Vehicle Capacity Weight:The number of designated
seating positions multiplied by 150 lbs. (68 kg) plus
the rated cargo load. SeeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-45.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on an
individual tire due to curb weight, accessory weight,
occupant weight and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the original equipment tire size
and recommended inflation pressure. SeeLoading Your
Vehicle on page 4-45.
In ation - Tire Pressure
The tire and loading information label, 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). See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-45, for the location
of your vehicle’s tire and loading information label.
Notice:Don’t let anyone tell you that underin ation
or overin ation is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underin ation), you can get
the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin ation), 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.
If you have a compact spare tire, it should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
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. Check
the tire’s inflation 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).
5-67
remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage firmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation 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 overfill 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 5-69andWheel Replacement
on page 5-72for 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. See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-75.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. SeePart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
If your vehicle has a compact spare tire or a spare tire
that does not match your vehicle’s road tires and
wheels, in size and type, do not include the spare in the
tire rotation.
5-68
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certification/Tire label or Tire and Loading
Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (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, 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.{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. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare (if you have one). It was
developed for use on your vehicle.
{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.
5-70
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 specified 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 significantly 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 specified 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.
5-71
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Don’t use tire chains. There’s not enough
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 nd traction devices
that will t, install them on the rear tires.
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.
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.
5-74
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................5-18
Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station...............3-52
Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station
(RDS and XM™).................................3-42, 3-63
Finding a Station....................3-37, 3-40, 3-50, 3-61
Finish Care....................................................5-90
Finish Damage...............................................5-92
Fixed Mast Antenna........................................3-76
Flash-to-Pass Feature....................................... 3-7
Flat Tire........................................................5-74
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................5-75
Fluid
Automatic Transmission................................5-19
Power Steering...........................................5-35
Windshield Washer......................................5-36
FM Stereo.....................................................3-74
Fog Lamps....................................................3-14
Following Distance..........................................4-61
Footnotes................................................6-7, 6-17
Four-Wheel Drive....................................2-22, 5-46
Front Axle......................................................5-47
Front Map Lamps...........................................3-15
Front Storage Area.........................................2-40Fuel............................................................... 5-4
Additives...................................................... 5-6
California Fuel.............................................. 5-5
Filling a Portable Fuel Container..................... 5-9
Filling Your Tank........................................... 5-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries.............................. 5-6
Gage.........................................................3-34
Gasoline Octane........................................... 5-4
Gasoline Specifications.................................. 5-5
Low Warning Light.......................................3-35
System Inspection.......................................6-30
Fuses
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................5-95
Windshield Wiper.........................................5-95
G
Gage
Check Gages Warning Light..........................3-34
Engine Coolant Temperature.........................3-28
Fuel..........................................................3-34
Oil Pressure...............................................3-32
Speedometer..............................................3-24
Tachometer.................................................3-24
Voltmeter Gage...........................................3-26
Garment Hooks..............................................2-40
6