Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
inside
of the trunk lid, 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:
Too much flexing
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
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).
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.
6-43
ProCarManuals.com
Tire Pressure Monitor System (If Equipped)
The tire pressure monitor system can alert you to a large
change in the pressure
of one tire. The system “learns”
the pressure at each tire throughout the operating speed
range of your vehicle. The system normally takes
between
45 and 90 minutes of driving to learn the tire
pressures. This time may be longer depending on your
individual driving habits. Learning need not be
accumulated during
a single trip. Once learned, the
system will remember the tire pressures until the system
is recalibrated.
After the system has learned tire pressures with properly
inflated tires, the LOW TIRE light will come on if the
pressure in
one tire becomes 12 psi (83 kPa) lower than
the other three tires. The tire pressure monitor system
won’t alert you if the pressure
in more than one tire is
low, if the system is not properly calibrated, or if the
vehicle
is moving faster than 70 mph (1 10 kdh).
The tire pressure monitor system detects differences
in tire rotation speeds that are caused by changes
in
tire pressure. The system can alert you about a low
tire
-- but it doesn’t replace normal tire maintenance.
See “Tires” in the Index. When the LOW
TIRE light comes
on, you should stop
as soon as you can and check all your tires for damage.
(If a tire is flat, see “If
a Tire Goes Flat” in the Index.)
Also check
the tire pressure in all four tires as soon as
you can. See “Inflation
- Tire Pressure” in the Index.
The light will come on and stay on
until you turn off the
ignition or press the
RESET button.
Don’t reset the tire pressure monitor system without first
correcting the cause of the problem and checking and
adjusting the pressure in all four tires. If you reset the
system when the tire pressures are incorrect, the tire
pressure monitor system will not work properly and may
not alert you when
a tire is low.
Any time
you adjust a tire’s pressure, rotate your tires,
or have one or more tires repaired or replaced, you’ll
need to reset (calibrate) the tire pressure monitor system.
You’ll also need to reset the system whenever you buy
new tires and whenever the vehicle’s battery has been
disconnected.
To reset (calibrate) the system,
turn the ignition switch
to
RUN. Then press and hold the RESET button for
about five seconds.
6-44
ProCarManuals.com
