1996 GMC SIERRA Owners Manual

4. Push in gently on
the bulb, turn it
counterclockwise
c
. ..
and remove it from
the socket .
5. Put in a new bulb and, pushing in gently, turn it
clockwise
until it is tight.
6. Put the socket back in the latnp assembly and replace
the lens and lens seal.
indshield Wiper Blade l.Lpldcement
For proper type and length, see "Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts"
in the Index. To replace the
windshield wiper blade assembly:
1
1. Lift the wiper arm and rotate the blade until it is
facing away
from the windshield.
2. Push the release lever and slide the wipcr asselnbly
toward the driver's side
of the vehicle.
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps I and 2.
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Tires
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 bookJet
for details. Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0
0
0 0
Overloading your tires can cause overheating
as a result of too much friction. You could
have an airout and a serious accident. See
“Loading Your Vehicle”
m the Index.
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/Tire label. which is on the rear edge of
the driver's door, or on the incomplete vehicle document
in the cab, 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
I mile (I .6 km).
You can operate some vehicles at reduced inflation
pressures
only when you'll be carrying reduced loads.
On those vehicles, the minimum cold inflation pressures
for a typical reduced load are printed on the Improved
Ride Tire Pressure label located
on the driver's door.
Weigh the vehicle to find the load on each tire and see
the label for the
minimum cold inflation pressures for
that load.
1 NOTICE:
~.
1
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:
NOTICE: (Continued)
NOTICE: (Continued)
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
if your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
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,
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How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your 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.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 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.
I
FRT FRT
I
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 front [Ires with different load ranges
or tread designs (such as all season vs. on/off road) than
the rear tires, don’t rotate your tires front to rear.
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rTl
II
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels and the load range
and tread design for your front tires is the same as your
rear tires. always
use one of the correct rotation patterns
shown here when rotating your tires.
11 If your vehicle has dual rear
Q
wheels and the load range
or tread design for
your
~ front tires is different from
your rear tires, always use
the correct rotation pattern shown here when rotating
your tires.
The dual tires are rotated
as a pair, and the inside rear
tires become the outside rear 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 Certificatiomire
label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” in the Index.
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When It’s Time for New Tires
Rust or dirt on
a wheel, or on the parts to which
it
is fastened, can make- 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
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) 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
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
Some commercial truck
tires may not have
treadwear indicators.
Its
You need a new tire if any of the following statemen
are true:
0 You’can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
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.
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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, I 600 and IO 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:
I
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, if any) are properly inflated.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificntion/Tire label.
Tlze 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.
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-
A CAUTION:
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.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
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.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters
of IO to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires. While
the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades,
they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
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
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.
E at-aded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and 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 (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
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