2008 Suzuki XL7 Owner's Manual - Page 201

SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE • The tire has a bump, bulge, or split. • The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that cannot be repaired well because of the size or location of the damage. The rubber in tires degrades over time, even if they are not being used. This is also true for the spare tire, if your vehicle has one. Multiple conditions affect how fast this aging takes place, including temperatures, loading conditions, and inflation pressure maintenance. With proper care and maintenance tires will typically wear out before they degrade due to age. If you are unsure about the need to replace your tires as they get older, consult the tire manufacturer for more information. mance, ride and handling, traction control, and tire pressure monitoring performance. The TPC Spec number is molded onto the tire's sidewall near the tire size. If the tires have an all-season tread design, the TPC spec number will be followed by a MS, for mud and snow. Refer to "Tire Sidewall Labeling" in this section for additional information. We recommend replacing tires in sets of four. This is because uniform tread depth on all tires will help keep your vehicle performing most like it did when the tires were new. Replacing less than a full set of tires can affect the braking and handling performance of your vehicle. Refer to "Tire Inspection and Rotation" in this section for information on proper tire rotation. WARNING If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle. If you must replace your vehicle's tires with those that do not have a TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating, and construction type (radial and bias-belted tires) as your vehicle's original tires. Vehicles that have a tire pressure monitoring system may give an inaccurate lowpressure warning if Non-TPC Spec rated tires are installed on your vehicle. NonTPC Spec rated tires may give a low-pressure warning that is higher or lower than the proper warning level you would get with TPC Spec rated tires. Refer to "Tire Pressure Monitor System" in this section. Your vehicle's original equipment tires are listed on the Tire and Loading Information Label. Refer to "Loading Your Vehicle" in "Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle" in the "Driving Your Vehicle" section, for more information about the Tire and Loading Information Label and its location on your vehicle. Buying New Tires The original equipment tires installed on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to meet the Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC spec) system rating. If you need replacement tires, Suzuki strongly recommends that you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed to give the same performance and vehicle safety, during normal use, as the original tires. The exclusive TPC Spec system considers over a dozen critical specifications that impact the overall performance of your vehicle, including brake system perfor- WARNING Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes, brands, or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Using tires of different sizes, brands, or types may also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct size, brand, and type of tires on all wheels. It is all right to drive with your compact spare temporarily, as it was developed for use on your vehicle. Refer to "Compact Spare Tire" in this section. 5-36