1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on 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).
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 35 psi (240 kPa). When you
end this very high-speed driving, reduce the cold
inflation pressures to those listed on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
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:
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE:
(Continued)
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
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 kPa).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10
000 to 13 000 km). 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 Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
c-
If you don’t have P245/5OZR16 or P275/40ZR17
Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires, use the rotation pattern
shown above for your tires.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
If you have P245/50ZR 16 or P275/40ZR17 Goodyear
Eagle GS-C tires, they must roll in a certain direction
for the best overall performance. The direction is shown
by an arrow
on the sidewall. Because these tires are
directional, they
should be rotated as shown here. These
tires should
only be moved from front to rear and rear to
front on the same side of the vehicle.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation. 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
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It’s Time for New Tires
L
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.
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.
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,
It's all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It
was developed for use on your vehicle,
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Temper ’ ----, -- 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.
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 alipnment
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
Chevrolet 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, 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
Chevrolet model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts 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, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts for replacement.
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
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
NOTICE:
If your Chevrolet has P235/55R16, P245/50ZRl6
or P27940ZR17 size tires, don’t use tire chains.
They can damage your vehicle.
If you have other tires, 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
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
Chevrolet, 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
0 Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
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