1996 Toyota Avalon Owners Manual - Page 178

Checking and replacing tires Check the tires regularly for damage such as cuts, splits and cracks. If any damage is found, consult with a technician and have the tire repaired or replaced. Even if the damage does not appear serious, a qualified technician should examine the damage. Objects which have penetrated the tire may have caused internal damage. Any tires which are over six years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if damage is not obvious. Tires deteriorate with age even if they have never or seldom been used. This also applies to the spare tire and tires stored for future use. REPLACING YOUR TIRES When replacing a tire, use only the same size and construction as originally installed and with the same or greater load capacity. Using any other size or type of tire may seriously affect handling, ride, speedometer/odometer calibration, ground clearance, and clearance between the body and tires or snow chains. ! CAUTION S Do not mix radial, bias belted, or bias-ply tires on your vehicle. It can cause dangerous handling characteristics, resulting in loss of control. S Do not use tires or wheels other than the manufacturer's recommended size. Toyota recommends all four tires, or at least both of the front or rear tires be replaced at a time as a set. See "If you have a flat tire" in Part 4 for tire change procedure. When a tire is replaced, the wheel should always be balanced. An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle handling and tire life. Wheels can get out of balance with regular use and should therefore be balanced occasionally. When replacing a tubeless tire, the air valve should also be replaced with a new one. CHECKING YOUR TIRES Check the tire tread for the tread wear indicators. If the indicators show, replace the tires. The tires on your Toyota have built-in tread wear indicators to help you know when the tires need replacement. When the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or less, the indicators will appear. If you can see the indicators in two or more adjacent grooves, the tire should be replaced. The lower the tread, the higher the risk of skidding. The effectiveness of snow tires is lost if the tread wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.). 172