HONDA 2015 Odyssey - Owner's Guide (Revised 09/24/2014) - Manual (Page 71)

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MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE
DOT Tire Quality Grading
The tires on your vehicle meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All tires are
also graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature performance according
to Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. The following explains these
gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on a specifi ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart
signifi cantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices,
and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades
represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specifi ed government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance.
WARNING: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning,
or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specifi ed indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature 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.
WARNING: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that
is properly infl ated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfl ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ( TPMS) - Required Federal
Explanation
U.S. models only
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and infl ated to the infl ation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infl ation pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire infl ation pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire infl ation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with
a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low
tire pressure telltale when one or more of your tires is signifi cantly
under-infl ated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop
and check your tires as soon as possible, and infl ate them to the proper
pressure.
Driving on a signifi cantly under-infl ated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-infl ation also reduces fuel effi ciency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-infl ation has not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.