Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
Changing a Flat Tire (CONT)
14. Lower the vehicle by rotating the
wheel wrench counterclockwise.
Lower the jack completely. 15. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a
criss-cross sequence, as shown.
I
Incorrect wheel nuts or
1 L improperly tightened wheel
nuts can cause the wheel to
become loose and even
come off.
This could lead to an accident. Be
sure to use the correct wheel nuts.
If you have to replace them, be
sure to get the right kind.
Stop somewhere as soon as you
can and
have the nuts tightened
with a torque wrench to
100 pound-feet (140 Nom).
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Don’t try to put a wheel cover on your
compact spare tire.
It won’t fit. Store the
wheel cover and plastic cap nuts in the
trunk or rear area until you have the flat
tire repaired or replaced.
16. Store the flat tire in the compact
spare tire compartment, and secure
with the wing bolt and extension.
Store the jack and wheel wrench in
their compartment, also.
MU I IVN 1
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
:quipment in the passenger
compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop
or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
The compact spare is for temporary use
only. Replace the compact spare tire
with a full-size tire as soon as you can.
See
Compact Spare Tire next in this
section.
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully
inflated when your vehicle was new, it
can lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly.
It should be
60 psi (420 Wa). The compact spare is
made to go up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have
your full-size tire repaired or replaced
where you want.
Of course, it’s best to
replace
your spare with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. Your spare will last
longer and be in good shape in case you
need it again.
Your anti-lock brake system warning
light may come on when you are driving
with a compact spare. See the
Index
under Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light.
191
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
Compact Spare Tire (CONT.)
Don't use your compact spare on some
other vehicle.
And don't
mix your compact spare or
wheel with other wheels or tires. They
won't fit. Keep your spare and its wheel
together.
I92
Tire spare. chains Using won't them=! fit your compact ;$
your vehicle and destroy the chains""'"
too. Don't use tire chains on your
compact spare.
lf You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
lce or Snow
What you don't want to do when your
vehicle is stuck is to spin your wheels.
The method known as "rocking" can
help 'you get out when you're stuck, but
you must use caution.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you let your tires spin at
- high speed, they can explode
and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of
the vehicle can overheat. That could
cause an engine compartment fire
or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin
the wheels as little as
possible. Don’t spin the wheels
above
35 mph (56 h/h) as shown
on
the speedometer. Spinning
your wheels can destroy
parts
of your vehicle as well as the
tires.
If you spin the wheels too
fast while shifting your transa:
back and forth, you can destroy
your transaxle.
-
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get it Out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back and
forth between
R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, or with a manual
transaxle, between
1 (First) or 2 (Second)
gear and
R (Reverse), spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release
the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. If that
doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you
may need to be towed out.
If
you do need to be towed out, see the
Index under Towing Your Chevrolet.
I93
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire hspection and Rotation I
Use this rotation pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust
the front and rear inflation pressure as
shown on the Tire-Loading Information
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See the Index
under Wheel Nut Torque.
To make your tires last longer, have
them inspected and rotated at the
mileages recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule. See the
Index
under Scheduled Maintenance Services.
u I I’ -
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on
; parts to which it is
fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The
wheel could come off and cause an
accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt
from
places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire brush
later, if you need to, to get all the
rust or dirt
off. (See the Index
under Changing a Flat Tire.)
When lt’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new
tires
is to check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your
tires have
only 2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if
You can see the indicators at three
You can see cord or fabric showing
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
places around the tire.
through the tire’s rubber.
or
snagged deep enough to show cord
or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because
of the size or location of the
damage.
23 I
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires
you need, look at the Tire-Loading
Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when
it was new had a Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When
you get new tires, get ones with that
same
TPC Spec number. That way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed to give proper endurance,
handling, speed rating, traction, ride
and other things during normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all- season tread design, the TPC number
will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud
and snow).
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 and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original
tires.
Mixing tires could cau’se you
d to lose control while driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (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. It’s all
right to drive with your compact
spare, though. It was developed for
limited use on your vehicle.
I I
Unijiorpn Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance. (This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
232
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half
(1%) 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
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics 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.
Temperature-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 laboratory 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
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.
233
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Temperature-A, 8, C ~NTJ
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation,
or
excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger car tires.
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.
234
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
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 wheels, which
can sometimes be repaired). See your
Chevrolet dealer if any of these
conditions exist.
Your dealer
will know the kind of wheel
you need. Each new wheel should have
the same load carrying capacity,
diameter, 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
Chevrolet model.