Tire Date Code Michelin – When Was Your Tire Manufactured?

Together with drivers keeping tabs on tire basics such as the tread depth, the type of tire, and things like pressure, it is important to also know the tire date code Michelin or how old your tires are.

Just as with tire wear and other performance factors, the performance of the car’s tires will also be affected by their age. This will also affect the overall safety and capability of your car whether you drive an electric vehicle or a gas-powered car.

If you are unsure of how old the tires of your car are, do not worry as the process of finding out the age of your car tires is pretty simple.

• Tire Date Code
• DOT Code
• Michelin Tire Registration
• Tread Wear Rating
• Tire Serial Number
• Frequently Asked Questions

Tire Date Code

When you take a look at the sidewall of your tires, you will also side the tire date code Michelin. It is also part of the series of numbers that you will find out the outer wall of your tires. These series of numbers are collectively known as the DOT code. You can also refer to them as the TIN or Tire Identification Number.

The Department of Transportation views this code as highly crucial for telling when the tires were manufactured and are also useful whenever one wants to register new tires. They can also help in identifying the car’s tires if the manufacturer makes a recall.

How You Can Read The Tire Date Code

Start by checking your car tires’ sidewalls. You are likely going to come across the letters DOT followed by a series of numbers. DOT stands for Department of Transportation.

This will be followed by upwards of 13 characters. These 13 characters will then provide you with the information that you will require to be able to tell the tire date code Michelin.

Tires Made Before 2000

Each tire has its manufacturing date on the outer wall. This date is set in a week/year format so it’s super simple to read.

To find the manufacturing date you can scan the outer surface of your car’s tire sign in a clockwise pattern until you come across the letters DOT. This acronym shows that the tires are compliant with U.S transportation laws and regulations.

Right next to the DOT you will come across several letters as well as numbers. Finally, you will see a group of four figures that are tightly spaced and that are encircled. It is these numbers that you are looking for.

The beginning two numbers show you the location of manufacture while the last two numbers show you which year of manufacture.

If you see numbers reading for instance 2120, then this is to show that the tires were made in the 21^st well while 20 shows that they were manufactured in the year 2020.

Let’s consider a few features of the TIN:

Tire Date Code Michelin: 7-12 TIN Characters

If you have between 7-12 names you will have the first two as a code that shows the plant where the tires were manufactured.

Then the flowing one character or two characters will show the size of the tire.

Following this will be a grouping of around 4 characters that show the code of the specific tire contribution by the manufacturer. Keep in mind that the TIN could be as many as twelve characters.

Finally, the last four characters for tires that were built from 2000 onwards show the date of manufacture. Of course, as we saw the first two characters will show the week of manufacture while the last two show the year of manufacture.

Tire Date Code Michelin: 13 TIN Characters

You may sometimes find up to 13 characters. First, their characters will show the code of the plant where the tire was made. The difference therefore between the 13 TIN characters and the 7-12 tin characters is the size of the code of the manufacturing plant.

Then there’s the second group of TIN characters which may be up to six. This will show the size of the tires, the type of air used, and even other different characteristics of the tire.

Then there are the last four characters of the TIN. These show the tire date code Michelin on the year of manufacture. Of course, as well saw earlier the first two show the week of manufacture while the last two show the year of manufacture.

Keep in, mind that the full DOT code will show on one of the sidewalls. Then there is the opposite sidewall which can have a full DOT code or a partial DOT code. This may lack the tire date code Michelin as well as other characters which are at the discretion of the manufacturer.

But what if your car tires were manufactured before 2000? Well in this case the tire date code Michelin will have just 3 numbers. The first two characters will represent the week of manufacture while the last character will represent the date of the manufacturer. This will be the last digit of the manufacturing year.

If for instance, you see a code of 529, then this tells you that the tire manufacturing date is the 52nd week of the year 1999. It could also mean the years 1989 to 1979.

DOT Code

Let’s take a closer look at the DOT code. We’ve seen that it is the only way that you can tell the year of manufacture of your car tires. The TIN or tire identification number otherwise referred to as the tire serial number will provide you with plenty of information about your car.

Many people have a hard time finding the TIN as well as interpreting what all these letters and numbers mean.

First off the DOT symbol. This shows that the manufacturer of the tires has coupled with the requirements of the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Standards thus the DOT.

All tires made in the United States will feature the DOT series numbers near the rim on the tire sidewall.

You will find the DOT followed by up to 13 letters or numbers. These help to show where the location of the car tire manufacturer, the code of the manufacturer the side of the tires as well as the year of the tire manufacturer.

Then there are tires that have been made from the years 2000 onwards. The date of the manufacturer will be represented using 4 numbers. The first two will show the week of manufacture while the last two will show the year of manufacture.

On the other hand, for tires made before 2000, three numbers will represent the date of manufacture. The first two of these numbers will show the week of manufacture while the last digit shows the year of manufacture.

That said how would you tell that a tire was built in the 90s? These will feature a decade symbol which is a triangle that is on its side. You will find this symbol at the end of the DOT numbers and letters.

Michelin Tire Registration

Registering your car tires allows the manufacturer to be able to contact you as of a recall. Even while unlikely in case there is a safety recall it is critical that it s easy to access the contact information of the tire purchase for direct notification.

In case there is a recall the manufacturer of the tires, must according to law, make use of the first class mail in attendance and notify the owners of the record.

How You Can Register Your Michelin Tires

To be able to register your tires, there is a procedure to follow.

First off let’s talk about the materials that you will require.

You will need:

• Dealer registry cards with the DOT numerous
• Information if the dealer as well as the sales receipt
• Computer with internet access.

Start by accessing the Michelin homepage of their website. You will see Michelin Automotive Tires. However, once you mouse on these words, you will see a submenu pop up.

Now go to register your vehicles which you will find on the left side of the menu.

Fill In The Required Contact Information

You will then fill in the DOT codes which you can get for the dealer registry card. Having done this go to step 7.  If you lack the dealer registry car you can do step 5 which will require that you take the DOT numbers which are on the sides of your tires.

All you will need to do is take a look at one of the tires to get the DOT numbers on the sidewall. These will start with the DOT and then feature 12 or 13 characters.

Note however that you will only be able to find all the 12 or 13 characters on one side of the car’s tires. This is because the other side will have fewer of these numbers at the discretion of the tire manufacturer.

If the DOT numbers are on the sidewall of the car near the rim you may need to crawl underneath. Use the flashlight to be able to see the numbers. the voice you have accessed then write them down.

In this 5^th step, you will need to create will that all the other tires. This is because all the tires may come with the same DOT numbers and some may not. This is especially if the driver buys them at different times.

Then take your sales receipt and find the dealer information fill this one as well.

Now you can click on the submit registration button.

Federal Law Requirements

As per federal law, the tire manufacturers must offer standardized information which comes as a permanent number engraved on the sidewalls of the tires that are sold in the US.

Moreover, this information includes the characteristics of the tires, the capacities of the tires the construction together with the DOT tire identification number. This can be a safety standard certification as well as if the manufacturer issues a recall.

As per current laws, the tire identification numbers start with the letters DOT. After these numbers will be anywhere from eight to thirteen characters.

These characters will tell you about the location of the manufacturer, the size of the tire as well as many other manufacturers’ specifications. Furthermore, it also provides the week and year of manufacture.

Granted many will confuse the DOT tire identification number with the serial number. However, unlike the serial numbers that you will find on consumer goods whose role is to identify a specific product the tire identification numbers will identify tires in batches.

Tire Date Code Michelin – TIN Location

Furthermore, the law requires the DOT tire identification number to be located on one side of the tire walls. The other side will only contain the letters DOT followed by a few characters or digits of the TIN.

This, therefore, means that you can see the TIN which looks like it is incomplete. All you will need to do is look at the opposite wall of the tire to view the entire tire identification number.

Since not all of the tires are for import into the United States, many tires will not go through strict testing to ensure they follow US laws.

Such tires fail to meet the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and will not have the DOT branding. It would be against the law to drive such tires in the United States.

TIN Mounting Orientation

The tires which feature a symmetric design with the threads should have their full DOT number located on the outboard. This helps to make the numbers easier to see after installing the tires.

The tires feature asymmetric sides with threads or have asymmetric sidewall styling. You will install these as per the thread of the styling.

Some tires also will feature a directional design in the threads. This will then mean that the full DOT number will show on one side but show partly on the other tire wall.

Tire Dot Code Decoder

It is not hard to choose the right size of tire for your vehicle. One easy way that you can do this is to check the size of the tire that you have already in your car.

Furthermore, you can get the ideal tire size as well as the speed and load ratings of your car. This is on a placard that is normally in the driver’s door jam.

You can also find this in the glove department in the fuel filler door.

Furthermore, you can also check your car owner’s manual which will provide you with extra information as well.

If you buy your car used which also means that the tires were used it is often crucial to finding the recommended tire size. This is because there is a chance that the previous car owner didn’t install the right size tires.

When it comes to sports cars you can compare the size of the front tires with the back tires as they could be different.

For a normal tire, you may be wondering what those codes on the sizes mean.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Definition #1 – Size

P235/65R17 is an example of a tire size code that you might see. The P stands for passenger car tire. You may also find cars that start with the LT which is normally on heavy-duty trucks.

Then there is the number 253 which is the size of the cross-section in millimeters. 65 on the other hand is the ratio of the height of the sidewall to the width of the cross-section.

The R refers to the radial-ply construction. Finally, the number 17 refers to the diameter of the wheel in inches.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Definition #2 – Load Index

This number refers to the weight which the tire can supply and carry. It comes immediately after the tire size. For instance, if you got a 103 load index, this would come to 1929 pounds.

You must pick tires that have a load index which as high as or higher than what you will find listed on your vehicle’s owner manual.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Definition #3 – Speed Rating

This number comes after the load index and shows the max speed that the tire can sustain. Let’s take for instance tires that have a rating of S-speed. These have a speed rating of 112 mph. T-rated tires will have a max speed rating of 118mph.

When it comes to other tires the speed ratings for instance for speed-rated tires are 99mph, W is 168mph, and V is 149mph, for example.

Granted these speeds come across as being quite impractical. Note that the tires that have a higher speed rating will often have great handling at legal speed limits. They are thus much better for performance cars.

Note that you should choose tires that come with a speed rating that is as high as the speed rating which you will find on the car’s placard or owner’s manual.

Tread Wear Rating

Often the grades which come with the light truck tires will be anywhere from 500 to 800.  You may find a tire that has a grade of 400. This one will last double the lifetime of one that has a grade of 200.

That said, the tire makes will certify that such tires have met the wear ratings. This is important information when planning to drive off-road.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Treadwear Rating #1: Traction Scores

The traction score refers to the tire’s ability to grip wet surfaces. There could also be temperature scores that denote the temperature resistance of the tires.

As far as traction goes, the best grading is the AA while the worst is C. As far as temperature resistance goes on the other hand A is the best and C is the worst.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Treadwear Rating #2: Maximum Pressure

This refers to the tire’s max safe air pressure which is in pounds per square inch. This however ever doesn’t give you the green light to inflate the tires until they have that pressure. The car manufacturers themselves will recommend an inflation pressure that is far below the tire’s max air pressure.

It is a good idea that you look at the vehicle’s placard and go with the advice.

Tire Date Code Michelin, Treadwear Rating #3: Date Of Manufacture

All tires sold in the US have a DOT number which comes after the letters. They are located on the tire’s sidewall. You will identify the day of manufacture with the last four numbers.

The first two of these numbers show the week of manufacture while the remaining two show the year of manufacture. It’s advisable that you never buy tires that are far more than several years old.

Other than the tires wearing out it is possible for the tore to also age. This is why many car makers will advise that you change the car tires after six years. If you were to stretch, the recommendation is that you replace the car tires after 10 years.

Tire Serial Number

Buying tires is harder than it first appears. This is why it is a good idea to know how the read the information on the side of the tires.

And this is even if the tires are manufactured in other parts of the world all tires will feature more information.

This tire serial number features the Department of Transport number on the side of the tire. This will then feature a serial number.

The great thing is that it is quite easy to read the tire serial number. This helps you understand the tire date code Michelin and the overall state of the tires.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Are Michelin Tires Made

Michelin has plants in France, Poland, Serbia, The US, Serbia, Germany, Canada, The UK, Brazil, Japan, Thailand, Italy, India as well as many other countries around the world.

How To Tell How Old A Tire Is

You can tell how old a tire is by simply checking the side wall of the tire for the DOT number. The last four digits will tell you the year of manufacture. The week of manufacture is identified by the first two numbers while the last two will tell you the year of manufacture.