
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles
or standing water, water can come in through
your engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more
visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in the Index.)
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain
you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to
move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave
the freeway, move to the
proper lane well
in advance. If YOLI miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on
to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according
to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of
the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting
out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealers
all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Wclsher Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper- Blcrdes: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other FlLtids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lnlnps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route‘? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps‘?
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make
it go a little fdster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery (or batteries) charged. You will need
a well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater
run for awhile.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat. Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost all the way to preserve
the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only
when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold.
But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle
and
do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your T hicle
on
GAWR FRT
RIM COLD TIRE PRI
EE ~ENERS MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. -1
The CertificationRire 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 your vehicle. This is called
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel
and cargo.
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Tires CAU’ ON: (Continued)
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If
you ever have questions about your tire warranty and
where
to obtain service, see your GM Warranty booklet
for details.
1
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as
a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle’’ in
the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by
a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn,
old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
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Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Certification/Til-e-~ 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 1mre than
1 mile (1.6 ktn).
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 the following:
0 Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
0 Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
I NOTICE: (Continued) I
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
When
to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the
tire pressure
of the spare tire.
Haw to Check
Use a
good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if yom tires are properly inflated
simply
by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even
when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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nspectior
1 Ires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(I 0 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear. If
unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires
or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later
in this section for
more information.
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels,
also see “Dual Tire Operation“ later
in this section.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear
for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If your vehicle has single rear wheels, always use one of
the correct rotation patterns shown here when rotating
your tires.
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels, always use one of
FRT FRT the. correct rotation patterns shown here when rotating
KC
your tires.
When you install dual wheels, be sure the vent
holes in
the inner and outer wheels on each side are lined up.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on
the
CertificatidTire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” in
the Index.
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Dual Tire Operation
When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel
bolt or wheel
nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque
after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles ( 160, 1 600 and
10 000 km) of driving. For proper torque, see “Wheel
Nut Torque”
in the Index.
The outer tire
on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than
the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if
you rotate the tires periodically.
If you’re going to be doing a lot of driving on
high-crown roads, you can reduce tire wear by adding
5 psi (35 kPa) to the tire pressure in the outer tires. Be
sure to return
to the recommended pressures when no
longer driving under those conditions. See “Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index for more information.
A CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinflated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly
or catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly inflated.
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 an
“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.
ProCarManuals.com

I
97,500 Miles (162 500 I;
Long Tripmighway Maintenance Sc‘-ed-de -- Gasoline Engines I ~~ -
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
12 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
0 Lubricate chassis components; see footnote ##
(or every 12 months, whichever occurs first).
El Check axle fluid level and add fluid
as needed. **
0 Rotate tires. See “Tire Inspection and
Rotation”
in the Index for proper rotation
pattern and additional information. During
tire rotation, check brake calipers for
freedom of movement. Refer to the
appropriate
GM service manual for proper
caliper service procedures.
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
CI Drain, flush and refill cooling system
(or every
60 months since last service,
whichever occurs first). See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test the
cooling system and pressure cap.
An Emissio~? Cor~trol Service. f
0 Inspect spark plug wires.
0 Replace spark plugs.
An Emissiorz Control Seriice.
Arz Emission Corztrol Sul-vice.
(Continued)
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