1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER tire type

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
0
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your \
left lane
change signal before moving out of the right lane
to pass. When you
are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move \
back into
the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is c\
onvex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem
to be further away from you than it
really
is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver
to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease a little
to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens whe\
n the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t ha\
ve enough friction
where the tires meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to steer, and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possib\
le.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid,
too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid,
too much throttle causes the
driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn
a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foo\
t
off the
accelerator pedal
as soon as you feel the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer
the way you want the vehicle
to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle will straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll want
to slow down and adjust your driving to
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these things could be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That, if your vehicle has all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive with fog
lamps, it cannot be towed from the front with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the all-wheel-drive
option.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
* To help avoid injury to you or others:
I
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has been lifted by the tow
Always use separate safety chains on each side when towing a
truck.
I vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed
for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transmission should be in
N (Neutral) and the parking brake
released.
If your vehicle has the all-wheel drive option, it can only be towed with
all four wheels
off the ground. A dolly must be used under the un-raised
wheels when towing or the vehicle must be transported
on a flat bed
carrier.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Senrice & Appearance Care
on’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or overinflation is all right. It’s
When to Check: Check your tires once a month or more. Don’t forget your
compact spare tire.
It should be at 60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check: Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure.
Simply looking at the tires will not tell you the pressure, e\
specially
if you
have radial tires-which may look properly inflated even
if they’re
underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. They help
prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you ever replace your tires with those not having a TPC Spec \
number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating an\
d construction
type (bias, bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires.
A
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mix
tires
of different sizes or types (like radial and bias-belted tires) the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Be
sure
to use the same size and type tires on all wheels. I
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare, though. It was developed for
limited use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grade\
s tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies o\
nly
to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear \
rate of the
tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified governmen\
t test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (142)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var\
iations in
driving habits, service practices and differences in road charac\
teristics and
climate.
Traction-A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and \
concrete.
A
tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering \
(turning) traction.
Temperatur+A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laborat\
ory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle \
Safety
Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is established for\
a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla\
tion,
or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger car tire\
s.
While the tires available as standard
or optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved for use on \
General
Motors vehicles.
All passenger type (P Metric) tires must conform to Federal
safety requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and lire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully \
at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall pe\
rformance.
In most cases, you will not need
to have your wheels aligned again.
However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way or
the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need \
to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose the wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced. If
the wheel leaks air out, replace it (except some aluminum whe\
els, which can
sometimes be repaired). See your GM dealer if any of these c\
onditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying capacity dia\
meter, width,
offset, and be mounted the same way as the one
it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts,
replace them only with new GM original equipment parts. This way, you will
be sure you have the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts\

for your
vehicle.
6-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION
I
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts \
on
your vehicle can be dangerous. It could affect the braking and\

handling
of your vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you lose
control. You could have a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel \
nuts
for replacement.
NOTICE I
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with bearing life, bra\
ke cooling, speedometer/odometer calibration, headlight aim, bumper height, vehiclc
ground clearance, and tire
or tire chain clearance to the body and chassi I
Used Replacement Wheels
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is dangerous. You can’t know
how it’s been used or how many miles it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause an accident.
If you have to replace a wheel use
1 a new GM original equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
f your vehicle has PqA
iamage your vehicle
f you have other size tires, use tire chains only when you ... st. se on
SAE Class “S” type chains that are the proper size for your tires. lnst
hem on the rear axle tires and tighten them
as tightly as PO
he ends securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
nanufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the chains contacting your
rehicle, stop and retighten them.
If the contact continues, slow d8
t stops. Driving too fast with chains on will damage your vehicle.
6-5 1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl with
a clean, damp cloth.
Your GM dealer has
two GM cleaners-a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They will clean normal spots and st\
ains very well.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can-before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area often. A soft
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well ventilated area only. If you use them,
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire area immedi\
ately or it
brush may be used
if stains are stubborn.
don’t saturate the stained area.
will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask surrounding t\
rim along
stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the directions on t\
he
container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
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