tire Size and Age

Tire size and age.

P205/65R17 89V DOT 0818

What do these letters and numbers mean?

Why know the meaning of these letters and
numbers?

• You will own a vehicle one day and you will be responsible

for having the right tire size on your vehicle.

• You will need to buy tires for your vehicle and you will need

to know the right size to buy.

• You will also need to make sure that your tires are not too

old, as they could blow out on the road.

You can find the recommended tire size on
the sticker in the driver’s door or in the
owner's manual :

• Front tire size

• Rear tire size

• Spare tire size (if applicable)

• Tires come in different sizes and have different characteristics

• You should never install tires of different sizes or types on a

vehicle.

• Each tire has specific handling characteristics.

In addition to the model and manufacturer's names, each tire is
characterized by a coded sequence moulded into its sidewall. For
example, a tire with the following designation P215/65R15 89H can be
described as follows :

• P: It is designed for a passenger vehicle L: Light truck
• 215: its width is 215 mm
• 65: it has a 65% profile - the height of the tire is 65 percent of its width

(65% of 215 = 140 mm height)

• R: it is a Radial tire
• 15: this tire is suitable for 15-inch wheels
• 89 is the load capacity index of the tire; 89 corresponds to 1279 lbs.
• H is the speed code which indicates the maximum speed allowed for the

tire; for example, the code H corresponds to 210 km / h maximum.

Date of manufacture

• The date of manufacture of the tire is also written on the inside edge of

the tire, near the rim. The last 4 digits of the serial number (called DOT)
indicate the week and year of manufacture: for example, 0818 means that
the tire was manufactured in the 08th week of the year 2018.

• Note that the life of a tire is 6 to 7 years. It is recommended that you check

these numbers on any tire you purchase to make sure it is not too old. Tires
begin to deteriorate after 6 years, even if they have never been mounted
on a vehicle.