Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which grades tires by treadwear, traction, and temperature performance. This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) system does not apply to deep tread, winter tires, compact spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these grades, they must also conform to federal safety requirements and additional General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
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 specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1½) 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 significantly 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 specified 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 specified 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 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 inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle performance, including its braking, ride and
handling characteristics, stability, a ...
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned and balanced at the factory to provide the
longest tire life and best overall performance. Adjustments to wheel alignment and
tire balancing are not necessary on ...
Other materials:
Additional Factors Affecting System Operation
Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the seat during vehicle maneuvers
and braking, which helps the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger airbag
status. See “Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints” in the Index for additional information
about the importance of proper res ...
Cruise Control
If equipped with cruise control:
Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off. A white indicator comes on in the instrument cluster.
RES/+: If there is a set speed in memory, press briefly to resume to that speed
or press and hold to accelerate. If cruise control is already active, u ...
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle performance, including its braking, ride and
handling characteristics, stability, and resistance to rollover may be affected.
If the vehicle has electronic systems such as antilock ...
