Your tire has very useful information molded into the sidewall. It shows the name of the tire, its size, whether it is tubeless or tube type, the maximum load and maximum inflation, the important safety warning and much other information.

Shown on this page is the sidewall of a popular "P-metric," speed-rated auto tire: P215/65R15 95H M+S

• "P" stands for passenger P Metric Sizing
• "215" represents the width of the tire in millimeters
• "65" is the aspect ratio of height to width – so in this example the sidewall height is 65% of the tire width
• "R" means radial construction
• "15" is the rim diameter in inches
• "95H" is the load and speed index. This description means the load index is (95) and (H) is the speed rating. Some speed-rated tires may include the speed symbol immediately before the "R" instead of showing a service description. ( i.e. P225/60HR16)
• "M+S" means it is an All-Season Tire suitable for Mud and Snow.
• The Mountain Snowflake symbol is the designation that the tire meets the RMA definitions for use in severe snow conditions.
• The maximum load is shown in kg (kilograms) and in lbs (pounds), and maximum pressure in kPa (kilopascals) and in psi (pounds per square inch).
• The letters "DOT" certify compliance with all applicable safety standards established by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Adjacent to this is a tire identification or serial number. This serial number is a code with up to 12 digits that are a combination of numbers and letters. The last characters are numbers identifying the week and year of manufacture. (Example: "1501" means fifteenth week of the year 2001.)