1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Add-on Equipment
When you carry removable items, you may need to put a limit on how many
people you carry inside your vehicle. Be sure to weigh your vehicle before
you buy and install the new equipment.
NOTICE:
Your warranty doesn’t cover parts or components that fail
because of overloading.
Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with high quality tires made
by
a leading tire manufacturer. These tires are warranted by the tire
manufacturers and their warranties are delivered with every new vehicle. If
your spare tire is a different brand than your road tires, you
will have a tire
warranty folder from each of these manufacturers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Certificatioflire 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.
NOTICE:
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:
0 Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
@ Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
6 Rough ride
6 Needless damage from road hazards.
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 underinflate\
d.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back
on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them inspected and rotated at the
mileages recommended
in the Maintenance Schedule. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index.
Use this rotation
pattern.
Do not
include compact spare
tire
in rotation.
If your vehicle has front tires
with different load ratings or tread designs
(such as all season
vs. on/off road) than the rear tires, don’t rotate your tires
front to rear.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and rear inflation pressure
as shown on the CertificationEire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It’s Time for New Tires
a
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 or more places around the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep enough to show
cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at the
CertificationEire 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).
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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 and construction
type (bias, bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires.
_1 - .. .
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.)
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 1/2)
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, 8, 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Temperature - A, By 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 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, underinflation, 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 tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all suc\
h 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, replace it (except some aluminum wheels, \
which can
sometimes be repaired). See your
GM dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel
you need.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 to have the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts
for your
GM model.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with bearing life,
brake cooling, speedometer/odometer calibration, headlight aim,
bumper height, vehicle ground clearance, and tire or tire chain\

clearance to the body and chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has P245/60R15 size tires, don’t use tire chains;
they can damage your vehicle.
If you have other size tires, use tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains that
are the proper size for your tires. Install them on the rear axle
tires and tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’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.
Appearance Care
P
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can
burst into flame if you strike a match or get them on a hot part
of the
vehicle. Some are dangerous if
you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from
a container to clean your vehicle, be sure to
follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And alway\
s open your
doors or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
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