2007 CADILLAC SRX spare tire

Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
all-wheel drive. If your vehicle does not have
all-wheel drive, you should not drive off-road unless
you are on a level, solid surface.
Many of the same design features that help make
your vehicle responsive on paved roads during
poor weather conditions — features like all-wheel
drive — help make it much better suited for
off-road use. Its higher ground clearance also
helps your vehicle step over some off-road
obstacles. But your vehicle does not have features
like special underbody shielding and a transfer
case low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe off-road
service.
Also, seeBraking on page 278.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does
have some denite hazards. The greatest of these
is the terrain itself.“Off-roading” means you have left the North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are
not marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough,
uphill, or downhill. In short, you have gone right
back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this
guide. You will nd many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help make your off-road
driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out.
For example, be sure to have all necessary
maintenance and service work done. Check to
make sure all underbody shields, if the vehicle has
them, are properly attached. Is there enough
fuel? Is the spare tire fully inated? Are the uid
levels up where they should be? What are
the local laws that apply to off-roading where you
will be driving? If you do not know, you should
check with law enforcement people in the
area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
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Tires............................................................ 398
Winter Tires.............................................. 400
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 401
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 404
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 407
High-Speed Operation............................... 409
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 410
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 414
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 416
Buying New Tires...................................... 416
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 418
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 419
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 420
Wheel Replacement.................................. 421
Tire Chains............................................... 422
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 423
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 424
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 426
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 429
Secondary Latch System........................... 436
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 439
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 442Appearance Care........................................ 443
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 443
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 445
Leather...................................................... 446
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 446
Wood Panels............................................. 447
Speaker Covers........................................ 447
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 447
Weatherstrips............................................ 447
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 447
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 448
Finish Care............................................... 448
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 449
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels......... 449
Tires......................................................... 450
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 450
Finish Damage.......................................... 451
Underbody Maintenance............................ 451
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 451
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 452
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
344

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a combination of
letters and numbers used to dene a particular
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have
a TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation):The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
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(D) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
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 419.
(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.(A) Temporary Use Only:The compact spare
tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
The compact spare tire is for emergency use when
a regular road tire has lost air and gone at. If
your vehicle has a compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire on page 442andIf a Tire
Goes Flat on page 423.
Compact Spare Tire Example
402

(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
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.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(E) Tire Ination:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and ination seeInation - Tire Pressure on
page 407.
(F) Tire Size:A combination of letters and
numbers dene a tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service description. The
letter T as the rst character in the tire size means
the tire is for temporary use only.(G) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have
a TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:The United
States version of a metric tire sizing system. The
letter P 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.
403

A Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). This label
shows your vehicle’s original equipment tires and
the correct ination pressures for your tires
when they are cold. The recommended cold tire
ination 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, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 322. 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 442.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inated simply by looking at them. Radial
tires may look properly inated even when they
are under-inated. Check the tire’s ination
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).
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
ination pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading Information
label, no further adjustment is necessary. If the
ination pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on
the metal stem in the center of the tire valve.
Re-check 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.
408

Tire Pressure Monitor System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses
radio and sensor technology to check tire pressure
levels. If your vehicle has this feature, sensors
are mounted on each tire and wheel assembly,
except for the compact spare tire and wheel. The
TPMS sensors monitor the air pressure in your
vehicle’s tires and transmit the tire pressure
readings to a receiver located in the vehicle. The
TPMS is designed to alert the driver if a low
pressure condition exists.
Using the Driver Information Center (DIC), the
driver can also check tire pressure levels using the
DIC. For additional information and details about
the DIC operation and displays seeDIC Controls
and Displays on page 215andDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 220.When a low tire pressure condition is detected,
the TPMS illuminates the low tire pressure warning
symbol located in the instrument panel cluster,
and at the same time a DIC message to check the
pressure in a specic tire also appears on the
DIC display. The low tire pressure warning symbol
and the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE message on
the DIC display appear at each ignition cycle until
the tires are inated to the correct ination
pressure.
You may notice, during cooler weather conditions,
the low tire pressure warning light and DIC
warning message may come on when the vehicle
is rst started, and then turn off as you start to
drive. This could be an early indicator that the air
pressure in the tire(s) is getting low and needs
to be inated to the proper pressure.
410

Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked monthly when cold and inated to
the ination pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
ination pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire ination pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire ination
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety
feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with
a tire pressure
monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure
telltale when one
or more of your tires is
signicantly
under-inated.Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signicantly
under-inated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-ination also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even
if under-ination has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will ash for approximately
one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the
malfunction exists.
411