In ation - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-in ation or over-in ation is all right. It is not.
If your tires do not have enough air (under-in ation),
you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-in ation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the
vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar), below the driver’s
door latch. This label shows your vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct inflation pressures for
your tires when they are cold. The recommended
cold tire inflation pressure, shown on the label, is the
minimum amount of air pressure needed to support your
vehicle’s maximum load carrying capacity.
For additional information regarding how much weight
your vehicle can carry, and an example of the tire
and loading information label, seeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-32. How you load your vehicle affects
vehicle handling and ride comfort, never load your
vehicle with more weight than it was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not forget
to check the compact spare tire, it should be at
60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information regarding
the compact spare tire, seeCompact Spare Tire
on page 5-72.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly
inflated simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they are under-inflated.
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Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel bolts keep coming loose, the
wheel and wheel bolts should be replaced. If the wheel
leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum wheels,
which can sometimes be repaired). See your Saturn
Retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel or wheel bolt
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 or wheel
bolts, replace them only with new Saturn original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel and wheel bolts for your Saturn.{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels or wheel
bolts on your vehicle can be dangerous. It
could affect the braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control. You could have a collision in
which you or others could be injured. Always
use the correct wheel and wheel bolts for
replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-62for more
information.
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