Your contact
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
What does “225/45 R 18 95 H SSR MOE M+S” mean?
- Tire sidewalls are carrying more information than ever
Hanover, 20 September 2016. Decoding the information on tire sidewalls is getting tougher and tougher for the layman. And no wonder: The number of different specifications is steadily increasing, which means tire manufacturers like Continental, who supply original equipment, have to add more indicators to the sidewall. These sequences of numbers, letters and in some cases symbols can help you identify the right tire for your car. By way of example, in what follows, Continental decodes the sequence “225/45 R 18 95 H SSR MOE M+S”.
The number “225” stands for the width of the tire in millimeters – so in this case the tire is 22.5 cm wide. The “45” that follows is the aspect ratio - the height of the tire sidewall as a percentage of its width. In our case that means 10.1 cm. Next up is an “R”, which means “radial” – today, radial tires have almost completely replaced the cross-ply tires that were the standard design until the 1980s. The figure “18” indicates the wheel rim diameter in inches, while “95” is the load index, indicating the maximum weight the tire can bear; 95 equates to 650 kg. Then comes the letter “H” which is the speed index, where “H” signals a maximum speed of 210 km/h. “SSR” indicates that this is a “SelfSupportingRunflat” tire. The abbreviation “MOE” tells us this is a Mercedes original equipment tire with runflat properties (E = extended mobility). The number of these manufacturer-specific codes is set to rise even further in years to come as more and more automakers submit their own specifications to the leading tire manufacturers. The final element “M+S” stands for “mud and snow” – so this is a winter tire or an off-highway model. Anyone looking for a safe winter tire should also look out for the snowflake symbol on the sidewall, because tires with this symbol have proven their grip on snow in a standardized test.
Along with this data, the tire sidewall carries lots of other information, too. One important item for drivers is the production date, indicated by what’s called the DOT code. It’s made up of the letters DOT and two pairs of figures, separated by a forward slash. The first two numbers show the week the tire was built; the last two indicate the year. So “36/16” means the tire was built in the 36th calendar week (i.e. between September 5 and 11) in 2016. Drivers looking for these codes on their tires should inspect both sidewalls, as there are indicators on both sides – which on the vehicle can mean on the inner wall, too.
Continental AG
Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2015, the corporation generated preliminary sales of approximately €39.2 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tire, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs more than 212,000 people in 55 countries.
Tire Division
The Tire Division currently has 24 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers with almost 49,000 employees, the Tire Division achieved sales of €10.4 billion in 2015.
Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental is one of the leading manufacturers of passenger and light truck tires in Europe and the world's fourth largest passenger tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement market. The product development focus of the Continental premium brand is to optimize all safety-relevant characteristics, while simultaneously minimizing rolling resistance.
Media Database
Alexander Bahlmann
Head of Communications and PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2615
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455
/ Klaus Engelhart
Press Spokesman, Passenger and Light Truck/Two-Wheel Tires, Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Communications and PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455
Your contact
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285