1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM tires

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
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
around the tire.
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.
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.
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A CAUTION:
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.
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A CAUTION:
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.
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.
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Treadwear Temperature -- A, B, C
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
(1 112) 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. 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 faiIure.
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.
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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 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 Pontiac
model.
I A CAUTION:
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 iqjured. Always use the
correct wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for replacement.
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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
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A CAUTION:
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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Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has P195/65R15 or P205/55R16
size tires, don’t use tire chains. They can
damage your vehicle because there’s
not
enough clearance.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for
use on your
vehicle and
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions.
To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust
or remove the
device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
NOTICE: (Continued)
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NOTICE: (Continued)
If you do find traction devices that will fit, install
them on the front tires.
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 front 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
vehicle, 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
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 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:
0 Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
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Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe
off any overspray or splash from all painted
surfaces on the body or wheels of the vehicle.
Petroleum-based products may damage the
paint finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair
or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare
metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired
with touch-up
materials available from your dealer or other service outlets. Larger areas
of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust control
can collect on the underbody.
If these are not removed,
accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on the underbody
parts such
as fuel lines, frame, floor pan and exhaust
system even though they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud and other debris can collect.
Dirt packed in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or
an underbody car washing system can do
this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and attack painted
surfaces on your vehicle. This damage can
take
two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped discolorations, and
small irregular dark spots etched into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this, Pontiac
will repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by
this fallout condition within
12 months or
12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
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I Short TripKity Maintenance Schedule I
3,000 Miles (5 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
6,000 Miles (10 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occurs first).
0 Lubricate chassis components (or every 6 months, whichever occurs fist).
0 Rotate tires. See “Tire Inspection and Rotation” in the I\
ndex for proper
An Emission Control Service.
(See footnote #.)
rotation pattern and additional information. (See footnote +.)
9,000 Miles (15 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
12,000 Miles (20 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occurs first).
0 Lubricate chassis components (or every 6 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
(See footnote #.)
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