Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 Wa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle,
you should stop as soon as possible and make sure
your spare
tire is correctly inflated. The compact
spare is made to perform well
at speeds up to 65 mph
( 105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have your full-size tire
repaired or replaced where you want.
Of course, it’s
best to replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon
as you can. Your spare will last longer and be in good
shape in case you need it again.
NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains
on your
compact spare.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
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 transaxle back and
forth, you can destrov vour transaxle.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and
you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle
or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire
or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on your vekfe,
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
(or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST
(1) or
SECOND
(2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible.
(If your vehicle has the Enhanced
Traction System, shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2),
spinning the wheels as little as possible.) Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake pedal
firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
I 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.
See “Caliper/Knuckle Maintenance Inspection”
in
Section 7 of this manual under Part C “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections.”
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
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 immediately. 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 brake pads replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of
this manual under Part C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.’’
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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). 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.
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. When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact
spare tire in your tire rotation.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
1 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
1 need to, to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index.) 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.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
0 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.
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.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles
of driving. A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
1
6-44
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 (straight ahead) 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
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.
6-45
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 ?eDlacement
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
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.
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.
A CAI'"1ON:
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.
6-46