1997 CADILLAC CATERA Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
Your new Catera 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 Catera Warranty booklet for details.
I
/! CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
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” in the Index.
0 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I--
@ 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.
0 Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or
if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
See “Inflation
-- Tire Pressure” in this section
for inflation pressure adjustment for higher
speed driving.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is located
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 1 mile (1.6 km).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you’ll be driving at speeds higher than 100 mph
(160 km/h) where it is legal, raise the cold inflation
pressure of each tire to
37 psi (250 ma). When you end
this very high-speed driving, reduce the cold inflation
pressures to those listed on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
I 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:
1 Too muchflexing
’ 0 Toomuch heat
~ 0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
0 Bad handling
1 0 Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
I
NOTICE: (Continued) -
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazar
~- . - .. ..~ ~
v
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated at 5,000 miles (8 000 km) and
then every
10,000 miles ( 16 000 km) thereafter. Any
time you notice unusual wear, 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 Maintenance Schedule
booklet 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
Tire-Loading Information label. Make certain that all wheel bolts are properly tightened. See “Wheel Bolt
Torque”
in the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel studs 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
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.
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.
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 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
A and B 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.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. 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 bolts keep coming loose, the wheel
and wheel bolts should be replaced. If the wheel leaks
air, replace
it (except some aluminum wheels, which can
sometimes be repaired). See your Catera dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you need to replace any of your wheels or wheel
bolts, replace them only with new
GM original
equipment parts. This way,
you will be sure to have the
right wheel and wheel bolts for your Catera model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels and wheel
bolts on your vehicle can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling
of your vehicle,
make your tires lose air and make you lose
control. You could have a collision in which you
or others could be injured. Always use the correct
wheel and wheel bolts for replacement.
I NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
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
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how
it’s been used or
how far 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains
I NOTICE:
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 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.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flames 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
Catera, 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:
0 Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
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
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
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