2000 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual - Page 228

UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING ¼ Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced braking efficiency. When towing a trailer, change oil in the transmission more frequently. See "Periodic maintenance schedules" in the "9. Maintenance" section. DOT (Department Of Transportation) Quality Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to these grades. 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 and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. WARNING The traction grade assigned to your vehicle tires is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics. Treadwear Treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on tire wear rate when tested under controlled conditions on specified government test courses. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1-1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. However, relative tire performance depends on actual driving conditions, and may vary significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. Temperature A, B and C Temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C. They represent a tire's resistance to heat build-up, and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause tire material to degenerate, reducing tire life. Excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure. Grade C corresponds to a performance level which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades A and B represent higher levels of performance on laboratory test wheels than the minimum required by law. Traction AA, A, B and C 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 specified government test surfaces of asphalt Technical and consumer information 10-19