
When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it's
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining. Some
commercial truck tires may
not have treadwear
indicators.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
·You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
·You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.
·The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
·The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
·The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
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 4-44, 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.
If you replace your vehicle's tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, the tire pressure monitoring
system may give an inaccurate low pressure warning.
Non-TPC Spec tires may give a low pressure warning
that is higher or lower than the proper warning level you
would get with TPC Spec numbered tires.
5-68

{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.
{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.
5-69

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your 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.
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.
5-72

Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully in¯ated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
in¯ation pressure regularly. See
Tires on page 5-54andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-44for more information
regarding proper tire in¯ation and loading your vehicle.
For instruction on how to remove or store a spare
tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-74.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly in¯ated. Have the damaged or ¯at road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
Your vehicle may have a different size spare tire than
the road tires, those originally installed on your vehicle.
This spare tire was developed for use on your vehicle,
so it is all right to drive on it.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into ¯ames if you strike a
match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed
space. When you use anything from a container to clean
your vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer's
warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you are cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
·Gasoline
·Benzene
·Naphtha
·Carbon Tetrachloride
·Acetone
·Paint Thinner
·Turpentine
·Lacquer Thinner
·Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous Ð some more than
others Ð and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
5-92

Storage Areas (cont.)
Rear Storage Area.......................................2-45
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire, Jack and Tools.......5-84
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................4-41
Sun Visors.....................................................2-16
Sunroof.........................................................2-47
T
Tachometer....................................................3-32
Taillamps.......................................................5-51
Temperature and Compass Display....................2-32
Testing the Alarm............................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-96
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-16
Passlock
ž...................................................2-18
Third Row......................................................1-66
Third Row ± Lap Belt......................................1-40
Throttle, Adjustable..........................................2-21
TIGHTEN FUEL CAP......................................3-62
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-7
Tilting the 50/50 Split Bench Seat.....................1-13
Tilting the Full Bench Seat...............................1-18
Tire
Pressure Light.............................................3-40
Tire Sidewall Labeling......................................5-54
Tire Size.......................................................5-58
Tire Terminology and De®nitions........................5-60Tires.............................................................5-54
Buying New Tires........................................5-68
Chains.......................................................5-72
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-73
In¯ation - Tire Pressure................................5-62
Inspection and Rotation................................5-66
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-69
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-71
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-71
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-68
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-21
Top Strap......................................................1-57
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-59
Torque Lock...................................................2-29
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires..................4-55
Tow/Haul Mode...............................................2-25
Tow/Haul Mode Light.......................................3-44
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-44
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-51
Your Vehicle...............................................4-44
Traction
Off Light.....................................................3-38
Stabilitrak
žSystem........................................ 4-9
TRACTION ACTIVE........................................3-64
Traction Control Operation................................4-10
TRACTION SYS LIMITED................................3-63
14