2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER traction control

Buying New Tires
To ®nd 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 Speci®cation (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 ªMSº (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.{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 temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See ªCompact Spare
Tireº in the index.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges 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.
5-55

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
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 speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) 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 signi®cantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction ± AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on speci®ed 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 straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-56

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P195/65R15 or P205/55R16
size tires, don't use tire chains, there's not
enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a crash.
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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
If you do ®nd traction devices that will ®t,
install them on the front tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P195/65R15 or P205/55R16 size tires, use tire chains
only where legal and only when you must. Use
only SAE Class ªSº 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.
5-59

Light.............................................................3-24
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-24
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-27
Brake System Warning.................................3-26
Charging System.........................................3-25
Check Gages Warning.................................3-34
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Active Light.............................................3-29
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Warning Light..........................................3-28
Low Coolant Warning...................................3-30
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-30
Oil Pressure...............................................3-33
Passlock
žWarning.......................................3-34
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-24
Service Vehicle Soon...................................3-35
Up-Shift.....................................................3-26
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-32
Lockout Protection..........................................2-10
Locks............................................................. 2-7
Door........................................................... 2-7
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-10
Lockout Protection.......................................2-10
Power Door.................................................. 2-8
Rear Door Security Locks............................... 2-9
Long Trip/Highway De®nition.............................. 6-6Long Trip/Highway Intervals............................... 6-6
Long Trip/Highway Scheduled Maintenance........6-14
Loss of Control...............................................4-14
Low Coolant Warning Light..............................3-30
M
Maintenance, Normal Replacement Parts............5-86
Maintenance Schedule.....................................6-19
At Each Fuel Fill.........................................6-19
At Least Once a Month................................6-19
At Least Once a Year..................................6-20
At Least Twice a Year..................................6-19
Brake System Inspection..............................6-24
Caliper/Knuckle MaintenanceInspection..........6-24
Engine Cooling System Inspection.................6-23
Exhaust System Inspection...........................6-23
Fuel System Inspection................................6-23
How This Section is Organized....................... 6-3
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Long Trip/Highway Scheduled Maintenance.....6-14
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services......... 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services.............6-19
Part C - Periodic MaintenanceInspections......6-23
Part D - Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants.........................................6-25
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