
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps to do it
safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
·They contain acid that can burn you.
·They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
·They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle's system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake ®rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake. If
you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlets (if equipped).
Turn off the radio and all lamps that aren't needed.
This will avoid sparks and help to save both
batteries. And it could save your radio!
5-41

Rear Axle
When to Check Lubricant
It is not necessary to regularly check rear axle ¯uid
unless you suspect there is a leak or you hear an
unusual noise. A ¯uid loss could indicate a problem.
Have it inspected and repaired.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
The proper level is from 0 to 3/8 inch (0 to 10 mm)
below the bottom of the ®ller plug hole.
What to Use
To determine what kind of lubricant to use, seeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-13.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
It is not necessary to regularly check ¯uid unless you
suspect there is a leak or you hear an unusual noise. A
¯uid loss could indicate a problem. Have it inspected
and repaired.
5-46

Tire Size
The following examples show the different parts of a
tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter ªPº as
the ®rst character in the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates the
tire section width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that indicates
the tire height-to-width measurements. For example, if
the tire size aspect ratio is ª75,º as shown in item ªCº of
the illustration, it would mean that the tire's sidewall is
75% as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire. The letter
ªRº means radial ply construction; the letter ªDº means
diagonal or bias ply construction; and the letter ªBº
means belted-bias ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description:The service description
indicates the load range and speed rating of a tire. The
load index can range from 1 to 279. Speed ratings
range from ªAº to ªZº. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
5-56

(A) Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire:The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter ªLTº as
the ®rst two characters in the tire size means a light
truck tire engineered to standards set by the U. S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates the
tire section width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that indicates
the tire height-to-width measurements. For example, if
the tire size aspect ratio is ª75,º as shown in item ªCº of
the illustration, it would mean that the tire's sidewall is
75% as high as it is wide.(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire. The letter
ªRº means radial ply construction; the letter ªDº means
diagonal or bias ply construction; and the letter ªBº
means belted-bias ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description:The service description
indicates the load range and speed rating of a tire. The
load index can range from 1 to 279. Speed ratings
range from ªAº to ªZº. The light truck tire size example
above shows dual or single tire con®gurations.Tire Terminology and De®nitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire. Air pressure
is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi) or
kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight:This means the combined weight
of optional accessories. Some examples of optional
accessories are, automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio:The relationship of a tire's height to
its width. Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
5-57

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 in¯ation 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 over®ll 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. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-63andWheel Replacement
on page 5-66for 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, see
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-71.
5-61

The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the
Certi®cation/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº under
Capacities and Speci®cations on page 5-101.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a 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 ªChanging a Flat
Tireº in the Index.
5-62

Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certi®cation/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label. For examples of these labels and their
location on your vehicle, see
Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-49.
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,
General Motors recommends that you get tires 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, load range, 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.
{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.
5-64

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 speci®ed 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 in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, 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.
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.
5-66