
a 
Check  your  mirrors, glance over  your  shoulder  and 
start  your  left lane  change  signal before moving  out 
of  the  right  lane 
to pass.  When  you  are far enough 
ahead  of the  passed  vehicle to  see its front in  your 
inside  mirror,  activate  your  right  lane  change signal 
and  move  back  into  the right lane.  (Remember  that 
if 
your  right  outside  mirror  is convex,  the vehicle  you 
just  passed  may  seem 
to be farther  away  from you 
than  it really  is.) 
Try not to pass more  than one  vehicle  at  a  time on 
two-lane  roads.  Reconsider  before passing the next 
vehicle. 
Don’t  overtake  a  slowly  moving vehicle too rapidly. 
Even  though  the  brake  lamps  are not  flashing,  it  may 
be  slowing  down  or starting  to  turn. 
If  you’re  being passed,  make 
it easy  for  the following 
driver  to  get  ahead 
of you.  Perhaps  you  can ease a 
little 
to the  right. 
Loss of Control 
Let’s  review  what  driving experts say  about  what 
happens  when  the three  control  systems  (brakes, 
steering  and acceleration)  don’t  have  enough  friction 
where  the tires  meet  the  road to  do  what  the driver 
has  asked. 
In  any  emergency,  don’t  give up. Keep trying 
to steer 
and  constantly  seek  an escape  route  or  area of 
less  danger. 
Skidding 
In  a  skid,  a  driver can lose control  of the vehicle. 
Defensive drivers avoid most  skids by taking  reasonable 
care suited 
to existing conditions, and by  not 
“overdriving” those conditions.  But skids are always 
possible. 
The three types  of skids correspond to  your vehicle’s 
three control  systems. In the  braking  skid, your wheels 
aren’t  rolling.  In the steering  or cornering  skid, too 
much speed  or steering 
in a curve causes tires to slip 
and lose cornering  force. And in the acceleration 
skid,  too much  throttle causes the driving wheels 
to  spin. 
A  cornering skid  is best handled  by easing your foot 
off 
the accelerator  pedal. 
If your vehicle  starts to slide, ease your foot off the 
accelerator pedal and quickly  steer the way  you want 
the vehicle 
to go. If you start steering quickly enough, 
your  vehicle  may straighten  out. Always  be ready 
for  a second skid 
if it occurs. 
Of  course, traction  is reduced  when  water,  snow,  ice, 
gravel  or  other  material 
is on the road. For safety,  you’ll 
want  to slow  down and adjust  your driving 
to these 
conditions. 
It is important to slow  down  on slippery 
surfaces because stopping  distance will be longer and 
vehicle control more limited. 
4-1 5  

Towing Loading Your  Vehicle 
Towing  Your  Vehicle 
Consult  your  dealer  or  a  professional towing service if 
you need to  have  your  disabled vehicle  towed.  See 
Roadside  Assistance  Program on page 7-5. 
If you  want  to tow your  vehicle behind  another  vehicle 
for  recreational  purposes  (such as behind a motorhome), 
see  “Recreational  Vehicle  Towing”  following. 
Recreational  Vehicle  Towing 
Recreational  vehicle  towing  means towing your vehicle 
behind  another  vehicle 
- such as behind a  motorhome. 
The  two  most  common  types of recreational vehicle 
towing  are  known  as  “dinghy  towing” (towing your 
vehicle  with  all four  wheels  on the ground)  and “dolly 
towing”  (towing  your  vehicle  with  two wheels  on 
the  ground  and two  wheels  up  on a device known 
as a 
“dolly”). 
Your  vehicle  was  not  designed to be towed  with  any of 
its  wheels  on  the  ground.  If  your  vehicle must be 
towed,  see 
Towing  Your  Vehicle  on  page 4-45. 
Notice: Towing  an  all-wheel-drive  vehicle  with  all 
four  wheels  on  the  ground,  or  even with  only  two 
of 
its wheels  on  the  ground,  will  damage drivetrain 
components.  Don’t  tow  an all-wheel-drive  vehicle  if 
any 
of its  wheels  will  be on  the ground. 
COLD TIRE  PRESSURE 
00 
The Certificationflire  label is found on the  rear edge  of 
the  driver’s  door. 
The  label shows the  size of your  original tires  and the 
inflation pressures needed  to obtain the gross weight 
capacity  of your  vehicle.  This is called  the GVWR (Gross 
Vehicle  Weight Rating).  The  GVWR  includes the 
weight  of the vehicle, all  occupants, fuel  and cargo. 
4-45  

Inflation - Tire Pressure 
The CertificationKire  label, which  is on  the  rear  edge  of 
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). 
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 
If your  tires have  too much  air  (overinflation),  you 
can  get the  following: 
Unusual  wear 
Bad handling 
Rough  ride 
Needless damage from  road hazards 
5-62 
When to Check 
Check  your  tires once  a month  or more. 
Also, check  the tire  pressure of the  spare  tire 
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 7,500 miles (12,500 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  Is  Time 
for New Tires on page 5-64 and Wheel  Replacement 
on page 
5-67 for  more  information. 
Make  sure the spare  tire 
is stored  securely.  Push,  pull, 
and  then try to  rotate 
or turn the  tire. If it moves, 
use  the  wheel  wrench  and  jack  handle extensions to 
tighten the cable.  See 
Changing  a  Flat  Tire  on 
page 
5-69.  

When It Is 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.  Some 
commercial  truck tires may 
not  have  treadwear 
indicators. 
You  need  a  new  tire 
if any of the following statements 
are true: 
You  can  see  the  indicators at three  or  more places 
You  can  see  cord or fabric  showing  through the 
The tread  or sidewall  is cracked,  cut or snagged 
The  tire has  a  bump,  bulge or split. 
around 
the tire. 
tire’s  rubber. 
deep  enough  to show  cord or fabric. 
Buying  New Tires 
To find  out  what  kind and  size  of tires  you  need,  look  at 
the  Certificationflire  label. 
The  tires  installed  on  your  vehicle  when  it was  new  had 
a  Tire  Performance  Criteria Specifications  (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. 
The tire has  a  puncture, cut or other  damage  that 
can’t  be repaired well  because of the  size  or 
location  of the  damage. 
5-64  

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. 
If your  vehicle  has 17 inch  road 
tires  (those  originally  installed  on  your  vehicle) 
it is  all  right  to  drive  with  the 16 inch  spare  tire 
that  came  with  your  vehicle.  When new, your 
vehicle  included  a  spare  tire  and  wheel  assembly  with 
the same  overall  diameter  as 
your  vehicle’s  road  tires  and  wheels. Because 
this  spare  tire  was  developed  for  use  on  your  vehicle, 
it will  not  affect  vehicle  handling  or 
cause  damage  to  your  vehicle. 
If  yo^ Jse bias-ply  tires  on  y--. ,chicle, 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 
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. 
5-65  

Used Replacement Wheels 
- 
Putting  a  used  wheel  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  a  crash. 
If you  have  to 
replace  a  wheel, use  a  new 
GM original 
equipment  wheel. 
I I 
Tire Chains 
Don’t use lire  chains.  There’s  not  enough 
clearance.  Tire  chains  used  on  a  vehicle 
without  the  proper  amount  sf  clearance  can  cause  damage  to  the  brakes,  suspension  or 
other  vehicle  parts.  The  area damaged  by  the 
CAUTION:  (Continued)  tire  chains  could  cause 
, -u  to  lose  cc..-rol 
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 
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  find  traction  devices 
that  will 
fit, install  them  on  the  rear  tires. 
If a Tire Goes Flat 
It’s unusual  for  a tire to “blow  out”  while  you’re  driving, 
especially 
if you  maintain  your tires properly. If air 
goes  out  of a  tire,  it’s  much  more  likely to  leak  out 
slowly.  But 
if you should  ever  have  a “blowout”,  here are 
a  few  tips about  what  to expect and  what 
to do: 
If a front tire fails, the  flat tire will create a  drag  that 
pulls  the vehicle toward that side.  Take  your  foot 
off the 
accelerator pedal and  grip the steering  wheel  firmly. 
Steer to  maintain lane  position,  and then gently  brake to 
a  stop well out of  the traffic  lane. 
5-68  

PUSH & PULL 
6. Make sure the tire is stored securely.  Push, pull, 
and  then  try  to  rotate or turn the tire. 
If the  tire 
moves,  use  the  wheel  wrench/hoist shaft to tighten 
the  cable. 
Spare  Tire 
Your vehicle,  when  new,  had a fully inflated spare tire. 
A spare tire  may lose air over time, so check  its 
inflation pressure regularly.  See 
Inflation -- Tire Pressure 
on page 5-62 and Loading Your Vehicle on  page 4-45 
for information regarding proper tire inflation  and loading 
your vehicle.  For instruction  on  how to remove,  install 
or  store  a spare tire,  see 
Changing  a  Flat  Tire on 
page 
5-69. 
After  installing the spare tire  on  your vehicle,  you should 
stop as  soon as possible  and  make sure the spare is 
correctly inflated.  Have the damaged  or  flat  road 
tire  repaired  or replaced  as soon  as you  can  and 
installed  back onto your vehicle. This  way,  a spare tire 
will  be available  in case  you  need  it again. 
If your vehicle  has a spare tire that  does not match  your 
vehicle’s original road tires  and  wheels in size  and 
type,  do not include the  spare  in the tire  rotation. 
Replace  the  jack, tools and  spare tire 
lock, if equipped. 
5-85  

Capacities and Specifications 
Capacities and  Specifications 
Capacities 
Application 
All capacities  are  approximate.  When  adding,  be sure to 
fill to the  approximate  level,  as  recommended  in  this 
Use 
Refrigerant  Oil,  R134a Systems  0.8 
kg 
1.76  Ibs. 
Air  Conditioning Refrigerant R134a  98.4 
L 26.0 gallons 
Fuel 
Tank  5.7 
L 6.0 quarts 
Engine Oil 
with Filter  14.0 
L 14.8  quarts 
Cooling 
System  Metric 
English 
manual.  See 
Part  D: Recommended  Fluids and Lubricants  on  page 6-16. 
Engine Specifications 
Engine  Spark  Plug  Gap 
Type 
VIN  Code 
VORTEC  6000 
0.060 inches  (1.52  mm)  V8 
U 
Wheels  and Tires 
Wheel  Nut Torque 
See the CertificationKire  label on the  rear  edge  of  the 
Tire 
Pressure 140 Ib ft (190 N*m ) 
driver’s  door. 
5-1  04