Yellow marks. Colored marks on tires: features and characteristics

When purchasing new tires, often on the side cord, we can see yellow or red circles (I would even say dots), as well as white or yellow (sometimes even green) markings with numbers and letters inside. What is it and in general, why do they put it on the sides of tires? As usual, detailed article + video version...

Many people think that these color designations (tags) mean nothing at all, some wrote to me - “that it’s actually the warehouse employees who apply them, and on many tires they are not necessary at all.” This is, to put it mildly, not true. There are well-founded explanations for why they are needed. Well let's start

Red and yellow circles on the wheel cord

The fact is that in production, when a tire comes off the assembly line, it must be balanced. To determine the hardest place and the easiest.

So the hardest place is red circle

And the easiest thing is yellow

You need to know them when assembling and balancing a wheel at a tire shop. After all, it is opposite the easiest place (that is, the yellow circle) that our nipple or “nipple” (as many call it) is installed.

White circle and yellow square

These color marks are not applied to all tires, but often only to Russian or Chinese versions. It is a “white circle” or “yellow square” and can also be green (inside the inscription, if it is domestically produced “OTK” or “TK”, there is simply a numerical designation).

What does this mean? Yes, quality control is trivial; when a tire is produced, it undergoes certain tests and visual inspection. If everything is good, this stamp is applied. U Chinese manufacturers often a similar pattern.

By the way, it can be applied not only with white, but also with yellow, blue, green or red paint. This is also a tire inspection sign, something like our “OTK” stamp. This means that the tire has been checked and is of good quality. But the number in this mark means a specific shift - the controller who is responsible for quality.

It should be noted that for the end consumer this sign does not carry any meaning, of course, if the product is in the quality required! IN otherwise You can find an inspector using this designation and sue the manufacturer.

It is worth noting that some foreign manufacturers (from Japan, Europe, etc.) may not apply such stamps.

Longitudinal stripes on the tread

There are another noticeable color markings; these are long, often parallel stripes that encircle the tread.

On the Internet there is often only one explanation for why they are needed. Usually they are really noticeable, bright, blue - green - red - yellow and other colors.

They are supposedly applied only for warehouse workers, so that they can quickly distinguish between them. AT factories finished products there are a lot of them, and they are often stored in sections. A person is driving a forklift and sees lines of a certain color and type of application, which means it is a certain standard size, diameter, summer or winter. He no longer needs to go up to the section and clarify - Is this really the same type of tire or not? . That is, the work is simplified many times over.

That is, they apply only for accelerated logistics and that’s all? Not really.

According to some sellers, these color lines, even for one manufacturer and one tire model, may differ, not much, but still. Why does this depend? Tires are usually made in large batches. For example, a batch is in progress, it ends (maybe even a small production downtime, or the production of other rubber at these capacities) and then the same model is launched, through certain time(say, change of year). The batches are different, so the stripes may also differ slightly, not much and not critically (for example, 5 or 100 mm to the right or left), but different. It seems that the drawing remained the same, but slightly changed.

This is done so that one batch of goods is completely identical! If you take, say, 3 tires from one batch, and 1 tire from another (I emphasize once again, even from the same model), then they may differ in weight (not much, even by 10 - 20 grams and hypothetically you can combine them)! But it will still be better if you take 4 tires from one batch.

When buying tires, pay attention to these stripes, they should be absolutely identical on all 4 tires, this will give you the ideal “weight distribution” at the tire shop.

Deep groove and scale

Well, the last thing (though this does not apply to color marks) - many also asked me what is the slot in the tread and next to it a scale from “2 to 7”, now this is on some foreign and Russian tires (for example - VIATTI).

This is a trivial wheel tread meter. If you put a coin into the slot, you will notice that it seems to be rolling from top to bottom. Where the highest part is, the tread height is 7 mm, where 2 mm is the lowest. Thus, you can evaluate the wear, as you can see, nothing complicated. Let me remind you that Winter tires(mostly), below 5 mm can no longer be used!

Now let's watch a short video version.

Well, I think I answered your question about color codes. Now this question will no longer arise. Sincerely yours - AUTOBLOGGER

Choosing new tires is not an easy task. The multitude of options can be confusing. For meaningful and the right choice There is an approved wheel marking. All tires have mandatory inscriptions that carry some information about the characteristics of the product.

You can often find various colored stripes, red or yellow colored dots on tires. This article explains what these designations mean and what each color says, as well as how to choose the right tires.

There are certain labeling standards that any manufacturer must indicate on the tire. These inscriptions are printed on the sidewall of the tire and contain information useful to the buyer. The manufacturer, tire model, and size are indicated in large letters.

There are two types of sizing: European or American. European marking uses metric system and looks like this: 185*45*R17. The first number indicates the tread width, the second indicates the profile height, and the third indicates the internal diameter. The letter R stands for radial cord weave.

One American format is similar to the European one, but there are additional letters in front of the numeric values. For example, LT 195*45*R17. These tire designations indicate their area of ​​application (LT – light track, P-passenger, T – track). This allows you to quickly select the appropriate set.

The second American method uses the inch system. The marking 30*10.5*R17 tells the buyer first about the outer diameter of the wheel (30 inches), tread width (10.5) and inner diameter. This method is the most convenient, because the external dimensions of the tire are indicated.

Special attention should be paid to the mark with the load and speed index on the sidewalls of the tires. These marks are placed next to the wheel size and are indicated by a number and Latin letter respectively. Like road signs, such designations carry important information for the buyer.

The load index tells you how much weight one tire can support. If there are two values ​​on it separated by a hyphen, this means that the tires can be installed in pairs and the first value indicates the load for a single installation, and the second for a double installation. Additionally, there may be an EL (Extra Load) mark, which indicates a reinforced cord weave and the fact that the load index of such tires is three points higher.

The speed index is denoted by a Latin letter. This marking indicates limit values speeds that can be achieved on such tires. Everything is simple here - the closer the letter is to the end of the Latin alphabet, the higher the speed value.

The seasonality of tires is important. Summer tires are not designated in any way - if there are no special pictograms on the sidewall, such tires are considered summer. There may be an additional presence of an umbrella icon, rain, the words Aqua or rain, which indicates a developed pattern that allows you to effectively drain water and resist aquaplaning.

All-season tires are marked with the letters M+S or Mud+Snow. Such rubber feels good at average temperatures, but is significantly inferior to profile sets when deviating from average values. Therefore, it is advisable to have two types of seasonal tires, and consider the all-season kit as a “transition kit”.


Winter tires are indicated by a snowflake icon or the letter W (Winter). Such sets consist of soft rubber, which does not harden in the cold and clings well to the surface. The buyer can choose between studded or non-studded tires (Velcro).

Studded kit is needed only for harsh winters and frequent movement on icy asphalt. If you live in an urban area, then studless tires are sufficient. Depending on the type of climate, you can give preference to Scandinavian tires (cold, snowy winters) or the European equivalent (mild climates).

It also happens that tires have additional signs in the form of the inscription Rotation, Outside or Inside, arrows indicating the direction of rotation. Such marks are placed on tires with an asymmetrical and directional pattern and indicate the correct location of the wheel, its outer or inner side. All this makes it much easier to install the tire yourself.

Sometimes you can see different colored stripes on tires. In the form of multi-colored lines, stripes, triangles, squares or seals. These stripes carry interesting information and the composition of the rubber mixture and provide valuable information for the tire service worker.

What do the colored marks on tires mean?

The marking of tires from certain manufacturers involves applying colored lines directly to the tread itself. Depending on the width or color of the mark, you can determine the size of the wheel, the date of manufacture of the rubber, its specification, and whether coconut oil was used in production.

This application option allows you to quickly find the desired tire in a stack in the warehouse. However, the general unified system no designation. Tires that come in the same size may have different colors from different manufacturers.

Among other things, there is sometimes a white stamp with a number on the side of the wheel. This serial number inspector who accepted the batch of tires and carried out the final inspection of the product.

Yellow and white marks

Some color markings on the tires are intended to facilitate installation on the rim. The disk itself also contains additional designations in the form of the letter L or the top mark. The first designates the place with the hole for the nipple and also the lightest part of the wheel.

In some cases, there is a white dot or circle on the tire. This mark indicates the most flexible part of the tire. Thus, this mark should be aligned with the top mark or, if there is none, it is worth positioning the L designation 180 degrees relative to the white spot.

Among other symbols, there is a yellow dot or triangle. This is a generally accepted marking indicating the most easy place on the tire. For proper installation and the absence of imbalance, you should correctly mount the tire on the wheel rim, placing the light point on the opposite side to the L mark or the lightest point of the rim.

The yellow marking is not the only correct one. Some manufacturers prefer marks of other colors. So, instead of yellow circles You can find markings in green or blue. However, its designation remains the same.

Red marks

Among others, there is sometimes a red dot on the tire. The place next to this mark is the heaviest, because this is where the sidewall structure is the most rigid. Scientifically speaking, it is the maximum point of deflection of the radial force.

The red triangle mark on the tire indicates the point where the belt layers meet, or the stiffest part of the sidewall. When installing rubber on a wheel rim, the L mark must be aligned with the heavy part, that is, the red mark. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to “center” the rubber and additional vibrations from the engine and wheels will be felt on the steering wheel.

The question often arises, what to do if there are two colored marks on the tire and they are not located diametrically opposite? In this case, maintenance and repair specialists recommend focusing on yellow mark, considering red to be secondary.

It is worth saying that the color marks do not carry basic information about the grade or type of tire, but rather represent instructions for proper installation for tire service workers. Therefore, when buying tires, you must be guided, first of all, by technical characteristics products, and the presence or absence of color markings is not a critical factor in the selection.

When purchasing new tires for a car, owners are often faced with the question of what do the colored stripes on the tire tread and dots on the side mean? Experienced drivers are probably familiar with general concepts about the characteristics of tires, but for young car enthusiasts their presence can be confusing.

It should be immediately noted that this marking is considered official information manufacturer, but knowing why colored marks on tires are needed will not hurt.

Colored stripes on tires - designation

What do car owners say among themselves when gathering in their garages? One of the erroneous opinions is that stripes are applied to the surface of the rubber tread in case of a defective tire, which means that you absolutely cannot buy such tires. However, in reality they are nothing more than identification mark product models and sizes. Marks are added to make it easier to sort finished products, since when working with parts, the marker sees only part of the tread.

You need to know that the color, location and width of the strip indicate the country of manufacture, the type and size of the tire, as well as other points. Almost all of them relate directly to internal processes occurring during production, so users should not worry about the impact of these designations on the operation of the machine.

Colored dots on a tire

If the stripes on the tire cover do not carry much meaning for ordinary driver, then the points on the side of the rubber can tell a lot more. In particular, knowing their decoding, the owner will be better able to navigate the issues of wheel installation. In addition, information about the presence of a balancing feature is read point by point.

Most often, workers benefit from the marks on the tire because it is easier for them to assemble the rims so that the mass of the balancing weights is reduced. So, let's take a closer look at what each color dot on the bus means:

- red - such a mark is installed in the place where the maximum force of heterogeneity is present (different layers of the tire merge),

- yellow - applied to the very easy section products. During installation, this point must coincide with the most massive place on the disk, then optimal balancing is ensured. As a rule, in such situations the yellow dot is located opposite the nipple.

- white - it marks the shortest distance from the rim to the central zone of the tire. Using this information and connecting the red dot on the tire with the white dot on the rim, you can achieve the most optimal power indicators during installation.

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When buying new tires for a car, many people notice different colored marks on their surface. But not everyone knows what the yellow and red dots on tires mean, or why they are made. There are different interpretations of such designations on the Internet, so it is worth taking a closer look at all their functions.

First of all, such signs appear in the form of balancing marks, which are necessary in order to carry out the most accurate balancing of the tire with the disk. In addition, what the color marks on tires mean is indicated in the documents defining the methods of production, subsequent marking and use of tires in Russia. However, due to the fact that the GOST regulating this was introduced back in 1984, it does not contain any mention of the colors of such designations.

Often modern markings used on car tires ah, represents little round dots. Typically, the size of such designations is 10-15 mm in diameter. If previously the markings had a triangular shape, today they are predominantly round. But the main differences are now considered to be the different colors used for the designations. The main ones are:

1. Yellow.
2. Red.
3. White.

There are even letter designations, as well as various stripes. It is worth examining each of the options in more detail.

Yellow

When on lateral surface tires are stamped with such a stamp - this indicates the lightest and also weakest coating in this place, from the point of view of protection. This parameter is easily identified even during static balancing. In addition, such designations are also applied to wheel rims, only in the form of the “L” symbol. Therefore, when beading a wheel, it is recommended to place them in such a way that similar markings on two elements are in opposite sides. This is required so that in the event of heavy loads due to a collision with an obstacle, there is no damage to two elements at the same time.

Red

A feature of such designations is considered to be an indication of the strongest and most durable place on the tire.. On professional language it is called the point where maximum deflection of the radial force occurs. Red dots are usually installed on new tire models that have not yet been used. Often they try to install it when beading the wheel, flush with the “L” symbol marked on the disk.

The presence of such strong and weaknesses due to the technology of manufacturing car tires and the impossibility of perfectly maintaining all proportions. This occurs due to the heterogeneity of the layers that are present in car tires, as well as the complexity of the rubber filling process.

White

In this case, the marking indicates the most flexible place that the tire has. In other words, the white dot, which may be completely colored or has dotted edges, indicates the place on the tire where the least radial force deflection occurs. Similar to the yellow designation, it is recommended to install it as far away from the “L” designation on the wheel rim as possible.

Colored stripes

Separately, it is worth mentioning the colored stripes on the tire tread. Long lines are usually present on the entire rim of a car tire. Usually they are applied to the protectors or between them in special grooves. But only the manufacturer needs such tags. They are used to identify the storage index. It has a specific tire that is located for a certain time in the territory of a large warehouse. Simply put, they are used in the form of a kind of barcode, through which the search for the product of interest is carried out. In this case, products are differentiated by color and thickness. drawn lines. They indicate belonging to a specific batch produced in a certain period.

Numbers

Such markings, applied to the surface of car tires, differ solely in their nominal value. In this case, color or thickness does not play a role, but only actual designations. They indicate the level of inspection that the material (rubber) from which the tire was made was subjected to. By and large, it represents a kind of GOST. The presence of such markings on the surface of the product indicates that the finished product has previously passed a quality test.

Marks are applied to tires in the form of digital values ​​inside a circle. At the same time, they indicate the license plate number of the inspector who carried out the verification process itself, and therefore such information does not provide any benefit to the consumer. If a defect is identified, the designations will help you find the person responsible in production for putting such a product on sale.

Main useful information for motorists they carry exclusively colored dots applied to the surface of finished products. All other designations are needed only for manufacturers, since they contain inside information on production and inspection of finished products.

Tire buyers often have own theories about the origin and purpose of these strips. Some people believe that such stripes mark defective tires, or that the colors of the stripes somehow encrypt the “type” of the tread or the country of manufacture (and each country is supposedly “assigned” its own color).

All these theories have practically no relation to the truth. In order not to be unfounded, we made several requests to car tire manufacturing plants (Nokian, Pirelli, Michelin) and received from them official confirmation. They all wrote about the same thing: "... colored stripes on the tread appear during the tire production process. This is an internal factory marking. These designations were introduced at the factory for ease of tire recognition various models and standard sizes. This is in no way related to product defects. Sincerely, technical consultant...” It’s just much easier for loaders and storekeepers to distinguish tire sizes from afar by color stripes than to take and turn each wheel in search of markings.

It is almost impossible to decipher the manufacturer's code, and it makes no sense. Each manufacturer may encode different information in this way that is important for production process, warehousing and quality control. This information is absolutely useless neither for the wholesaler nor for the final buyer.

Markers can be applied both to the upper surface of the tread and to the bottom of the grooves - this depends on the wishes and capabilities of the manufacturer. But paint on a polished surface inside the grooves, where it lasts much longer, is often applied for design purposes. Another possible function of the stripes is that some high-end racing models mark their tires with this marking to make it easier to identify the model from afar during a rally.

Does the country of manufacture affect the quality of tires?

In Russia, Nokian companies have their own tire production plants (Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad region), Michelin (Davydovo, Moscow region); The Italian company Pirelli (in Tolyatti) and the Japanese company Yokohama (in Lipetsk region). I would like to note that only Nokian has two factories, while other manufacturers have more than ten factories located around the world, in countries such as China, Malaysia, Poland, Slovenia, the Philippines, etc. Moreover, probably only here , upon learning that the tire was made in Russia, people turn their noses up at it. For some reason, many people think that a manufacturer opens a plant in a third world country or in Russia in order to produce inferior tires there for the third-rate market and the unpretentious buyer. But in fact, if a manufacturer decides to produce a certain tire model at a plant in Russia, then it will be supplied to all countries, even Finland. Tire giants, when creating new production facilities, supply it with their equipment and perfectly monitor the quality of raw materials and the production process.

If you don’t trust the “hands” of assembly, then in the end, in factories in Germany or Hungary, the same visitors from “third world” countries work in low-paid positions as assemblers. All over the world, in modern factories with conveyor production, a person performs three operations: placing raw materials on a conveyor, removing finished products and visually inspecting the finished tire. ALL!!! So neither nationality nor race in in this case do not affect the quality of the finished product.

In all my many years of practice in selling car tires, I cannot particularly single out a single serious brand in terms of the number of defects and returns, and certainly there is no dependence of the number of defects on the country in which the brand’s management has located factories.

I have regular 205/55R16 91T tires, can I get run flat tires?

Tires with this technology fit standard wheel rims and can be fitted to any vehicle by all qualified centres. The only condition: Run flat tires can only be installed on vehicles equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.

Tire pressure monitoring systems (RDKS) can be divided into two types: active and passive. Active ones, where the measured data is transmitted to the control device using a pressure sensor located inside the wheel (the sensors register a pressure difference above 0.2 bar, resulting in a visual or acoustic signal), include original sensors from Beru, Siemens, as well as Hella , Parkmaster, TTE. For passive RDK systems, the measurement is carried out using an ABS sensor. As a result of air loss, the tire travels less distance per revolution. A higher wheel speed is detected and then triggers a visual or acoustic signal.

I remember one funny case with run flat tires. One client arrived to us with four flat tires, and each tire was punctured (with something sharp, about 20 mm wide) several times. That is, some ill-wisher, having decided to puncture the wheel the first time, did not understand why the wheel did not sit on the rim, and in bewilderment repeated attempts several times. Run flat tires have reinforced sidewalls to keep the vehicle moving in the event of a loss of pressure. This technology prevents the flat tire from being compressed by the road and the wheel rim, allowing you to continue driving.

Best regards, Markin Andrey