1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA 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 Aurora’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 is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If your traction control system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
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 a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh
10% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). If you have a weight-distributing hitch, the
trailer tongue (A) should weigh
12% of the total loaded
trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
-
.&l T”-!ight un Iuur Vehicle’s 1
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the
recommended pressure for cold tires. You’ll find these
numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge
of the
driver’s door or see “Loading Your Vehicle” in the
Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit
for your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer
tongue.
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
0
0 Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch?
If you do,
then be sure
to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended
for hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches
to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
* : bumper.
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12. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If
it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
- +
B
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B . Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle.
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.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle can only be towed from the front
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them. with
sling type equipment.
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Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information 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 the following:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE: (Continued)
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 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 Ea).
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.
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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 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. 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 four wheels.
It’s
all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use on your vehicle.
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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
10 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
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, 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.
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
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NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance and tire or tire chain clearance
to the body and chassis.
See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
I
I 1
i
’ A CAUTION: I
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 could
fail
suddenly and cause an accident. If you have to
replace
a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class ccS” 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
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 or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage your vehicle.
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Appearance Care
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
Aurora, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your doors or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too. Don’t use any of these unless this manual says
you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
0 Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
CIeaning the Inside of Your Aurora
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Aurora retailer has two GM cleaners, a
solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type powdered
cleaner. They
will clean normal spots and stains very
well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
often. A soft brush may be used
if stains are stubborn.
only.
If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately or it will set.
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