1996 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA tires

I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. Or, you can use your recovery hooks if
your vehicle has them.
If you do need to be towed out,
see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks are provided at the front
of your vehicle.
You may need to use them if you’re stuck off-road
and need
to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
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1 NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong
with
your brakes.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but
if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When you have
the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is
a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing up and firmly applying the brakes a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts
in them, as your Oldsmobile does when it is new.
When you replace parts
of your braking system -- for
example, when your brake linings wear down and
you
have to have new ones put in -- be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your
brakes
may no longer work properly. For example, if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways
someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts. if
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6. Put the blade assembly pivot in the wiper arm hook.
Pull up until the pivot locking tab locks
in the
hook slot.
7. Carefully lower the wiper arm and blade assembly
onto the windshield.
Backglass Wiper Blade Replacement
See “Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement” in this
section for instructions
on how to change the backglass
wiper blade. The backglass wiper blade
will not lock
in
a vertical position like the windshield wiper blade,
so care should be used when pulling it away from
the vehicle.
Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new Oldsmobile 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 Oldsmobile Warranty
booklet for details. Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
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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. 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 Certificatioflire label; which is on the driver’s
door edge, above the door latch,
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- 1 mile (1.6 km).
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
0 Bad wear ’ ,
0 , Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
,. ..

.N,OTICE:’ (Continued)
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.
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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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires 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.
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. When rotating your tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the CertificatiodTire
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque”
in the Index.
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.)
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When It’s Time for New Tires
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.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
0 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.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
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 Certificationnire 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.
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I
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 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.
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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
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.
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
or corroded. 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
Oldsmobile retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer 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 to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your
Oldsmobile model.
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