2004 GMC ENVOY XL spare tire

Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive. Also, seeBraking on page 4-6. If your vehicle
does not have four-wheel drive, you should not
drive off-road unless you are on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some denite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this guide.
You will nd many driving tips and suggestions.
These will help make your off-road driving safer
and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check to make sure all underbody
shields (if so equipped) are properly attached.
Be sure you read all the information about your
four-wheel-drive vehicle in this manual.
Is there enough fuel? Is the spare tire fully inated?
Are the uid levels up where they should be? What
are the local laws that apply to off-roading where
you will be driving? If you do not know, you should
check with law enforcement people in the area.
Will you be on someone’s private land? If so, be
sure to get the necessary permission.
4-16

Accessory Inator.........................................5-71
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-73
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-74
Spare Tire...................................................5-87
Appearance Care............................................5-88
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-88
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-91
Weatherstrips...............................................5-91
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle................5-91
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-93
Finish Damage.............................................5-93
Underbody Maintenance................................5-94
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-94
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-94Vehicle Identication......................................5-95
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-95
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-96
Electrical System............................................5-96
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-96
Headlamps..................................................5-96
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-96
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-96
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-97
Capacities and Specications........................5-109
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Ination - Tire Pressure
The tire and loading information label, shows the correct
ination 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).
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-49, for the location
of your vehicle’s tire and loading information label.
Notice:Don’t let anyone tell you that underination
or overination is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underination), you can get
the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economyIf your tires have too much air (overination),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards
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 inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly
inated even when they’re underinated. Check the tire’s
ination pressure when the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
5-64

Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjustment is necessary.
If the pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
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 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 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. SeeWhen
It Is Time for New Tires on page 5-66andWheel
Replacement on page 5-69for 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 to tighten the cable. For information on
storing or removing the spare tire, seeChanging a Flat
Tire on page 5-74.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst rotation
is the most important. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
5-65

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 specied 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 signicantly 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 specied 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.
5-68

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you will need is stored under the
rear seat in the Envoy or in the left rear quarter panel
storage compartment in the Envoy XL. To release
the jack from its holder, turn the knob on the jack
counterclockwise to lower the jack head. SeeRear Seat
Operation on page 1-5 Envoy
Envoy XL
5-75

The tools you’ll be using include the wheel wrench (A),
wheel blocks (B), extension(s) (socket end) (C),
handle (jack end) (D), and jack (E).
The following instructions explain how to remove the
spare tire mounted underneath your vehicle.
Notice:If you remove or restow a tire from/to the
storage position under the vehicle when it is
supported by a jack, you could damage the tire
and/or your vehicle. Always remove or restow a
tire when the vehicle is on the ground.1. To remove the underbody-mounted spare, insert
the socket end of the extension on a 45° angle
downward into the hoist drive shaft hole. It is
exposed when the rear gate is open and is just
above the rear bumper. Be sure the socket end of
the extension connects to the hoist shaft.
5-76

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:If you drive away before the spare tire or
secondary latch system cable has been reinstalled,
you could damage your vehicle. Always reinstall
this cable before driving your vehicle.3. Put the spare tire near the at 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
at tire.
5-77