Page 336 of 452
8. Now connect the black
negative (-) cable to
the good battery's
negative (-) cable. Use
a remote negative (-)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Don't let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative (-) cable
doesn'tgo to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal part of the vehicle with the
dead battery, or to the remote negative (-) terminal
if the vehicle has one.9. Connect the other end
of the negative (-)
cable to the remote
negative (-) terminal,
marked GND, on
the vehicle with the
dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If
it won't start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
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Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your GM Warranty booklet for details. For additional
information refer to the tire manufacturer's booklet
included with your vehicle's Owner's Manual.{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
·Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index.
·Underin¯ated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
·Overin¯ated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact Ð such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
·Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
your tread is badly worn, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
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(A) Tire Size Code:The tire size code is a combination
of letters and numbers used to de®ne a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type and
service description. See the ªTire Size Codeº illustration
later in this section for more detail.
(B) Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cation (TPC
Spec):Original equipment tires designed to GM's
speci®c tire performance criteria have a TPC
speci®cation code molded onto the sidewall. GM's TPC
speci®cations meet or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) Department of Transportation (DOT):The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.(D) Tire Identi®cation Number (TIN):The letters and
numbers following DOT code are the Tire Identi®cation
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may have the date of
manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and number of
plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG):Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance. For more information, see
Uniform Tire Quality Grading on page 5-71.
(G) Maximum Cold In¯ation Load Limit:Maximum
load that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load. For information on
recommended tire pressure see
In¯ation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-67andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-48.
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(A) Tire Size:The tire size code is a combination of
letters and numbers used to de®ne a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type and
service description. See the ªTire Sizeº illustration
later in this section for more detail.
(B) Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cation (TPC
Spec):Original equipment tires designed to GM's
speci®c tire performance criteria have a TPC
speci®cation code molded onto the sidewall. GM's TPC
speci®cations meet or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) Dual Tire Maximum Load:Maximum load that can
be carried and the maximum pressure needed to
support that load when used in a dual con®guration. For
information on recommended tire pressure see
In¯ation - Tire Pressure on page 5-67andLoading Your
Vehicle on page 4-48.
(D) Department of Transportation (DOT):The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
(E) Tire Identi®cation Number (TIN):The letters and
numbers following DOT code are the Tire Identi®cation
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may have the date of
manufacture.
LT-Metric Tire
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(F) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and number of
plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
(G) Single Tire Maximum Load:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum pressure needed
to support that load when used as a single. For
information on recommended tire pressure see
In¯ation - Tire Pressure on page 5-67andLoading Your
Vehicle on page 4-48.
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
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(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.
Belt:A rubber coated layer of cords that is located
between the plies and the tread. Cords may be made
from steel or other reinforcing materials. Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
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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. See
Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-48, for more information about these labels and
where they can be found on your vehicle.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new
had a Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cations (TPC
Spec) number on each tire's sidewall. When you
get new tires, GM 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, tire pressure monitoring system performance
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).
When ever you 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.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a different
size spare than the road tires (those originally
installed on your vehicle). When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall diameter as
your vehicle's road tires and wheels, so it is all
right to drive on it. Because this spare was
developed for use on your vehicle, it will not
affect vehicle handling.
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{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.
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.
5-71