1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE tire type

Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say
about what happens when the
three
control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have 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 possible.
The three types of skids correspond to
your Oldsmobile’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
foot
off the accelerator
pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle
start to slide. Quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go.
E 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 these conditions.
It is
important to slow down
on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will
be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced
traction,
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration,
or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to
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10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
1 1. Try to start the vehicle with the
dead battery.
If it won’t start after a
few tries, it probably needs service.
-wP
1
1 2. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each other
or any other metal.
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Towing Your Oldsmobile
Try to have a GM dealer or a
professional towing service tow your
Oldsmobile. The usual towing
equipment is
:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier
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 instructions and
illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the
hazard warning flashers.
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Service & Appearance Care
Taillight Bulb Replacement
For the type of bulb, see the Ida under
Replacement Bulbs.
1. Open the rear side windows and
2. Remove the two screws from the
3. Undo the spring clips under the
liftgate.
taillight housing.
weatherstrip at the rear
of the side
window.
4. Pull off the entire taillight housing.
5. Pinch the lever and twist the bulb
assembly
yS turn counterclockwise to
remove.
6. Remove the bulb by pressing in and
turning
y8 turn counterclockwise.
7. Line up the small retainer bumps on
the replacement bulb
so that the
lower bump slides into the deepest
slot in the housing. Press
in and twist
the bulb
y8 turn clockwise.
Reposition the bulb assembly in the
taillight housing.
Turn the assembly
y6 turn clockwise to lock in place.
and screws.
8. Replace the entire taillight housing
9. Attach the spring clips to the
taillight housing and secure them.
liftgate. signals and taillights.
IO. Close the rear side windows and
1 1. Test the bulbs by using your turn
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Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Replacement blades for your vehicle are
24 inches in length. They come in
different
types and are removed in
different ways. Here's how to remove
the type with a release clip:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away
from the windshield.
2. Lift the release clip with a
screwdriver and pull the blade
assembly
off the wiper arm.
the wiper arm.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on
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Loading Mur Vehicle
The CertificatiodTire label is found on
the rear edge of the driver's door.
The label shows the size
of your original
tires and the inflation pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of
your vehicle. This is called the
GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The
GVWR includes the weight of the
vehicle,
all occupants, fuel and cargo.
The CertificatiodTire label also tells
you the maximum weights for the front
and rear axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out the
actual loads on your front and rear
axles, you need to go to a weigh station
and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can
help you with this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on both sides
of the
centerline.
Never exceed the
GVWR for your
vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for either the &ont or
rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you
should spread
it out.
Electronic Level Control
On vehicles equipped with optional
electronic level control, the rear of the
vehicle
is automatically kept level as you
load or unload your vehicle. For more
about
this option see the Index under
Electronic Level Control.
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Service & Appearance Care
248
Inflation-Tire Pressure
The CertificatiodTire label which is on
the rear edge of the driver’s door shows
the correct inflation pressures for your
tires, when they’re cold. “Cold’’ means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than a
mile. Don’t
let anyone tell you that
underinflation
or overinflation is
all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
have enough air (underinflation),
you can get:
Too much flexin1
Too much heat
Tire overloadine
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air
(overinflation), you can get:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road
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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,
especially 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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Sewice & Appearance Care
250
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires
you need, look at the Certification/Tire
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
cause
you
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 four wheels.
It’s all right
to drive with your
compact spare, though.
It was
developed for 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 grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold
in the United States.)
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Service & Appearance Care
252
Temperature-A, B, C (CONT)
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.
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
Oldsmobile 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 Oldsmobile model.
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Used Replacement Wheels Tire Chains
Using the wrong replacement
b 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
)r others could be injured. Always
lse the correct wheel, wheel bolts,
1 and wheel nuts for replacement.
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The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlight aim, bumper
height,
vehicle ground clearance,
adtire
or tire chain clearance to
.the-body
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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
-ould fail suddenly and cause an
,ccident. If
you have to replace a
wheel, use
a new GM original
equipment wheel.
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Use tire chains only when y
must. Use only SAE Class ‘23’’
type chains that are the proper size
for your tires. Install them on the
front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly
and follow the chain manu-
facturer’s instructions. If
you can
hear the chains contacting your
vehicle, stop and retighten them.
If
the contact continues, slow down
until it stops. Driving too fast with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
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