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Michelin Symmetry DOT Codes


JasonA

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Hey to all you Symmetry owners.

Michelin has a silica-enhanced tread compound on their Energy series tires that qualifies it as a reduced rolling resistance tire I think. You can identify that by the sidewall markings...one with that silica-enhanced compound says "Radial XSE"...vs. their standard "Radial X" tires.

I noticed that while looking at the Symmetrys at Sam's Club the other day, Michelin has apparently upgraded the Symmetry tires with this technology, because they're now "Radial XSE" tires, and also show the "Green X" symbol on the sidewall. Trouble for me is, Sam's Club can't even special order the Symmetrys in black wall...they stock, and only carry, the white wall tires.

We were at Wal-Mart today and I checked them, and they CAN get the Symmetry in black wall (and about $5 cheaper ea. than Sam's sells them for). I've stretched the life of my current Pilots WAY longer than I thought I ever could (virtually no further treadwear in the last YEAR of driving on them), but I'm still looking at tires for when I replace them...which is as soon as I financially can.

My question is...the Symmetry on display at Wal-Mart did NOT possess the "Green X" logo, and the sidewall beared the "Radial X" marking (vs. "XSE"). I also noticed that the date code on this tire (last 4 digits of the DOT code) was 4903, which means this particular display tire was made in the 49th week of 2003. I do remember the tire at Sam's was made in 2004 sometime.

I have a very specific question to all of you who have Symmetry tires...could you please check the date codes on your tires and the "Radial" marking on the sidewall. Please reply to this thread with your date code and whether or not your tire has the "Radial XSE" marking, and the "Green X" logo. I have a feeling that Michelin quietly upgraded the Symmetry line sometime in early 2004 with the Radial XSE technology, but I'm trying to nail down when.

If I purchase new Symmetrys from Wal-Mart, I will ask to visually inspect all four before they put them on to be sure they all possess the "Green X" logo. If I cannot get black walls with the Radial XSE technology, I think I'm going to buy the X Radial model from Sam's (not to be confused with their "Radial X" construction; they also have a tire called the X Radial, which I know some of you have). But I'd really like to try out the new Symmetry.

By the way, the two Symmetrys are visually identical...sidewall design, tread pattern, etc. Even the tread compound FEELS the same to the touch...but one bears the XSE markings and the other does not.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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Would the information from Michelin Energy tires help you at all?

These are OE Michelin XSE tires on the '04 DTS

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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Thanks Larry. Huh...the Symmetrys at Wal-Mart were made AFTER yours, but they're not Green Xs. The Symmetrys at Sams were made AFTER the ones at Wal-Mart, and they are Green Xs. I think a call in to Michelin is what I need to do. Larry, are yours white walls? I wonder if for some reason the white walls got updated but the black walls did not.

Jim, I don't think so, but thanks. I think the Energy line of tires has always been "green" with the XSE technology. I'm trying to find out when the "converted" the Symmetry line...but maybe there's no hard and fast date.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here is a followup, if anyone is interested.

There are no fewer than 4 different Symmetry models, in 225/60R16 size. Three are blackwall, and one is whitewall. Michelin makes only one whitewall version of the Symmetry, and it's the OE version that Michelin lists for Fords, although I know they also install them on Cadillacs (like on Jim's car). These are Radial XSE, which is a lower rolling resistance version of the tire. I believe it was Larry who said before that after he repalced his XW4s with Symmetrys, he had to lower the pressure because the Symmetry rode a bit firmer. I suspect that's because no matter where you buy them, you're getting the OE version of the tire, engineered on the firmer side for better fuel economy. I compared Michelin part numbers from their spec sheet to the tire in Sam's Club and indeed, they're the same (Sam's only sells the whitewall Symmetrys).

This is new info for me...I didn't know you could buy the OE fitment versions of the tire at the retail level. "Feeling" that XSE Symmetry, the tread did indeed feel pretty stiff. They had a non-XSE Symmetry (in 215/70R15 size) and the tread felt a bit softer.

On the spec sheet, comparing the whitewall version of the Symmetry to the blackwall version for our size, not only are the rubber compounds apparently different, but so are the physical dimmensions. Both tires are about 9.4" wide on 7" wheels, but the whitewall tire is 26.5" tall while the blackwall tire is 25.8" tall.

Our local Wal-Mart has a blackwall Symmetry on display, and I'm going to check it's physical part number to see if it matches the blackwall part number in the Michelin spec sheet (it should). Apparently, their general market version is the regular Radial X, without the lower rolling resistance. I guess the reason the whitewall Symmetry I saw in Sam's had the Radial XSE tech. is because it's indeed the very same tire they fit at the Cadillac and Lincoln factories.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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