Temporary Spare Tire Markings on Ford Vehicles: How to Read Them
How to read the markings on a Ford temporary spare tire, tell the DOT date code apart from use limits, and find the rules that apply to your vehicle.
Contents
A temporary spare, also called a compact spare or space saver, is a smaller, lighter backup tire meant to get a vehicle to a repair point after a flat, not to replace a regular tire long term. Its sidewall carries two different kinds of information. Some markings identify the tire, including its size, construction and manufacture date. Others tell you how it may be used, such as a temporary-use warning and an inflation pressure. The date code tells you when the tire was made. It does not tell you how far or how fast you can drive on it. Those limits depend on the vehicle and the tire, so for a Ford, confirm them in that vehicle's owner's manual and on any label on the spare or its wheel.
Markings commonly found on a temporary spare
- Size designation: a code describing the tire's dimensions and construction. Compact spares commonly use a size format that begins with the letter T, which marks a temporary-use tire.
- Temporary-use wording: text stating that the tire is for temporary use only. On some spares this text appears on the tire, the wheel, or both.
- Inflation pressure: the pressure the spare is meant to run at. It can differ from the pressure for the vehicle's regular tires, so read the value marked on the spare or listed for the spare in the vehicle documentation.
- Load and speed information: ratings that describe the tire's capability. These are tire ratings and do not override restrictions the vehicle manufacturer sets for using the spare.
- DOT code: a string of letters and numbers that ends in a four-digit date code showing when the tire was manufactured.
How to read the date code
Look for the DOT code on the sidewall and find the four digits at the end. The first two digits are the week of manufacture and the last two are the year. The example below is for illustration only and does not come from a real tire.
DOT ... 2319
^^ week 23
^^ year 2019The same method applies to space-saver tires and regular tires. If the full code is not visible on the side facing you, check the other side of the tire, because the complete code may appear on only one side. Older tires, particularly very old original equipment on classic cars, may use a different or partial date format, and the four-digit method may not apply to them.
Date code versus use limits
These two kinds of information are often confused. The date code records when the tire was made, which helps you judge its age. A temporary spare can sit unused for years, so its age can differ greatly from the age of the tires in use. Use limits are separate. They are the vehicle manufacturer's or tire maker's restrictions on speed, distance and conditions while the spare is fitted. No single speed, mileage or age threshold applies to every temporary spare. The sources reviewed for this guide do not establish one, so this guide does not give figures. The authoritative values for your vehicle are those in its documentation and on the spare itself.
What applies to a Ford specifically
The material available for this guide does not include Ford-specific documentation. It does not confirm which Ford models carry a temporary spare, what their spares are marked with, or what speed and distance limits Ford specifies. Equipment varies by model, model year, market and trim, and some vehicles come with a tire repair kit instead of a spare. Treat the general guidance above as help with reading markings, not as fitment or usage approval for a particular Ford.
- Check the owner's manual for your exact model and model year. Look in the sections on tires, wheels or roadside emergencies for spare-tire limits and inflation pressure.
- Read any label or stamping on the spare tire and on its wheel.
- Check the vehicle's tire information placard, usually found on the driver's door jamb on US-market vehicles, which may list the spare's pressure.
- Read the DOT date code on the spare to judge its age, and ask a tire professional to inspect it if it is old or shows cracking or damage.
- If a warning light appears after you fit the spare, or anything about the spare is unclear, follow the owner's manual and have the vehicle checked by a Ford dealer or qualified tire shop.
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