Volkswagen Polo Owners Manual: Tyre lettering

Fig. 149 International tyre lettering

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings

	Tyre lettering (example)	Meaning
①	Product name	Individual tyre lettering from manufacturer.
②	DOT	The tyre complies with the legal requirements of the USA Department of Transportation, responsible for tyre safety standards.
③	JHCO CHWS 2213	Tyre identification number ( a) – may only be on the inner side of the wheel) and date of manufacture:
		JHCO CHWS	Identifier of producing plant and specifications of the tyre manufacturer on size and characteristics
		2213	Manufacture date: 22nd week in 2013.
Information for the end user concerning comparative values for specified basic tyres (standardised test procedure) :
④	TREADWEAR 280	Relative life expectancy for the tyre, with reference to a US-specific standard test. A tyre with the specification 280 is used up at a rate of 2.8 times more slowly than standard tyres which have a treadwear value of 100. The performance of tyres is determined by how they are used and can notably deviate from norm values due to driving style, maintenance, road surface and climatic conditions.
⑤	TRACTION AA	Wet braking response of the tyre (AA, A, B or C). This is tested under controlled conditions on certified testing routes. Tyres marked C have a low traction performance. The traction value assigned to the tyres are based on linear traction tests and do not include speed, lateral stability, or aquaplaning and traction under high load.
⑥	TEMPERATURE A	Temperature stability of the tyre at higher test speeds (A, B or C). A and B tyres exceed legal requirements. The temperature evaluation is based on tyres with correct pressure and does not allow for excess pressure. Excessive speed, incorrect pressure or excess pressure can cause heat build-up or tyre damage. This applies to one or a combination of these factors.
⑦	88 H	Load capacity index and speed index .
⑧	Rotation and arrow	Denotes direction of rotation .
	OR: outside	Denotes outside of tyres .
⑨	MAX INFLATION 350 KPA (51 psi / 3.51 bar)	US limitation for the maximum air pressure.
⑩	M+S or M/S or	Denotes winter tyres (mud and snow tyres) . Studded snow tyres are labelled with an E after the S.
⑪	TWI	Indicates the position of the tread wear indicator .
⑫	Brand name, logo	Manufacturer.
⑬	Made in Germany	Country of manufacture.
⑭		Country-specific denotation for China (China Compulsory Certification).
⑮	023	Country-specific denotation for Brazil.
⑯	E4 e4 0200477-b	Certification of conformity with international regulations. The next number is the code number of the country that granted approval. Approved tyres which comply with ECE regulations are denoted with E, tyres which comply with EG regulations are denoted with e. This is followed by the number of the type approval certificate.
⑰	RADIAL TUBELESS	Tubeless radial tyres.
⑱	P 195 / 65 R 15 XL	Size designation:
		P	Identification for passenger vehicle.
		195	Tyre width from wall to wall in mm.
		65	Height/width ratio in %.
		R	Tyre construction: radial.
		15	Rim diameter in inches.
		XL	Heavy-duty tyres (reinforced).
⑲	MAX LOAD 615 KG (1235 LBS)	US load data for the maximum load per wheel.
⑳	SIDEWALL 1 PLY RAYON	Data for the components of the tyre sub-construction: 1 layer of rayon (artificial silk)
	TREAD 4 PLIES 1 RAYON + 2 STEEL + 1 NYLON	Data on the tread surface components: In the example there are four layers under the tread surface: 1 layer of rayon, 2 steel belt layers and 1 nylon layer.

Tyre lettering can also be found inside the tyre. Certain labels may only be found on one side of the tyre, e.g. tyre identification number and manufacturing date.

Any further numbers and letters are internal codes used by the tyre manufacturer or country-specific denotations.

Tyres with directional tread pattern

Tyres with directional tread pattern have been developed to roll in one direction only. An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation on tyres with directional tread. The direction of rotation must be adhered to. This guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplaning, excessive noise and wear.

If, however, the tyre is fitted in the opposite direction to the tread pattern, you must take more care when driving as the tyre is now no longer being used according to its designation. This is particularly important on wet roads. The tyres must be replaced as quickly as possible or be fitted with the tread in the correct direction.

Asymmetrical tyres

Asymmetrical tyres take into account the differing behaviour of the inner and outer areas of the tread pattern. The sidewalls of asymmetrical tyres are marked to indicate "inside" or "outside". Maintain the correct tyre positioning on the wheel rim. This guarantees optimum grip and helps to avoid aquaplaning, excessive noise and wear.

If, however, the tyre is fitted in the opposite direction to the tread pattern, you must take more care when driving as the tyre is now no longer being used according to its designation. This is particularly important on wet roads. The tyres must be replaced as quickly as possible or be fitted with the tread in the correct direction.

Tyre load

The load capacity index indicates how many kilograms can be loaded onto an individual tyre (tyre load).

Examples:

78 425 kg 81 462 kg 83 487 kg 85 515 kg 87 545 kg 88 560 kg 91 615 kg

Speed index

The speed index indicates the maximum permitted speed that may be driven when particular wheels are fitted.

P max. 150 km/h (93 mph) Q max. 160 km/h (99 mph) R max. 170 km/h (106 mph) S max. 180 km/h (112 mph) T max. 190 km/h (118 mph) U max. 200 km/h (125 mph) H max. 210 km/h (130 mph) V max. 240 km/h (149 mph) Z over 240 km/h (149 mph) W max. 270 km/h (168 mph) Y max. 300 km/h (186 mph)

Some tyre manufacturers use the code ZR for tyres with a highest permitted speed of over 240 km/h (149 mph).

^a) The TIN is the tyre serial number.