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 “Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,” in Section
6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the
Certificationnire label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque”
under
Capacities and Specifications on page 5-93.
Rust c. dirt or. - 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 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 need to, to
get
all the rust or dirt off. See “Changing a Flat
Tire” in the Index.
5-54
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.
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 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.
5-58
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 vehicle.
Lb 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 injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
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 clearance to the body and chassis.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-62 for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Putting a used wheel on 1 lr 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.
5-59
lire Chains
Accessory Inflator
I^
Do.. - use tire ch-..ls. There’s no- _.__ugh
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 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. Your
vehicle may be equipped with an air inflator
system. You can inflate things like basketballs and
bicycle tires.
Also, you can use it to bring your tire
pressure up to the proper pressure. It is not designed to
inflate large objects which will require more than five
minutes to inflate, such as an air mattress.
To remove the cover, pull the two tabs on the cover and
pull
it off.
The air inflator kit may be located in the glove
compartment. The kit includes a
22 ft (6.7 m) hose with
three nozzle adapters.
5-60
To use the air inflator attach the appropriate nozzle
adapter to the end of the hose
if required. Then attach
that end of the hose to the object you wish to inflate.
Attach the other end of the hose to the outlet.
Press and release the switch to turn the air inflator on.
The indicator light will remain on when the inflator is
running.
The system has an internal clock to prevent overheating.
The system will allow about five minutes of running
time, then the compressor will stop. The indicator light
will then begin to flash. When the indicator is off,
the inflator can be started again by pressing the switch.
If the compressor is still hot,
it may only run for a
short time before shutting off again.
Press and release the switch to turn the inflator off.
Place the inflator kit
tools in the pouch and store
it properly. Remove the inflator hose from the outlet
during loading and unloading. Load leveling will
not function with the inflator hose attached
to the inflator
outlet. See ”Electronically Controlled Air Suspension
System” in the Index.
To reinstall the cover, line up the tabs at the back of the
cover, put it in place and latch the tabs.
A continuous flashing indicator light may also indicate a
malfunction in the air suspension system. See
“Electronically Controlled Air Suspension System” in the
Index.
Inllarlllg something too m,.-h can make it
explode, and you or others could be injured.
Be sure to read the inflator instructions, and
inflate any object only to its recommended
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” 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.
5-61
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop - well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your
hazard warning flashers. Cha..,ing
a tire can ca-.-e an injc.
,. The
vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured. Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
4. Put the wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire on
the other side of the vehicle,
at the
opposite end.
5-62
2. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the spare tire. Keep turning the wheel wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out from under the
vehicle.
If the spare tire does not lower to the ground, the
secondary latch is engaged causing the tire
not to lower. See “Secondary Latch System” later in
this section.
When the tire has been completely lowered, tilt the
retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the wheel opening. Pull the tire out from under
the vehicle.
Notice:
To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable is restored.
3. Put the spare tire near the flat tire.
4. Position the chisel end of
your wheel wrench in the
notch of the center
cap and pry
off the
center cap.
See “Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare
Tire” later in this section to continue changing the flat tire.
5-65
Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with
a secondary latch system. It’s
designed to stop the spare or flat road tire from
suddenly falling
off your vehicle if the cable holding the
spare tire
is damaged. For the secondary latch to
work, the tire must be stowed with the valve stem
pointing
up. See “Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools”
for instructions on storing the spare or flat tire correctly.
Before beginning this procedure read all the
instructions. Failure to read and follow the
instructions could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get hurt. Read and
follow the instructions listed below. Someone standing too close during the
procedure could be injured by the
jack. If the
spare tire does not slide
off the jack
completely, make sure no one is behind you
or
on either side of you as you pull the jack out
from the spare.
1
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch do
the following:
5-66