tyre damage, which can result in sudden tyre destruction. Tyres which have been altered are excluded from warranty coverage. Repairs. • If a tyre has sustained a puncture, have the tyre removed and inspected internally by a tyre dealer for any possible damage that may have occurred. • Punctures in the tread of passenger tyres which do not exceed 1/4-inch (6mm) in diameter can be repaired by following Rubber Manufacturers' Association (RMA) recommended repair procedures. A plug by itself or a patch by itself is an unacceptable repair. The repair material used - for example, a "combination patch and plug" repair - must seal the inner liner and fill the injury to be considered a permanent repair. Never use a tube in a tubeless tyre as a substitute for a proper repair. • If the tyre has a puncture in the tread which exceeds 1/4-inch (6mm), any puncture in the side-wall, or if more than one radial cable per casing ply is damaged, the tyre must be replaced. Use care when storing tyres. When tyres are stored they should be stored in a cool, dry place away from sources of sunlight, heat and ozone such as hot pipes and electric motors. Tyres should be stored so there is no danger of water collecting inside them. Be sure that surfaces on which tyres are stored are clean and free from grease, petrol or other substances which could deteriorate the rubber. Tyres exposed to these materials during storage or driving may be weakened and subject to sudden failure. Also, be sure to allow air to circulate around all sides of the tyres, including underneath, to prevent moisture damage. When storing tyres flat (one on top of the other), stack so that tyres on the bottom retain their shape. If storing tyres outdoors, protect them with an opaque waterproof covering and elevate them from the ground. Do not store tyres on black asphalt, other heat-absorbent surfaces, snow-covered ground or sand. Driving on studded snow tyres. If studded tyres are installed on the front of any vehicle, they must also be installed on the rear. The beginning of movement and acceleration of any vehicle in snow, ice and other adverse cold weather conditions is highly dependent on the traction qualities of the tyres on the driving axle. The controlled handling and braking of a vehicle after it is in motion in adverse weather conditions, however, is highly dependent on the traction of the rear tyres. Consequently, the rear tyres of any vehicle must have equal or higher traction capabilities than the front tyres for safe vehicle operation. Because of the higher traction qualities of studded snow tyres under most winter weather conditions, installation of only two studded snow tyres on the front of any vehicle (especially front wheel drive vehicles) without two studded snow tyres on the rear can cause adverse (unsafe) handling characteristics. Consult tyre manufacturer for correct stud size. Tyre spinning is dangerous. • Excessive spinning can cause a tyre to "explode". • Avoid tyre spinning. The centrifugal forces created by a rapidly spinning tyre can cause an explosion by tearing the tyre apart. These forces act on the complete tyre structure, and can be of such magnitude as to break beads as well as rupturing the entire carcass. • When stuck on ice, snow, mud, or wet grass, etc., the vehicle should be rocked gently (alternately using forward and reverse gears) with the least amount of wheel spinning. DO NOT exceed 25 mph as indicated on the speedometer. Never allow anyone to stand near or directly ahead of or behind the spinning tyre. • Do not spin if a drive wheel is off the ground. Serious personal injury or death can result from the explosion of a spinning tyre. • When replacing tyres and/or wheels, always consult  a professional tyre fitter • Tyre mounting can be dangerous and should be done only by trained persons using proper tools and procedures. • Serious injury or death may result from explosion of tyre/rim assembly due to improper mounting. Always have your dealer mount your tyres on rims. Speed-rated tyres. If the replacement tyre is not speed rated, the speed capability of the vehicle is limited by the speed capability of the replacement tyre. When replacing tyres, consult the vehicle plate (normally located on a door frame, door edge, or glove box door) or the owner's manual for correct size. If the tyres shown on the vehicle plate do not have speed ratings, the appropriate size tyre with any speed rating may be applied. When the placard tyre size contains a speed symbol, for example P205/60HR15 or P205/60R15 90H, the replacement tyre must have the same or higher speed rating symbol if the speed capability of the vehicle is to be maintained. If the replacement tyre is not speed rated, the speed capability of the vehicle is limited by the speed capability of the replacement tyre. Speed       Category *S          180 km/h (112 mph) *T          190 km/h (118 mph) *U          200 km/h (124 mph) *H          210 km/h (130 mph) *V          240 km/h (149 mph) *W          270 km/h (168 mph) *Y          300 km/h (186 mph)   * Based upon indoor wheel tests conducted in accordance with the Procedure for Load/Speed Performance Tests of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE-30). ** For tyres having a maximum speed capability above 240km/h (149 mph), a "ZR" may appear in the size designation. Example: Tyre Designation        Maximum Speed P275/40R17 93W          270 km/h (168 mph) P275/40R17 93Y          300 km/h (186 mph) P275/40ZR17 93W         270 km/h (168 mph) P275/40ZR17 93Y         300 km/h (186 mph)